Quiet Reflection

Do you know your kids? Not just their names or their families. Do you know how they like to learn? Today we will continue the periodic series on types of learners. Today, the reflective learner.

One of the boys in my class comes into the room quietly. He moves from place to place, seeing what is in the room. He pauses for a few minutes, watching kids build a tower or work a puzzle. He stands near one wall, apart from everyone else, and quietly takes in what is happening throughout the room. I ask, "Would you like to play this game with us?" and he silently shakes his head no. When he does choose something to do, he finds a quiet activity that he can do alone. He typically chooses a drawing or writing activity, so he can express what he is thinking. He works diligently and smiles when I comment on what he is doing. Rarely do I hear him speak, and when he does, his voice is not much beyond a whisper.

My friend is a reflective, introverted learner. These learners take in lots of information and think about what they see. They enjoy working alone, or maybe one-on-one with an adult. They do not enjoy group games or talking with others. They think about how to apply learning to themselves personally and look for ways to process and express their learning...usually through pictures or writing.

Use these ideas to support your reflective learner:

• Allow a child to watch rather than participate. Reflective learners may learn more through watching a game than doing it. Don't force a child to join in.
• Provide quiet activities that allow a child to work alone.
• Deliberately find time to spend one-on-one with a reflective learner. Work a puzzle together or talk to him while he draws.
• In group time, ask a question and allow time before requiring an answer. Tell the children to think about their answers. This allows a reflective learner to process the question and formulate an answer.
• Play quiet music to create a more contemplative atmosphere.

Often these learners can help other children see things in a new way. When they speak, they may offer insights that are original and surprising. Thank God that He has made some of your learners as reflective and introspective. One day these learners may become researchers, philosophers, or inventors. 

What ways can you encourage the quiet learners in your classroom?

First in this series: logical learner

Photo by R. Scott Wiley

Ten Meaningful Affirmations for Kids

Affirmation helps boost a child's confidence and inspires him to persevere. Affirmation encourages a child to keep trying and to feel successful. The best affirmation are words that are meaningful - that connect to what the child is doing. Think about how you can use concrete, meaningful words to affirm the preschoolers or kindergartners you teach.

1. You used all the blocks to build your tower.

2. I can tell you are really thinking about this.

3. Your paper is covered with paint. Tell me what you did.

4. You worked together to finish that large floor puzzle.

5. Thank you for helping put away the dishes. We make a great team!

6. You are helping us get ready for group time when you put away the crayons.

7. That was a good idea.

8. You are working hard to finish that.

9. We did it! Give someone a high five!

10. You came up with a great solution to that problem.

Picture posted on Flickr.com

Photographer: Leo Reynolds

Four Musts for Effective Teaching

In teaching preschoolers and kindergartners, you can find lots of philosophies and theories. You will find leaders who use all kinds of tools and approaches. You can find different technologies (or none), toys (or not), and techniques (for every personality). But I think any teaching/learning situation with preschoolers and kindergartners should include four characteristics. The four "pillars" I look for are:

1. Accurate Content. Whatever you are teaching must be truthful and accurate. For a church setting, that means biblically accurate. Many resources engage in fun ways to tell Bible content. However, many times the Bible accuracy is suspect. Children get confused when a video or drama includes information that contradicts what a teacher has told them. I have had children tell me that David took pizza to his brothers and that Joseph lives in the Old West. When I tell facts of those stories, they become confused or begin to doubt if the Bible is real after all. If you are teaching something other than Bible content, make sure it is truthful and accurate. Or make sure the children know that you are telling something that is pretend and not real. (However, always use the true facts about the Bible.)

2. Hands-on Experiences. To learn, children must be involved. Any resource, idea, or technique should encourage the children to do something...to participate and be directly involved. Information does not become real or usable to children if they just hear it. They must explore ideas by doing something with it. Involve as many senses as possible to make the learning as real as possible.

3. Choices. As much as possible, preschoolers and kindergartners must choose. Allow boys and girls to choose which activity to do. Or allow them to choose how to complete the activity. (And sometimes allow them to choose not to do the activity - to just sit and watch.) I know that sometimes there is no choice. In my class, for example, all children must come to group time. Well...actually they can sit by the wall quietly out of the group - so I guess even then a choice is available. Choices create opportunities for a child to feel competent and in control. And the learning will be that much greater if the child has some control over what he is doing.

4. Relationships. Whatever happens in the classroom must foster relationships - relationships among the children and relationships between the children and the teachers. Building relationships with children helps me (the teacher) know what learning is occurring and how to target future teaching sessions. Relationships with children help me know what is happening in the children's lives, and creates a better atmosphere in the classroom. Relationships among the children help build problem-solving and conflict-resolution skills in addition to friendships.

While I do have other criteria in evaluating ideas and resources, these four pillars support everything else. If one of these is missing, I look elsewhere for ideas or resources. What pillars do you look for when evaluating resources, ideas, and techniques for teaching preschoolers and kindergartners?

Photo from www.stockvault.net.

Photographer: Didi Supardi

Try Something New

In teaching my Sunday School class, I fall back on the traditional, familiar ways of teaching. We teach with hands-on activities and use a variety of centers. I tend to use activities that I have used in the past - because those activities have worked in the past and I know how to teach using them.

But I cannot just depend on the familiar. When I do that, my teaching becomes rote and stale. I 

need to seek challenges and different ways to communicate Bible truths. And choose new ways to involve and engage boys and girls in learning. 

Recently we talked about telling others about Jesus. To help boys and girls think about and practice different ways to tell about Jesus, we provided a variety of activities - mostly ones that were familiar to me and the children. The kids used phones to pretend to talk to others. They wrote letters and notes to a missionary in our state. They built different places where they could tell about Jesus. Some fun ways to explore the Bible truth and the story.

I also decided to try something new. I took an old laptop and opened the word processing program. I thought that kids could pretend to send e-mail or type messages about Jesus. And the kindergartners were fascinated. We had to make a list so they could keep track of who was next. And I told them that I would bring the computer back the next week so everyone could have a turn.

So for the month of May, my writing center has been converted to a computer center. The laptop is available with a sign-up list. We added a timer so each child will have 5 minutes to type and will know when his turn is over. The children have enjoyed typing - sometimes just letters and nonsense, sometimes words or names, sometimes numbers. 

By trying something new, I have seen excitement in my kids. They have used new skills and new ways to learn about the Bible. And I'm discovering new ways to reinforce and apply truths to their lives. 

Look at your class or teaching ministry. What new technique could you try? What new tool could you use? What new idea could you implement? Keep in mind that not everything will work. Sometimes when I try something new, it fails. But trying new things keeps teaching fresh. And trying new things keeps me growing and learning as a teacher.

Photos by R Scott Wiley