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7SecretsSundaySchoolTeacher.Rotation.org
7 Secrets of a Super Sunday School Teacher

A Teacher Training Article from
Heidi Weber and Neil MacQueen @ Rotation.org

Supporting Members can View, Print, and Share the FULL PDF version here, as well as access all our other Training resources. Join today!

The following are excerpts from the full article available to our members:

Bet you could come up with an eighth secret!  We checked in with some of our favorite Sunday School teachers, consulted some favorite sources, and plumbed our own decades of teaching experience to come up with these seven "secrets."  You are welcome to 'reply' and share what you think makes a Sunday School teacher "super."

1. Super Teachers are prepared.

Lack of advance preparation and unfamiliarity with the lesson plan is the #1 cause of teacher anxiety and wasting the students' time. We know because we've made this mistake before!

failtoprepareNeil says: It's a great feeling to walk into a classroom knowing my lesson plan and having everything ready to go. It frees me up to give extra attention to the kids.

Heid adds: I like to start my prep early in the week so I have time to think about how to make my lesson better and get everything in advance.

2. Super Teachers don't settle for less-than-super lesson ideas.

Super Teachers know that super lesson activities improve attendance, attention, retention, and student attitudes. Super Teachers have never met a good idea they couldn't make better after wrestling with it.

Heidi says: This is one of the things I like about Rotation Model. You get to improve lessons each week instead of always having to do a new lesson each week. Even when I was using the Traditional Model, however, my favorite teachers to work with were those who always went the extra mile.

Neil adds: "Super" doesn't just mean "creative" or "fun." "Super" can also mean activities that get to the heart of the lesson, not just fill time.

3. Super Teachers know the power of structure and how to create it.

Structure is like a ship. It's something you create that lets your crew know where they are going, how they're going to get there, what they will be doing, what's expected of them, and why they're not going to sink. Built right, they'll gladly come aboard structure and help you get where you want to go. Poor preparation, muddled lesson plans, and boring activities will sink even the most well-intended ship.

Heidi says: Structure is not a list of rules or a teacher's "control." It's something the teacher can project through leadership and energy.

Neil adds: I like to begin class by telling them exactly what we'll be doing, what I hope they'll learn from it, and what big questions I'll be asking. It's amazing how much anxiety that relieves, especially among older kids.

crew
Pictured: A kids crew helping steer the boat. A super teacher
knows how to get the kids working with them, not against them.

4. Super Teachers embrace the opportunity to model Christ to their students.

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which includes a discussion of points 4, 5, 6 and 7!
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superteacherwords


5. Super Teachers know all kids need discipline, and some more than others, ...and the super teacher isn't afraid to lovingly and creatively apply it.

Registered (free) members and Supporting Members can
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which includes a discussion of points 4, 5, 6 and 7!
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6. Super Teachers know how to have fun, especially fun that teaches.

Registered (free) members and Supporting Members can
View, Print, and Share the FULL PDF here
which includes a discussion of points 4, 5, 6 and 7!
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7. Super Teachers know the true secret of why they teach.

Registered (free) members and Supporting Members can
View, Print, and Share the FULL PDF here
which includes a discussion of points 4, 5, 6 and 7!
Join today!

BONUS MUSING:

3 Things Super Teachers Never Say to Their Student

Registered (free) members and Supporting Members can
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which includes "3 Things Super Teachers NEVER Say to Their Students"
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Heidi-Neil-PicHeidi Weber has been a Christian Educator for the past ten years at First UMC in Slidell La. Neil MacQueen is a Presbyterian minister specializing in children's ministry and content creator for Rotation.org. In addition to consulting with their fellow Christian educators and own experience for this article, they harked back to some of the teachers and leaders they grew up with. Neil says, "Thank you Scotty!"

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