Sunbeam help!

[leming6]

My situation:

I was called to be a sunbeam teacher a few months ago. I was frustrated and did not like going to primary. The kids would talk all the time and I didn't know who was even supposed to be in my class. A couple of weeks after I was called, a new presidency was called in. I was talking to one of the new counselors a few weeks after they were put in about my concerns about the behavior and chaos in primary. She said they noticed it too and were working on changing things. A week after that I was talking to my president about who was supposed to be in my class because I had kids in my class that were 5 and kids on my role that I knew were 5 already and should be in the CTR 4 class. We talked about that we both thought that the sunbeams shouldn't be combined with the older kids, for a number of reasons. She said they will be getting things changed soon.

Well, they have decided to put the sunbeams and CTR 4's together. I felt frustrated once again. For one, they didn't tell me, I just had all these kids follow me to class and I was like who are all these kids and am I supposed to have them and two, because of the developmental differences in this particular age group, they shouldn't be combined. They also are supposed to be taught out of a different manual. So now, within the past few weeks, the older kids are thrown back into the sunbeam class. The ones that have been five for awhile know the difference and a few cried over it. As the teacher, I now have 13-15 kids in my class in which I teach myself. I am also concerned as a parent because I now have two of my own children in my class and they know they are different ages and don't understand why, especially the older one who got put back. Also, in Jan, when my son who is only going to be 3 two weeks before Jan 1, is moved up to sunbeams, he will be in a class with children who will be turning 5 within the first few months of the year. There is a huge difference in the new sunbeams coming in and those that are older. I don't think it's fair to either age group.

All my concerns aside, I need to support the decisions of my primary presidency and teach this group of kids. How do I teach this group of kids who are at such different stages of life developmentally successfully?

[pam]

What is their reasoning behind putting kids of the different ages together? Lack of people who will accept callings?

[leming6]

I was talking to one of the counselors today and I got the impression that's how they think it is supposed to be. If there is a lack of people willing to accept a calling, it is my opinion that they combine the classes that use the same manual and leave the sunbeams to be its own class.

[applepansy]

It is possible to enlist the older children in teaching the younger ones. Help them be helpers. Help the younger ones accept the help of the older children. It can work.

Its not common to combine age groups who are not being taught from the same manual, however, its not unheard of. When there is only one child in a class our ward often combine, up or down, depends on the child/parents, etc.

My suggestion is to pray about the situation. Decide to make this the best experience you can for all the children involved. Heavenly Father can and will help you make this wonderful.

One of the marvelous things about Primary is the children are taught the sames lessons over and over and over for all their Primary years. The only difference is how the lessons are taught because of age.

There used to be one-school houses... 6yo through 18yos. There has and probably are one-room Primaries. If you think of this as an opportunity and focus on the positives instead of the negatives amazing things will happen.

Good Luck and Best Wishes

[zippy_do46]

Is there any way you can get another teacher with you. This way one can control the crowd while one teaches. After awhile the younger ones will settle down. Kids now days are very visual so you might have to get some things from the library. The Sunbeam manual teaches about the love of Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ. The CTR manual is getting them ready to be baptise at 8. I would suggest that you get both manuals if they expect for you to teach both. Compare those lessons with like topics and pull in what you can use with both groups. Much like the leadership does in sharing time. You will need to talk to both groups. So it will be like a roller coaster. This is the reason for the other teacher. A hand on a shoulder or finger to lips on her part can save you from stopping to do this. I have always said, if you can keep their attention you can teach. If you break eye contact you will loose that attention. With as many children as you will be have, I hope you have a room big enough. Being too crowded also makes the problem worse.

[Just_A_Guy]

I would approach the Primary Presidency and ask them if they have any opposition to you recruiting another teacher. If they agree, then call the parents of each and every one of those 15 kids and explain the situation to them. That gives you a recruiting pool of about thirty adults. Unless your ward is full of complete deadbeats, one of them should be happy to come in and carve off half of the class if it means making sure that their children actually learn the gospel and have a good overall experience at church.

[Guest]

Double posted... dunno how that happened.

[Guest]

15 kids is waaaayyy too much for one teacher - age differences aside - for kids under kindergarten age! There's a law against that in Florida for daycare centers...

Ask your husband to come with you to class if you don't get another teacher to help you.

[zippy_do46]

Did you say you will have 3 of your own children in this class? I will be praying for you. With the "little one" coming into your class this might create a big problem with you trying to teach. At this age mommy is still mommy, even if she is your teacher.

"All my concerns aside, I need to support the decisions of my primary presidency and teach this group of kids. How do I teach this group of kids who are at such different stages of life developmentally successfully? "

You are doing right by supporting your primary leadership.

I wonder if they know that they could also teach a class until they can get extra teachers.

[leming6]

Sorry, haven't been on in awhile. Anyway, I've tried talking to the members of the presidency and for some reason I couldn't convince them that they do get taught out of different manuals. I don't know if it's because they are young and don't know or what. We are in a branch and numbers are small and members are always moving in and out. Most of the adults have a calling for something, but I may be able to find a few parents who don't have a job. My husband does come help me when he is there, unfortunately he sometimes has to work on Sunday. I always come out of church exhausted because of the numbers but I do love these kids and work hard to teach them. Since the presidency doesn't seem to understand the manual differences, I just get the lessons online. What I've been doing is split the class into the two classes and let the sunbeams color their picture first while I teach the others and then I switch. It seems to be working out but still exhausting keeping these kids quiet and reverent during sharing time and such. We just had the primary program and I came home from church so exhausted from watching these kids on the stand plus having my 2 year old on my lap the whole time. I'm just tired of going to church and watching the clock thinking is it over yet. I want to come home happy and excited about the teachings, not tired and exhausted and thinking only 6 more days til I do it again.

I will not have 3 of my own at one time, my older one will move to the other class when the new ones come in in January so I'll just have two again. I am worried about my little one coming in because he is only turning 3 in Dec and is such a momma's boy. I know he will have a hard time, like probably most of the new ones will. I know a few of them and I think it's going to be frustrating and even more exhausting when I have to teach the new ones how to behave in primary while still giving the older ones the lessons they need.

[applepansy]

It sounds like you're doing a good job. Hang in there. Continue to pray for solutions.

then.... endure to the end. Don't give up. This time in your life will pass and you'll look back at it as a rewarding time.

[zippy_do46]

leming6, it takes special people in primary and I believe that they found in you just that. You are truely serving and not just serving time.

I worry that you are going to burn yourself out. With such small children in your own family and then so many little ones in your class. Make it easier on yourself. You could use the Primary 2 manual and teach the lessons in that order. Compare the Primary 1 manual and use those lessons that go along with the lessons in Primary 2. That way you are using the same subject matter and then you can just adjust the activity for the younger children using the Primary 1 manual. This way you are teaching only 1 subject. The older children are getting what they need and you can still teach the younger ones their subjects just in a diffrent order. Both manuals do have common subject matter and this might be why the leadership believe they can be combined. They can, but you are right at this age there can be over night diffrence in our little ones. They can go from not talking to talking a mile a minute in a matter of weeks. And if your Nursery does not have a schedule lesson time you might also be dealing with these little ones learning how to sit still. Can you imagine going from playing, eating, and playing again to sitting down in a chair and listening. ;0) They are learning , but this is just not fun. They want to be "bigger" but they still want to play.

In the Primary 1 manual I believe they even suggest that the sunbeams stay in their class for awhile just for this reason. ( I have not had a chance to go through the new manual) I do not know if they have made in changes since I have used it. I used it for years in the Nursery and then I have taught the Sunbeam class using it.

I am using the new nursery manual in my Nursery class now and love it.

My prayers are with you and your little ones. Just let me know if I can help you on anything. With the new Lds site your job can be easier but I wish they would let you have both manuals so you can compare lesson easier. Zippy

Edited December 3, 2010 by zippy_do46

[Gramajane]

Humm, sounds like your Presidency does not have the manual they are supposed to have?

probably on line you can find a manual that the Primary Presidency SHOULD also have,

that tells how the classes are supposed to be divided.

-- I think you can get a sub, but callings are supposed to go from the Primary Pres, to the counselor over them, then to the person. It is supposed to be a serious matter of prayer for inspiration of who to call.

--- You sound like a natural born loving, Christlike teacher, and doing an absolutely AMAZING job!

I think you must have been given a great blessing when hand were put on your head to set you apart to teach! Still, you can ask for another blessing (you are teaching a second class)-- and yes, your presidency does seem to be untrained. -- You could also go to the Stake Primary President or the counselor over you for help. -- If they burn you out-- what will they do then-- and what about the poor kids! -- I'll pray for you too!!! Gramajane