What Do You Want to Do Over as a Sunday School Teacher?

Most of us have something in our past we wish we could do over. If we only knew then what we know now, we might have done something different. As a Sunday School teacher, there are things I wish I could do over. Here are three that come to mind.

Do Over 1: Teaching preschoolers. Or at least volunteering for an extended session rotation.

Teaching preschoolers can be intimidating. They ask questions that always seem to start with “why.” They get easily distracted and expect you to help them build things with blocks. My perception changed once I started helping with a group of 4-year-olds. I was teaching an adult group already so this was in addition to that role. Teaching preschoolers forced me to think in simple terms. Using big words may be impressive, but teaching is about communicating clearly and working with preschoolers will keep us honest! Teaching preschoolers also helped me think afresh about how each activity can and should support the main point. Teaching preschoolers made me a more rounded teacher and a better adult teacher.

Do Over 2: Led my class to pray for lost people regularly.

Don’t get me wrong here; my classes prayed for lost people as names were shared. But that is the point … as names were shared. A couple of years ago, I began carrying a list populated by the names of lost people for whom I am praying daily. I then asked my class to do the same. I wish we had started doing this earlier, like the day before we started the class. Had we started it on day one, the discipline would have been built into our class DNA. We are trying to change our class culture now, but it might have been easier to maintain had we started out this practice.

Do Over 3: Leaving the established class to start a new one.

We worked hard to help a new class get started. The apprentice was ready to go. We prayed as a group and discussed the need for a new class. A couple of folks committed to leaving to help the apprentice get his class started. They started and it was slow going at first. Everyone in the new class was discouraged and wanted to return to the established group. I learned my lesson. The next time we prepared to start a new class, an apprentice was secured just like before. Except, instead of him leaving the group, I did. He took over the established class giving him a better shot at succeeding in his first teaching assignment. A couple of people agreed to leave with me and we were on our way to reaching new people.

Several other items could have been included on this list, but these are the big three on my list. We learn through experience, making our successes and failures valuable.