What Is Too Much Or Too Little

[Guest Syble]

I am in primary again and there are those who believe making up cute pictures and lamenating them and then preparing little sticky pictures to work with the lesson theme is going too far.

I see it this way, once they go home with these little sticky pages they can re-use them over and over again reinforcing the lesson, as well as use them for home evenings as they exchange one lessons sticky figures with the others.

It is a parents resource. I find that fulfilling my calling to the upmost... looking out for the children.

What do you think? Too much? Should I just have them have a scribbled on picture of Jesus?

[Aristotle]

What do you think? Too much? Should I just have them have a scribbled on picture of Jesus?

Some people strain at a gnat and swallow a camel. LOL

I think that's a pretty silly thing to complain about.

[Palerider]

I say as long as you enjoy doing that and it does not put a financial strain on you....then go for it.......and watch the kids enjoy!!!!!

[Guest Syble]

thanks. I really do enjoy doing it and watching how well the children receive it and use it is also a pay off.

It takes some time coloring the pictures, but I only have two or three kids a week, and the cost is only around 4 dollars a week. I spend more on nylons.

[mom_of_jcchlsm]

I tend to agree that if you enjoy it, and you feel that the children get a better lesson because of it (or get the lesson reenforced by later play / use for FHE, whatever), then it's fine. I do worry about a few things, though:

1) Your above-and-beyond handouts may make others feel like they're not doing a good enough job (and either they'll spend time and money they can't afford to keep up or they'll just resent you and be constantly afraid that they're inferior teachers and that their leaders aren't happy with them)

2) A lot of what you do is wasted. If you send home a ready-to-go, laminated, organized FHE in a labeled folder with 10 different children, 2 will never even make it out of the Church building, 2 will be lost on the floor in the car or van, stepped on and destroyed, 2 will end up under a bed or in the back of a closet, 3 will be dutifully given to parents (one of those will be thrown away, one tucked in a "safe" place and never looked at again, and only one will end up as a FHE at some point), and the last hand-out will be kept by the child, who plans to use it, but probably won't.

3) Church guidelines make it very clear that you are not to spend your own money. Stuff like that is supposed to come out of the budget. There are two reasons for this that were explained by our bishop in a meeting. First of all, Church funds are distributed out to wards based on their membership and attendance numbers so that all are on equal footing. If the members in a relatively wealthy ward spend a lot of personal money on activities or extra fluff and fancy stuff, it can cause feelings of jealousy and the impression of favoritism. Also, the financial circumstances of any family in the ward may be tighter than the general public knows. If "everyone" spends $5 a week preparing their lessons, or if families are asked to bring a certain cassarole or whatever to an activity, they may not be able to afford it and may be too embarassed to say so.

Anyway, that's a lot of negative, and I didn't start this reply with that in mind. Do it if you want to, but don't feel it's necessary, and don't let yourself believe that that's the only way to magnify your calling. There are a lot of people out there magnifying their callings without the fluff and stuff.

[Guest Syble]

I tend to agree that if you enjoy it, and you feel that the children get a better lesson because of it (or get the lesson reenforced by later play / use for FHE, whatever), then it's fine. I do worry about a few things, though:

1) Your above-and-beyond handouts may make others feel like they're not doing a good enough job (and either they'll spend time and money they can't afford to keep up or they'll just resent you and be constantly afraid that they're inferior teachers and that their leaders aren't happy with them)

2) A lot of what you do is wasted. If you send home a ready-to-go, laminated, organized FHE in a labeled folder with 10 different children, 2 will never even make it out of the Church building, 2 will be lost on the floor in the car or van, stepped on and destroyed, 2 will end up under a bed or in the back of a closet, 3 will be dutifully given to parents (one of those will be thrown away, one tucked in a "safe" place and never looked at again, and only one will end up as a FHE at some point), and the last hand-out will be kept by the child, who plans to use it, but probably won't.

3) Church guidelines make it very clear that you are not to spend your own money. Stuff like that is supposed to come out of the budget. There are two reasons for this that were explained by our bishop in a meeting. First of all, Church funds are distributed out to wards based on their membership and attendance numbers so that all are on equal footing. If the members in a relatively wealthy ward spend a lot of personal money on activities or extra fluff and fancy stuff, it can cause feelings of jealousy and the impression of favoritism. Also, the financial circumstances of any family in the ward may be tighter than the general public knows. If "everyone" spends $5 a week preparing their lessons, or if families are asked to bring a certain cassarole or whatever to an activity, they may not be able to afford it and may be too embarassed to say so.

Anyway, that's a lot of negative, and I didn't start this reply with that in mind. Do it if you want to, but don't feel it's necessary, and don't let yourself believe that that's the only way to magnify your calling. There are a lot of people out there magnifying their callings without the fluff and stuff.

I appreciate all your input here. Your first paragraph covers what I think is happening in our ward.

I understand the financial thing, but I have had all the parents and even the visitors come back and thank me for helping them teach their little ones.

I don't take it out of the budget because it really is so minimal. Less than one dollar a child really because after I bought the coloring tools and paper, it was only the laminating which cost and that was only under 3 dollars.

I have seen my 15 year old's teacher bring treats that cost more than that every week. No body faults her... they are just glad she keeps the kids interests.

[Josie]

If you can afford it, what you are doing is great. I commend you for it and the kids and parents will be grateful for it and learn much from it. We all have our own ways of teaching and making lasting impressions on the kids. I will never forget the look in my primary's eyes(the kids, because I was president, teacher, and everything else... I had 4 to 9 kids between ages 18 months and 11 years to teach for two hours alone each week, because I was the only one in primary) when I made a fabulous looking banana split with all the trimmings and then poured dirt all over it to teach the point of my lesson. By the time meetings were over, everyone in the bldg knew what I had done and those kids remember that lesson to this day, LOL. They remembered me making the banana split dirty like our bodies and spirits get dirty when we put things into them that we should not.

It has been proven the visuals have a great impact on teaching...

[lisajo]

AHHHHHHHH Ok, what ever makes you feel good

[Guest Syble]

If you can afford it, what you are doing is great. I commend you for it and the kids and parents will be grateful for it and learn much from it. We all have our own ways of teaching and making lasting impressions on the kids. I will never forget the look in my primary's eyes(the kids, because I was president, teacher, and everything else... I had 4 to 9 kids between ages 18 months and 11 years to teach for two hours alone each week, because I was the only one in primary) when I made a fabulous looking banana split with all the trimmings and then poured dirt all over it to teach the point of my lesson. By the time meetings were over, everyone in the bldg knew what I had done and those kids remember that lesson to this day, LOL. They remembered me making the banana split dirty like our bodies and spirits get dirty when we put things into them that we should not.

It has been proven the visuals have a great impact on teaching...

I once did a thing which has lasted the children into their now late teens and beyond. You all know that picture done in pastels with Christ encircled by children and he has his hands on the face of the one little child looking up into his eyes?

I took that and took pictures of all my children back then it was around 20 of them... and put their picture in Christ's hands having Him looking into their faces. I lamenated it and made it into a hanging picture for their bedroom walls.

Everyone of them have told me at one time or another how that has impacted their life for the positive.

I won't probably be doing that this time, but I do want them to have a positive experience that will last for more than the 2 hours each Sunday.

thank you for your positive imput.

[Aristotle]

Once, I was called as the visiting teaching leader in my ward. One of the duties, according to the Relief Society president, was to visit all of the sisters who had not been visit taught by their visiting teachers during the month. I told the R.S. president that if she wished to do that, it was fine, but I wasn't doing the visiting teachers' job every month. She said, "Well, if you're not going to do it, then I'm not going to do it either!" My formula was to put visiting teaching highlights in the R.S. bulletin each month, to inspire the sisters to go visiting teaching. We averaged nearly 100% visiting teaching in our ward, without either myself or the R.S. president making up any missed visits during the month. Years later, the R.S. president told me that she was called as the stake visiting teaching leader and had employed many of the ideas I had as the ward visiting teaching leader. The point of the story is, that when we follow the spirit in our callings, we may be inspired to do what might not ordinarily be accepted by others. :)

[Guest Syble]

That is a good point Ari. We are doing the Lord's work and should listen to His inspiration and follow it, and not be more afraid of men than we are of God.

:) :) :)

[SarahMaree]

I tend to agree that if you enjoy it, and you feel that the children get a better lesson because of it (or get the lesson reenforced by later play / use for FHE, whatever), then it's fine. I do worry about a few things, though:

1) Your above-and-beyond handouts may make others feel like they're not doing a good enough job (and either they'll spend time and money they can't afford to keep up or they'll just resent you and be constantly afraid that they're inferior teachers and that their leaders aren't happy with them)

I think that as long as it isn't the person's intention to show other teachers up, this should never be a worry. Why should people always use the standard lessons and ideas just to avoid making other people feel mediocre, when in truth they are (which may not always be a bad thing)? I admit that sometimes I get jealous or feel like I'm slacking when other people come up with awesome ideas, but I know that I can use their standards as an opportunity to push my creativity and ability to "think outside of the box". Doing so doesn't necessarily mean spending more time and money, it's just a matter of coming up with fresh ideas and trying new things. Plus, people are much more likely to participate in and remember a lesson that they haven't experienced several times before.

[Guest Syble]

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I tend to agree that if you enjoy it, and you feel that the children get a better lesson because of it (or get the lesson reenforced by later play / use for FHE, whatever), then it's fine. I do worry about a few things, though:

1) Your above-and-beyond handouts may make others feel like they're not doing a good enough job (and either they'll spend time and money they can't afford to keep up or they'll just resent you and be constantly afraid that they're inferior teachers and that their leaders aren't happy with them)

I think that as long as it isn't the person's intention to show other teachers up, this should never be a worry. Why should people always use the standard lessons and ideas just to avoid making other people feel mediocre, when in truth they are (which may not always be a bad thing)? I admit that sometimes I get jealous or feel like I'm slacking when other people come up with awesome ideas, but I know that I can use their standards as an opportunity to push my creativity and ability to "think outside of the box". Doing so doesn't necessarily mean spending more time and money, it's just a matter of coming up with fresh ideas and trying new things. Plus, people are much more likely to participate in and remember a lesson that they haven't experienced several times before.

I have always been so obsorbed into what I was doing and what was in me trying to get out that I have never looked at others and envied their works or them. I do love to see creative works from others. I know that even small things we used around the house can be made into great objects of lessons and hand outs.

I saw more creative ideas in college dorms than I have ever seen before or since and I fell in love with the process of creating things and finding uses for them.

[Aristotle]

I have always been so obsorbed into what I was doing and what was in me trying to get out that I have never looked at others and envied their works or them. I do love to see creative works from others. I know that even small things we used around the house can be made into great objects of lessons and hand outs.

I saw more creative ideas in college dorms than I have ever seen before or since and I fell in love with the process of creating things and finding uses for them.

That is your God-given talent!