Wednesday, April 16, 2014

What To Do Between Themes - #2 Freshen It Up


REFURBISHING:  
One definition of 'refurbishing' is to brighten or freshen up. That is what we are thinking about as we move on to a new Bible book, a new main character, and new lessons.
  • New bulletin board ideas might include 
    • A good-sized board with five huge letters at the top:  MOSES.  
    • In the open space on a board, you might want to put up new attendance charts, or maybe a copy of the activity each week, or perhaps a map of Canaan and Egypt with a bright, colorful border around it. 
    • However you choose to put up new bulletin boards, make certain they are colorful and inviting. Color never hurts. God likes color! Look at the world around us: flowers, animals, people!!  All the colors should blend to make a 'restful-on-the-eyes room.' 
    • Children's work can highlight the room. Just put up a blending color of butcher paper and add a border (bought or handmade strips of construction paper) and place extra artwork on the board.
  • New Attendance Charts are needed. 
    • An unusual attendance chart might include an inexpensive bamboo cane as "Moses' Rod" for each student. As each cane is attached to the wall on something like a cup-hook, children would add a star sticker to their cane. At the end of the attendance period, add a coat of shellac before the students take them home.
    • Perhaps a "Timeline" Attendance Chart might be interesting. Students add a 1" x 1" square that is hand-drawn by the Bible teacher. On each small square, a 'main event' would be added each week, such as "Baby Moses," "Crossing the Red Sea," "Burning Bush," etc. Simple pictures are best.
    • Or simply continue with the March - Attendance Charts (on this blog) style, changing the dates, of course!
  • Bookmarks - Bible Books, Ten Commandments, Life of Moses. Bought or homemade.
  • Map - If you have a good black and white map, showing the land of Canaan, the land of Egypt, and the Wilderness Wanderings, an overhead projector might help you enlarge a map up to three feet wide!  (See March - Visual Aids #4 on this blog for extra help.) It is nice to have a good map for reference.
  • Songs We Sing In Bible Class Books - Some Bible teachers find it beneficial to create a song book to sing in class with numbers at the bottom of the pages for quick reference.
  • Books To Remember Charts - Continue with charts that have stickers or stars or happy faces when the students can recite another book to their list of Bible books. Bible teachers should be proud of their students who are memorizing the books of the Bible! If children learn the books early on, they will stay in their memories for many, many years.
These are only a few ideas to help refurbish your room. Children notice new things in a classroom. It helps them to have a renewed and curious mind. Brightening the classroom might freshen the Bible teacher, too!