Teachers' Helper
Today I was the teachers' helper at BSF. I was a little sad beforehand because I would be missing the first lesson after the Christmas break, but as it happens every time, I was truly blessed by my two hours with the children. (This is in stark contrast to me crying after helping out for less than 2 hours at my church!)
As I entered the classroom, the teachers were ready and waiting for children to arrive. They showed me the schedule and told me they would direct me in what to do. We started with playtime, and I just sat on the floor and helped the boys build a marble run. They thought I was a genius because I built it high with lots of twists and turns. I guess they had never been able to put it together before. One boy said, "Wow. I wish this play time would never end." (smile)
When playtime was over, the children, who know the schedule well, helped me put everything away. Each toy was taken outside the door where volunteers would pick them up and put them in storage until next week. The children circled around the teacher, closed their eyes and held their hands out so the teacher could choose a leader. She chose a little boy to lead and gave him a large flag. The children then lined up and each got one small flag. We marched down the hall singing, "We love our flag," and ended up in the room next door where we sat in a circle of chairs, which the teachers had already set up. We did a few exercises, which ended with us sitting up straight in our chairs with our hands folded in our laps. Then one of the teachers told the story of Paul and Silas. When she was finished, the leader chose questions she had prepared and written on construction paper. After she read a question, those who knew the answer raised their hands and the leader chose who could answer. It was awesome.
While they did a few more little exercise games, I went back to our room and set up the table for snack time. Each place was set with 2 graham crackers, a napkin and a cup of water. The leader took a bottle of hand sanitizer around the circle and gave each child a bit. The children came in and ate snacks while the teachers lead them in discussion about their Christmas break. When some girls wanted more crackers and started reaching, I made the comment that ladies never reach. It was so cute to see them quickly put their hands in their lap and try to be the most ladylike they could be to impress me. The pleases and thank yous were flying!
After the children were finished snacking, the leader carried the trash can around the tables for the children to put their napkins and cups. While I wiped off the tables, the children lined up for fun time. They went down the hall and I put out small towels around the floor for quite time. I then joined the children, who were taking turns jumping across a pretend river the teacher had made with two jump ropes. After about 15 minutes of that, we returned to our room for quite prayer time. Each child laid down by a towel and we spent 10 minutes quietly thinking about God and praying, with the lights turned low.
That finished, each child brought me his towel and I put them outside for the other volunteers to collect. We went next door again to sing songs. The children sang a thank you song to me for helping and then the leader brought a sticker to put on my nametag to show I had volunteered with them. The first song we sang was the doxology. It was the song I sang at my dad's funeral and the one my friends sang for me later at the retreat. My eyes welled up with tears and I saw many children looking curiously at me. Then the teacher had us sing in 2 more times!!! Luckily nobody asked me why I was crying because I couldn't think of anything to tell them!
After song time we went back to the regular classroom and the teacher got out handmade musical instruments, which we played loudly with some taped music. It was hilarious and the children loved it. We switched instruments three times, so each child got to play each instrument. All of the sudden, class time was over! I removed the childrens' nametags and the parents came and took them home! Easy as pie. No stress. And the children learned!
I love BSF.
Today I was the teachers' helper at BSF. I was a little sad beforehand because I would be missing the first lesson after the Christmas break, but as it happens every time, I was truly blessed by my two hours with the children. (This is in stark contrast to me crying after helping out for less than 2 hours at my church!)
As I entered the classroom, the teachers were ready and waiting for children to arrive. They showed me the schedule and told me they would direct me in what to do. We started with playtime, and I just sat on the floor and helped the boys build a marble run. They thought I was a genius because I built it high with lots of twists and turns. I guess they had never been able to put it together before. One boy said, "Wow. I wish this play time would never end." (smile)
When playtime was over, the children, who know the schedule well, helped me put everything away. Each toy was taken outside the door where volunteers would pick them up and put them in storage until next week. The children circled around the teacher, closed their eyes and held their hands out so the teacher could choose a leader. She chose a little boy to lead and gave him a large flag. The children then lined up and each got one small flag. We marched down the hall singing, "We love our flag," and ended up in the room next door where we sat in a circle of chairs, which the teachers had already set up. We did a few exercises, which ended with us sitting up straight in our chairs with our hands folded in our laps. Then one of the teachers told the story of Paul and Silas. When she was finished, the leader chose questions she had prepared and written on construction paper. After she read a question, those who knew the answer raised their hands and the leader chose who could answer. It was awesome.
While they did a few more little exercise games, I went back to our room and set up the table for snack time. Each place was set with 2 graham crackers, a napkin and a cup of water. The leader took a bottle of hand sanitizer around the circle and gave each child a bit. The children came in and ate snacks while the teachers lead them in discussion about their Christmas break. When some girls wanted more crackers and started reaching, I made the comment that ladies never reach. It was so cute to see them quickly put their hands in their lap and try to be the most ladylike they could be to impress me. The pleases and thank yous were flying!
After the children were finished snacking, the leader carried the trash can around the tables for the children to put their napkins and cups. While I wiped off the tables, the children lined up for fun time. They went down the hall and I put out small towels around the floor for quite time. I then joined the children, who were taking turns jumping across a pretend river the teacher had made with two jump ropes. After about 15 minutes of that, we returned to our room for quite prayer time. Each child laid down by a towel and we spent 10 minutes quietly thinking about God and praying, with the lights turned low.
That finished, each child brought me his towel and I put them outside for the other volunteers to collect. We went next door again to sing songs. The children sang a thank you song to me for helping and then the leader brought a sticker to put on my nametag to show I had volunteered with them. The first song we sang was the doxology. It was the song I sang at my dad's funeral and the one my friends sang for me later at the retreat. My eyes welled up with tears and I saw many children looking curiously at me. Then the teacher had us sing in 2 more times!!! Luckily nobody asked me why I was crying because I couldn't think of anything to tell them!
After song time we went back to the regular classroom and the teacher got out handmade musical instruments, which we played loudly with some taped music. It was hilarious and the children loved it. We switched instruments three times, so each child got to play each instrument. All of the sudden, class time was over! I removed the childrens' nametags and the parents came and took them home! Easy as pie. No stress. And the children learned!
I love BSF.
posted by Jan at 1:30 PM
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