The CHILDREN'S Garden

This chapter was a wealth of information, and I felt as though it brought everything together that we have read within the textbook previously. I found interesting that the author discussed the interrelation of the subcontents within the substantive contents which are taught. To me, this directly correlated with the research that shows that all areas of development are interrelated. If all areas of development are interrelated, and we are aiming to reach every area, it would make sense that the subcontents be interrelated as well. “Authentic religion is holistic, not fractioned.” The phrase that came to mind the most while reading this chapter was ‘teacher training.’ “Teaching as prediction means that the early childhood religious educator has mastered a wide repertoire of instructional procedures so that she can easily move from one procedure to the other as the dynamics of the lesson unfold.” “Such skillful and aesthetic fashioning requires that the early childhood religious educator maintain constant and intimate contact with the research in her field.” These statements emphasize that teacher training is crucial to the learning taking place within the classroom. If effective teaching is not taking place, then no learning is taking place. This is very important to recognize as I believe most Sunday school models are filled with volunteers as teachers. Volunteers are a wonderful thing, but it is important to make sure that those volunteers have the tools necessary to effectively bring about learning within the classroom. I believe that many volunteers would even welcome the knowledge, and it is stated in the text that an abundance of training and skills makes a teacher more confident with themselves as well. As Children’s Ministers, we should not take this content lightly, but realize that it is just important for us to stay immersed in current research and teaching theories and practices so that we can effectively communicate and train the teachers and volunteers within our ministry. We cannot stay stagnant in our understanding of Children’s Ministry and teaching foundations, processes, and procedures, but we must constantly be growing ourselves in order to grow those around us and in turn our ministry to children. I also found the statement, “in actuality, attitudes are caught because they are taught,” very encouraging. It reminded me of how I was processing this phrase in my post after reading Chapter 6: “I agree that actions speak louder than words, but I would argue that modeling and teaching are both necessary components in a true understanding of the Christian faith, and that the combination of the two would breed the most powerful response. It is true that a child can catch attitudes, behaviors, and rituals, but without the explanations of ‘why,’ these are the still somewhat meaningless. Adults are to live their lives and guide their children and the explanation and reasoning behind our behaviors is just as important in leading them as the behaviors themselves. “ The section on ‘self-concept’ is what tugged at my heart strings the most. I wrote ‘Amen’ in my book next to the phrase, “The best vantage point for properly understanding and effectively dealing with the young child’s behavior is the internal frame of reference from the child.” I have cringed far too many times at the way that people within the church have dealt with children that are either in the program or that are visitors. I think it is vital to remember that many behaviors are driven by something internally. Some behavior is a result of lack of training or attention within the home and others may sadly be driven by horrendous situations that are taking place outside of our church walls. Developing a relationship with these children and understanding these children is imperative. It is here where I feel the teaching of self-concept and the teacher as counselor should collide. I would go into my extreme passion of level of expectations and intrinsic motivation, but I could probably write a small book, so I will suffice to say that I agree with the author on these points and am glad that they were touched upon within this section. This chapter provided so much information, but I think it all boils down to the meaning of the German word for Kindergarten: the children’s garden. What a beautiful mental picture! Classrooms inside and outside of the church are the children’s garden. They are not classrooms that are teacher-centered, but should be child-centered, and everything that takes place within them should be meant for the growing of the whole child, not just a stem or a single petal, but for a whole flower to emerge that is a result of gentle nurturing, watering, shielding, feeding, and the self-sacrifice of those caring for it. A true garden cannot grow without these patient attributes of the one tending the garden, and the best gardens emerge from those who are constantly refining their craft, evaluating the elements, and sacrificing their time for the sake of those tiny seeds in the ground. It is our job to continually grow ourselves to be able to make sure that every flower in the garden that God has entrusted us with has at least the chance, to become a flower. Reading Response to Chapter 7: How to Teach: Foundations, Processes, Procedures