Teaching Moments


zippy_do46
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:D Sometimes as a teacher working in Primary you wonder those words ,"Have I done any good today". I think the primary program can be an experience that give heart to those teachers who wonder this.

I have two little boys who present a big challenge sometimes. These two seem to be somewhere else when I am teaching. In class we have been really working on making the right choices. Most of my children are 4 year olds turning 5. I play a game with them every Sunday I teach. I watch them during Sacrament and Primary. I see little things both good and bad. (Sharing, Fighting, Being quite during the passing of the Sacrament, Crying, and etc...) I ask each child what would Heavenly Father want them to do if they...? I then point to a Smiling Face and a Sad Face. I let them tell me if Heavenly Father would be happy if a person did this or sad. Then I let them tell me how they would make it right if He would be sad.

While we were practising our Primary Program I was trying to get them to focus on what was being said. :confused: I decided that I would give them little badges that said CTR on them. I was hoping this would get them heading in the right direction. I had another badge on a stick and would flash this when they were doing something they should not be doing. After the first 15 minutes of practice, I was ready to take them to their parents. I remember asking Heavenly Father what to do. Just a quick was the reply "take the badges". I reach over and removed both their badges. Both of them stopped what they were doing and looked at me. I quietly told them to "Choose the Right". Their little faces started frowning. I then told them they had a Choice. They both looked at me and nodded their heads. I waited a few minutes looking at them. I then smiled and put their badges back on.

The rest of the story. Primary Program went great. After the program and in Primary I over heard the boys telling some of the 3 year olds about the badges. One of them told them it was CTR. The other explained it ment choose the right. Then one of them said it makes Heavenly Father Happy! The other said, and Teacher Happy! :D Yes, indeed. Teacher is very happy. The "teaching moment" was for me. Listening to the Spirit while I teach. I do not stand alone in that classroom. He is there.

Do you have a teaching moment to share? I would love to read them.

Edited by zippy_do46
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Thats fab :)

One of my fav moments in Primary was when I was covering primary as the Primary president was on stake assignment (being a small branch with only 4 children we only had the primary pres and one teacher). Anyway the week before when I had been covering the children had asked if they could do coloring - I didn't have anything that week but promised they could the following week - and since the following we week were doing the plan of salvation I decided that they could color in the visuals we use and I would teach them while they were coloring - the loved it :) and it reduced how much prep work I had to do

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  • 4 months later...

Sunday was such a fun day. I now co-teach the Sunbeams at our Ward. One of our “little ones” was having a clinging day with mother who is doing sharing time. I pick him up and take him to our room and talk to him for a few minutes. On the way back I pick him up. He asked me what was wrong. I told him nothing. He looked at me and pointed to a picture on the wall of "The Lamb and the Lion". Now this same little boy the week before was fascinated about the story of “Daniel and the Lions’ Den”. So I in my great wisdom ;) started telling him that this Lion because of Heavenly Father had no desire to eat the lamb. I asked him if he remembered the story of Daniel and the lions. He nodded and said yes. I noticed he still had a confused look on his face. I took a moment and walked down the hall telling him about each picture we passed by. When we had reached the third picture he said, "Sister is they broke". Now, I was confused. No they are not broke I told him. He then asked me, “not moving?” He looked at the picture again and turned to me and said, “Not talk?” OK, this old woman finally realizes what this “little one” was asking. He thought they were flat screens and that they broke. Trying not to loose it too bad in laughter I explained that these were pictures not flat screens.

Edited by zippy_do46
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  • 3 years later...

I'm not currently in Primary, but have an experience from when I was a Music Leader to share about going inch wide, mile deep on a concept. My Presidency knew I had no reservations about helping kids reverently participate in Sharing Time, especially since we had a problem with teachers not coming to sit with their class. This particular week, the Sharing Time lesson was built around an activity where the kids broke into groups and did a fill-in-the-blank worksheet with scriptures about the Holy Ghost. Each group would choose a scripture to present to the other groups. I was asked to help the two littlest ones, ages 3 and 4. Both were notoriously shy, and my first thought was, "Well, neither of them can really read, so how can I help them to get something out of this?" (Spoiler alert: I got more than they did.)

The first scripture was somewhere in D&C and taught that the Holy Ghost can help us feel joy. "Joy" was the word that was blanked out. I opened my scriptures and read it with them. Then I helped them write it on their papers. Knowing that they would be asked to stand at the front and share what they learned, I spent the rest of the time rehearsing with them, "The Holy Ghost can help me feel JOY!" We didn't even look up the other scriptures. I just kept saying, "The Holy Ghost can help me feel," and prompting them to say, "joy."

Thankfully we went first. I squatted down, facing them and said loud enough for the rest of the room to hear, "The Holy Ghost can help me feel..." "JOY," I heard them say with bright eyes. I will not soon forget it, either. For the first time in all her time at the front of the room in Primary, that little girl didn't have her fists in her eyes, and that little boy's soft voice was heard. In that moment, the Holy Ghost helped me feel joy, and I reflect back on that moment as needed.

Edited by seashmore
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Great story!

I remember when I was singing time leader I did the green and red traffic light thingee so that when they're doing good I turn on the green light and when they're not doing too good I turn on the red light.  Well, kids got bored because the light is always green so they deliberately do something obnoxious so it turns red.  That was one big FAIL.

So then I did the lion and the mouse on popsicle sticks and when I raise the lion that means sing louder and when I raise the mouse that means sing softer.  Well, the kids want to see the lion so they sing softer and so I raise the lion so they would scream out the song and love themselves silly.  One kid complained, there's no reverence in this class.  That was another FAIL.

Yeah, I have tons of these failed stories but I did love that calling very much even if it was the most difficult calling I've ever had.

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