Mar
16
Written by:
Different Voice
3/16/2009 7:00 AM
Last Monday, Tim wrote about community. Sunday School teachers are a community of individuals who have all agreed (or been encouraged) to teach. One of the values of holding a teacher training session at the beginning of each year (even if all of your teachers have taught Sunday School before) is establishing the identity of these individuals as a group. Here are some ideas to promote connections between your teachers throughout the year.
- Make it possible – Make sure Sunday School teachers have access to phone numbers and email addresses of other teachers. It’s difficult to connect with someone you don’t know how to contact!
- Use technology – Your teachers will have varying comfort levels with technology, but for those who are tech-savvy (or are willing to give it a try), consider creating a Facebook group or a blog where teachers can share ideas and ask questions.
- Pray together – Use email and phone calls to share joys and concerns of the group. (Make sure you have the permission of the individual concerned first.) The bonds created by praying for one another are strong.
- Spend time together as a group – Nothing replaces the impact of face-to-face contact. Provide opportunities for your teachers to spend time together other than Sunday morning. Consider having a picnic for teachers and their families, or an occasional get-together at a local coffee house.
Encourage your teachers to connect with each other and think of themselves as a community. Having a community of teachers that support and encourage one another will benefit the teachers and those whom they teach.
~Sally Hoelscher