The rules of teaching today's kids have changed. The learning environment can no longer be centered around the teacher, but must center around the students and how they learn best.
Effective children's ministries will have good facilitators instead of good teachers. And just because someone is a good "teacher" doesn't mean they are a good "facilitator."
Good "teachers" will find it harder and harder to engage kids who learn less and less by hearing and more and more by doing, talking, and interacting.
One big difference is this. A good teacher can teach "on the fly." But a good facilitator must be able to create and craft learning experiences that are carefully planned, fine tuned, and thought out with learning styles and attention spans guiding the process. There is no "on the fly" with an effective facilitator. You can read more about the difference between a facilitator and a teacher by reading this article.
Today's children's ministry "teachers" must shift from being the gatekeeper of all learning to being a guide, mentor, and encourager.
Pager methods will no longer work in a cell phone world. Take a look at your kid's environments and think about it. Is it time for some changes?
