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Posted by Rev. Monica Humpal on 5/24/03:

 

How are relationships between kids & adult leaders built in this model?

 

We (700 member congregation) have been doing rotation for a year now -- four stations/four age groups and each teacher takes a four week rotation in one of our stations (some teachers take two 4-week rotations). Now, a week before we honor a senior of our congregation who taught Sunday school for over 40 years, my senior pastor has approached me with concerns that perhaps we need to offer such consistency in our classrooms as well (i.e., the old fashion one teacher all year per age group). In this day and age I know that the "full year teacher" is rare so my question is how do we incorporate the year-long "getting to know you" relationships formed by the old way of doing Sunday School into rotation?

The teachers wanted more consistency as well -- they wanted to know THEIR kids and not have to rotate through all age levels. They missed the one-on-one personal relationship they could have developed with one grade level for the whole year. 




Posted by SheilaB on 5/24/03:
The shepherd gives you the consistency. Our Shepherds commit for an entire year, I have one that has committed for a 3rd year. We also have 2 people, myself and one other teacher who teach all rotations. We are jills of all trades and I find 2 people for specific workshops and we take what is left. Since I write most of our curriculum I can teach any of it so I give the other teacher at least a choice between 2. If she needs a rotation off, she can do that but she never has. Each of my teachers get one week off per rotation. Last year we ran 4 stations/4 classes for one semester but our preschool class which was split we decided to split every Sunday instead and they had a half workshop and half craft/music activity geared toward preschoolers so the two classes flipflopped each Sunday and this was a huge success and we will do again. I think the variety is more important that having the "old fashion" way. Let the Shepherd be the glue that holds the class together.



Posted by Amy Crane on 5/25/03:
I agree that having shepherds is the way to go. Since you want to have two adults in each classroom, one is the Workshop Leader and stays in art or drama or whatever all four weeks. The other is the Shepherd and rotates with the children. Our plan is to have two shepherds for each age level and they will be on one rotation, off the next, with adjustments for family vacations, etc. So there is consistency without requiring one person to be there 52 Sundays of the year.

At the church where I taught before (for five years), I enjoyed getting to know ALL the children. It took longer, of course, since I only saw them once a month or so in class. But it was neat knowing brothers and sisters and I really enjoyed watching them grow and mature and change over the years. I didn't know them real well, but I was able to speak to them and address them by name at Wednesday night dinners and what-not. So I don't feel like I missed out on a one-on-one personal relationship. And I truly enjoyed only having to prepare one lesson plan a month! (and then adapting it slightly based on what I knew of the group I was teaching that day).



Posted by Wendy in Roch on 5/25/03:
As a person who has taught a number of years, it was a bit difficult to get use to not having the same class week after week, but the advantages have way out weighed the disadvantages for me. I'm not sure how many different age groups one teacher gets. I teach so I see the kids every 4th week. And I get to see ALL the kids EVERY month.

 

I write some of the curriculum and I make sure to build in some of the relational time into the lesson plan.

The relational side builds also if the years go on and you keep teaching. I follow with the kids from 2nd to 5th grade.  How many "traditional" teachers can say that?


 

Posted by JCarey on 5/26/03:
We approach rotation exactly like Amy describes it and it has worked out fine. The kids get consistency and shepherds do what they are gifted in which should be bonding and caring for children on an individual basis (and making connections with families too).

In our church, Shepherds are the key to making sure that the child does not feel lost in a crowd or system but that he or she makes a difference when they are there and are missed when they cannot make it.




Posted by Neil MacQueen:


I have SERIOUS DOUBTS about all the wonderful relationship building alleged by traditional teachers "who get to know the kids" ...only because I know how deadly boring those teacher's lessons often were, and how some kids couldn't wait to get out of that class.  I also know by experience and observation how little real "relationship building" traditional teachers did in each individual student.

 

I think all those wonderful relationships are what we HOPED was happening. And if they did and were important, where then are all those kids now?  

 

 

I also like to do math with non-believers, so here's some traditional vs rotation teacher math.

 

Traditional Teacher teaches 30* of possible 40 weeks to the Third Grade.

 

Average third grader was only there 2/3rds the time, or 27 times.  So maybe that kid and that teacher actually spent 20 classes together during the year.

(*Most traditional teachers not there every week.)

 

Next year = traditional teacher has little contact with all those relationships they built because the kid has moved up a grade and now has a new teacher.

 

Plus...of those 20 lessons, how much time was spent in relationship building and sharing? 

 

BY CONTRAST:

 

A Rotation teacher teaches 10 workshop lessons a year. Over 5 years that's 50 lessons to EVERY kid coming through the program, not just the kids in one grade.  It's spread out over their childhood, not concentrated in one year. 

 

Furthermore, a child in the traditional model might have 5 to 10 different adults getting to know them during a five year period of Sunday School. But because the Rotation Model brings MANY MORE adults/parents into the program, our children are establishing familiarity with 20+ adults/parents.


<>< Neil

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More on this topic...moved here from another area

NancyFidler Posted May 09, 2005


We are going into the third year of our rotation and are having a difficult time… not, with the kids.. but, the teachers are having a feeling of not being connected with the kids

What has amazed me is that our church had a large amount of teacher burnout prior to rotation. Now they want to teach more! There feelings is they want to know more about the kids lifes on a weekly basis.. not, a monthly. Anyone have any thoughts on this?

 


Kim Trimboli Posted May 10, 2005


One of the big "talking points" of rotation is that each church can design rotation to suit their particular needs, and it sounds like you have made an adjustment that will work well for your needs at this time.


We have found that we have a "core" group of teachers who do most of our teaching rotation to rotation, year to year. This core group is made up of parents who typically are also involved in our children's fellowship and see the kids in many other venues.  To me, this is the real strength of rotation: more adults knowing the kids, rather than just a few.

 

Perhaps this is a major difference in some Rotation churches:  WHO your teachers are, and WHERE ELSE they relate to the kids.  



Lisa M. Posted May 10, 2005
I agree with Kim, we always need to be open to reinventing ourselves. And certainly what works in one setting is a disaster somewhere else. I do, however have two things to add:

First, are your utilizing shepherds? Shepherds do more of the ongoing relationship building work. Maybe that is the role some of your teachers really long for. Of course if everone wants to shepherd and noone wants to teach, that can be a problem.

Second, are you comfortable that this is the whole story, or is there an issue behind some teachers complaint? Is there a longing to go back to the way things were behind all the talk of a desire to nurture? I know, I know, I shouldn't sound so suspicious.
Peace,
Lisa



Neil MacQueen Posted May 12, 2005 


Hi Nancy.
The change some of your teachers are proposing (teaching each workshop) will come at a loss of others things you may not want to lose, such as, find other teachers who are good at certain workshops, and you want to bring into the kids' lives

Having Shepherds travel with each class is one way to try and have it both ways.

But let's look at what a church might lose by going back to moving the teachers:

#1 Going back to having the same teacher each week means the teacher will always be "learning the lesson" for the first time each week too. No lesson improvement.. --Always a dry run as they move to a new workshop each week. This probably means the teachers will dumb down the lessons and not do anything that takes much set up. Hello traditional model.

#2 The kids won't be exposed to a wide variety of your teachers. Let's be honest, not all our teachers are the "Spiritual Coaches" the traditional model hoped they would be (or they THINK they are). That means you risk putting your kids with the same modest teacher each week (who thinks they are great) but who is NOT that great a coach.  

#3 Is it possible that those who "don't feel they are developing a personal relationship" don't know how to do that within the Rotation model?

   (A LOT of adults aren't good at personal relationships --even with their own kids. )

And #4... a bombshell, perhaps.
Is "personal relationship" of the quality your teachers hope for EVEN POSSIBLE on Sunday morning for 45 minutes when you are ONE Adult with 8 or 10 kids? The experience with the traditional model suggests NOT.

It may be true that Sunday morning is mostly about teaching Bible stories. And that other venues and ministries are where an emphasis on "Spiritual Coaching" is better suited.
<>< Neil



Wendy In Roch Posted May 12, 2005


We've been working with the rotation model for a number of years. The first year you don't really develop the relationship, but if the teacher continues to teach the following years, I've found they can still develop a relationship - not necessarily a strong one, but similiar to what I developed with the kids in the "traditional model". I get the opportunity with rotation to follow the kids for 4 years *2nd-5th grade." I find it fun to watch how the grow in knowledge and faith over the 4 years.
Wendy




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