How to Stop Behavioral Issues in Your Ministry


Do you have behavioral issues in your room?

Do you have a hard time getting the kids to sit still and listen to the lesson?

Is your classroom noisy and hectic?

Do you find yourself getting frustrated because the kids aren't listening to the lesson?

Good news.  I've got something you can do to change that. 

It's a simple, but highly effective way to see your behavioral issues go away.

Here's what it is.

Stop looking at your class time as 60 minutes.

Here's why.

Today's kids have an attention span of 5 minutes max (the case could be made that it is even shorter than that).

Instead, do this.  Look at your 60 minute class time as twelve 5 minute sections.  Every 5 minutes change and do something different.  By doing this, you are honoring the kids' attention spans and you are resetting their internal clock every five minutes.

Let's take your teaching time as an example.  Instead of teaching for 15 minutes straight, teach 5 minutes and then stop and have the kids do something related to the lesson.  It might be a game that ties into the lesson theme, a song, an activity, etc.

After the kids have finished up the five minute activity, game, etc., you can jump back into the lesson.

Trust me, if you will do this, most, if not all, of your behavioral issues will go away.

A few weeks ago, I was consulting with a church.  While I was observing the children's ministry area on Sunday morning, the volunteers had a skit they were doing for the kids.  I watched the kids immediately engage with the skit.  However, at the three minute mark, the kids started to get restless.  At the four minute mark, they begin to look around and whisper among themselv es.  At the five minute mark, they were completely disengaged.

Here's how you can tell when kids disengage and you lose their attention.  When they start looking around, whispering, wiggling in their seat or on the floor if they are sitting, then you know it's time to move to the next part of  your lesson.

The majority of the behavioral problems you are experiencing is due to not honoring the kids' attention spans.

Kids are wired to move, talk and interact with those around them.  Even when you are presenting the lesson.  The behavioral problems are not a reflection on how good a teacher you are, rather it's a reflection on your teaching and classroom strategy.

In Connect 12 curriculum, we have broken down the lessons for you into 5 minute segments.  These lessons have been used to teach thousands of kids the 12 key Biblical truths they need to know before they graduate out of your ministry.  You can see lesson examples at this link and series are available for purchase.

If you're about to start pulling your hair out because the kids won't listen, this can be a game-changer for you.  Try it and you'll see your behavioral problems fade away.  You can get more info. about the curriculum at this link.  Below are some examples of some of the series.  All of these honor kids' attention spans and will have kids loving your lessons.

 
SALVATION SERIES

IDENTITY IN CHRIST SERIES
WORSHIP

WORSHIP
SPIRITUAL GROWTH

OBEDIENCE

APOLOGETICS
PURPOSE




RELATIONSHIPS

 SERVING / GIVING



WISDOM 


SHARING FAITH /  OUTREACH


SPIRITUAL LEADERSHIP