Your teacher training session is just around the corner, and
you're staring at a list of volunteers -- a mixture of people from
various backgrounds. You have Rookies, Veterans, and Experts with a
wide range of abilities and teaching experiences. How can you
possibly meet all their needs?
Identify which category your volunteers fall into, and then
customize training to meet their unique needs. Rather than having
individual meetings for Rookies, Veterans, and Experts, sprinkle in
a variety to meet all their needs. The following ideas will help
you understand your volunteers and provide them with the basic
skills needed for each experience level.
Rookies
Your new teachers and assistants come to training with
preconceived ideas about what's going to take place in their
classrooms. They're either eager to pitch in and make a difference
-- or terrified at the possibility of being asked to pitch in and
make a difference! This is your opportunity to set their minds at
ease, inform them about the basic ins and outs of their
responsibilities, and let them know what's really going to take
place in their classrooms.
Training Needs
- Relationships -- Introduce all new teachers to your team. Let
your Rookies know that they're a welcome, valuable part of your
team. Present each new teacher with a tote bag of supplies or a tub
of materials as a welcome gift. Intentionally plug Rookies into
relationships with Veterans and Experts by having them pair up for
discussion and prayer times.
- Mission Statement -- Provide Rookies with the written mission
statement for your ministry. Let them know that accomplishing this
mission will be their motivation for all that takes place in their
classrooms.
- Job Descriptions -- Develop job descriptions for the different
positions within your ministry. By the way, these can be
one-paragraph long. Give each Rookie the appropriate job
description.
- Age-Level Characteristics -- Provide age-specific information
for the grade level each Rookie ministers to.
- Curriculum -- Review the curriculum you've chosen with your
Rookies, focusing on each component of the lesson. Consider having
a mock classroom to demonstrate teaching a lesson. (Your Experts
can even teach this.) Include a suggested schedule that'll also be
posted in the classroom as a backup reminder to keep things moving
in class.
- Safety -- Review safety procedures and administrative policies
regarding finding substitutes, chain of command, discipline
methods, and confidentiality agreements.
- Supplies -- Tell Rookies about your resource area. Discuss your
system for checking out resources, purchasing supplies, and
adhering to classroom budgets.
- Partners -- Pair Rookies with Veterans or Experts in
classrooms. Have partners evaluate the teaching sessions in
four-week intervals. Encourage teaching teams to pray together for
the children in their classes as well as for each other.
Veterans
With one year in children's ministry under their belts, your
Veterans can be a valuable resource. They've learned by trial and
error how to run a classroom and have experienced success in making
curriculum and schedules work. It's time to take your Veterans to a
deeper level and further develop their skills and interests to make
an even greater impact on children.
Training Needs
- Mission Statement Review -- Keep your mission statement and
policies in front of your Veterans. Everyone needs a "refresher
course" on these topics.
- Job Description -- Have your Veterans review their job
descriptions to see if they've been taking on too much or if there
are responsibilities they've let slip through the cracks.
- Skill Development -- Help Veterans pinpoint their "specialties"
so you can help further develop those skills. Provide training from
guest speakers or team members on worship, prayer, Bible teaching,
and creativity geared toward children.
- Growth Plan -- Have Veterans identify personal areas for
improvement. Connect your Veterans with other volunteers who have
strengths in these areas.
- Deeper Training -- Provide in-depth training on teaching skills
and understanding the needs of children. Duscuss learning styles,
involving the five senses in lessons, delegating responsibilities,
in-home visitation, and outreach projects.
- Veteran Stories -- Have your Veterans share testimonials with
Rookies about what they learned during their first year in the
classroom. Use their enthusiasm to make announcements to the
congregation about children's events and recruiting needs.
Experts
Volunteers who've put in five or more years of service are
unique in their own way. They've gained a great deal of experience
in the classroom and have seen their assistants and other teachers
come and go. They may've begun teaching out of guilt or just to
fill a slot, but they've found a reason to stay. Your best way to
provide continuing training for your Experts is to find out why
they've stayed in the game and maximize on their desires. Show
respect for the years of service your Experts have given to
children's ministry. Help them stretch beyond their experiences by
introducing them to new resources and strategies for ministry.
Training Needs
- Ministry Reminders -- Remind your Experts of the nuts and bolts
of your ministry, such as your mission statement, administrative
policies, and procedures. Provide Experts with age-level
characteristics, curriculum overviews, and administrative policies
annually. Go over any changes to curriculum, schedules, classroom
assignments, or teaching teams on paper and in person. Ask for
Experts' feedback the first week after any changes have been
implemented.
- New Job Descriptions -- Have your Experts create or edit their
job descriptions to fairly represent all they're doing. This will
provide affirmation about the impact they're making on children.
It'll also give them an opportunity for personal evaluation in
areas where they may've started "coasting" through the preparation
process out of familiarity with the curriculum or children.
- Personal Touch -- Spend one-on-one time with your Experts
outside of your regular training sessions. Ask for their input on
special events and additional programs for your ministry. Train
them to handle responsibilities in these areas with less
involvement from you. Ask these volunteers to tell you what's
working in their classrooms. Affirm them for the work they're doing
and ask how you can help.
- What areas of development would your Experts like to explore?
Just ask them. Have them suggest possible topics to cover in future
training sessions, and see if they'd be willing to serve on a
question-and-answer panel or teach about a topic they've
suggested.
- Extended Training -- Pay for your Experts to receive training
at national and regional conferences where they can choose the
seminars they want to attend. Have them report what they learn to
your Rookies and Veterans.
- Leadership Development -- Help your Experts recognize their
opportunity to make contributions to the teachers with whom they
teach as well as the children in their classes. Pair these teachers
with Rookies and Veterans. Your volunteers will learn from each
other if you promote these relationships.
- Feedback -- Allow Experts to offer advice on problems in the
classroom and share common experiences and struggles. Before making
any dramatic changes in curriculum choices, teaching teams, or
classroom assignments, ask for your Experts' feedback. Valuing
their opinions and insights will make them stronger team players
when changes are implemented.
- Update -- Some Experts may feel close to retiring from your
team because they think children today have changed too much since
their first classroom of kids. Other Experts are teaching in your
children's ministry because they know it's what God created them to
do, and they wouldn't consider doing anything else.
Either way, Experts need to keep in touch with today's kids.
Create a "What's Hot" list detailing the interests of kids in each
age group. Include movies, books, hobbies, clothing trends, and
other details, with a brief description or blurb about each topic.
Give your Experts their own copies of Children's Ministry Magazine
to keep them in the know. Better yet, encourage your Experts to
survey kids about their interests.
Although members of your ministry team have different levels of
experience and talents, your training can level the field and help
all of them -- regardless of their years of service -- feel
confident and equipped to accomplish the mission the Lord has laid
out for them and the children in your church. Your sensitivity to
your volunteers' needs and understanding of how to effectively
address their concerns and interests will lay the foundation for a
strong and effective team that sticks together for the long
haul.
Encouraging Long-Term Service
While many people are willing to volunteer for a year or so,
long-term workers are harder to find. What can you do to turn your
Rookies and Veterans into Experts? Make a strong start with the
following steps.
- Pray, pray, pray. When facing the challenge of recruiting
volunteers and assigning teachers to classrooms, ask God to lead
you to the specific people he wants ministering to children.
- Make it personal. Approach each individual personally, focusing
on gifts rather than availability. When you know the specific
positions you need filled and the best types of people to fill
them, seek out individuals who are good matches -- not just warm
bodies.
- Connect consistently. You've only begun your job when your
classes are staffed with equipped teachers. Your volunteers need to
see your face and hear your voice weekly. Lend support verbally and
physically. Offer to serve as an assistant from time to time.
Volunteer to take over a class to give a teacher a non-
vacation-related break. Call, visit, and send notes.
- Listen as you lead. Ask for input from your teachers about
ideas, implementing as many as you can to give them ownership in
children's ministry.
- Offer timely training. Meet in large and small groups
throughout the year. Hold weekly or monthly prayer times whenever
possible.
- Develop relationships outside of your roles. Take time to
invest in the lives of your volunteers, not just in their
ministries.
- Practice what you preach. Demonstrate the level of commitment
you expect from your workers. Treat your volunteers as if they were
your class.
- Be flexible. Keep in mind that children's ministry isn't the
only area where your workers are involved. They need personal
ministry, time with family, and occasional breaks from the grind.
Keep the doors of communication open so you're approachable when
your workers need to ask for getaways. Better yet, build into each
person's job description a clause that provides for refueling and
time off at the end of a yearly rotation. When people know they
have a break coming, they're likely to be more consistent.
Becky Ussery is a writer, speaker, and creator of Kid
S.T.U.F.F. ministry for children in Woodstock, Georgia. Please keep
in mind that phone numbers, addresses, and prices are subject to
change.
