Friday, May 19, 2006
Fun Sunday School : Holding Hands ( Activities )
Scissors, Pencil , Paper
First Step : Cut paper into horizontal form, then fold it ( x to x )
Second: fold until the smallest form/square
third :Draw the pattern, half man pattern or you can also draw 
woman patternafter that you can cut around the pattern, remember to only cut the line. Dont cut the unpatterned!
Here is the result of the cut, left is the sample of result after you cut pattern, right pic is the result after opening it. You can make various pattern to create various result too. After getting the holding hands picture, you can draw their faces or clothes. This is very simple and easy. You can use this activities in lesson about peace, caring each other, etc.
Fun Sunday School : Simple Singing variation
Kids will be easily get bored if we just singing without variation. I learn some variation style of singing from my friend. She’s just lead the kids to sing the same old song, but with more variation. Its just like a simple singing activities. You can copy these techniques easily.
Follow my Hand
Ask kids to follow your hand. Divide kids into two or three group. If your hand goes to left side, it means the left side group sing, if it goes right then the right side turn. And if you lift two hand, means all the kids must sing. You can make this style more harder, with reversed style, told them that if your hand goes to left side, it means the right group sing.
Explain about the volume control, if you show them 5 fingers then it means they sing to the loudest. 1 finger, sing with light voice, 3 mean normal voice. And no finger means still singing but without voice, only lips and mouth movement. You can do fast change while they’re singing from one to five or five to zero. They must keep an eye to your code.
This is more easy. Change the voice with music voice, if you said guitar, then they must change their voice to guitar voice, but still sing the song. Piano with piano voice ( only ting ting ting ), drum ( dum dum dum ), and so on. Let them also choice their own sound. You can variate with dividing group, guitar voice group, piano voice group, etc. So it will be a full music there!
Fun Sunday School : Simple activities
Just want to share idea about some simple activities. Simple here doesn’t mean low in quality. It means everybody can make it, but maybe just don’t get this idea. These activities, don’t need much tools, you can make it by paper and pencil or even without any tools. So, get ready to write this down.
Secret Code
Want to make a verse become interesting to learn ? or want children to remember important message ? Often I used this technique. Just write some code for each letter , example a = ?, b = $, c = * , d = !, e = + , f= [ , g = ] , and so on ( you can change the code with more interesting symbol like triangle, square, heart, etc ). Then you can write the words, example : bed , write it = $+!. This activities can be done by kids at minimum age 8.
Acting Quiz
You must prepare the acting task. Write it on small papers, example : Act as praying Jesus or act as the good Samaritan. Then call one of the kid to take paper randomly, he/she just read it in mind. After that he/she must begun to act, only act without sound, and the others kid must guess.You can make this as groups games too, or make competition between groups.
Glass of Mission
Again, put simple some task ( that written in small papers ) in a glass or bowl. Then instruct the kids to make circle ( sit forming circle ). Kids must pass the glass to each other, do this with singing. When you say “stop”, then they must stop singing, and kid who hold the glass must take one of the mission paper. The mission could be one person mission or groups mission , Example : Sing a Christmas Song together with one friend at your left and your right side.
Last Kid Sitting
Form circle from chairs, but you must take one of the chair first ( If there are 15 kids then just form 14 chairs ). Then kids must move around the chairs formation, they do this while singing. When you say stopped, kids must sit, there must be one kid don’t get chair, then he/she must step aside. Continue with singing and move around, until there are only two kids with one chair. The last kid who get the chair win the game. This can be more easy if you using tape, so you can easily stop the music.
I believe each of you can do more variation, I only share some ideas. Hope these will be helpful.
Wednesday, May 17, 2006
From Zero to a Hero : Small Gift
Many of us get confused in answering this question. I can sing ,but only with so so skills, also draw, teach, write, etc. You feel that you're just normal person with average overall skills, nothing important with yourself. You're not American Idols or great politician. Thought like this seems to haunting us and if we keep it like this, it will ruin our confidence.
( Matt Murdock is blind man, but he's got his own talent )
Maybe We should realized some simple gift like these :
Joking/Entertain
Well being a comedian is hard, and its happen on some shows here in my country. They're trying to make people laugh, but then the audience just keep silent. Guess what? yes, that clown will be kicked out from their job. But for people who get gift to make joke, its very simple for him/her, just by unprepared style, people will get entertained. If you can make people laugh or entertain people, then its just a step away to make the world a happy face.
Super Soft Motoric Skills
Knit? watch repair?
I cant do that small tiny bity things. And I think most people dont want to get involve on that things. But if you have great soft motoric skills, you can do much on that little things. My friend can repair chess clock and chess board that crashed a lot. I think he's got some magic fingers, for me and other maybe just think to buy another one. This skill also usefull in making craft for activities in school. Many that dont have this skill just give photocopied activities ( coloring, drawing, etc ).
Evaluator
Have seen people like these? keep critics on other. But I know some good evaluator. They have good point of view and can tell us whats wrong. And also give some solution. If you've got this skill then you're ready to become Idol's judge. Evaluator have great role in my Sunday School, person in this type keep disciplining other. They done this to keep the quality of Sunday School.
Well you can find more unique skills like animal tamer ( person who can get closed with animals, even with snakes ), quick hand ( you can be an illusionist ), sensitive tongue ( know people that paid for food tester or wine tester ? ), etc
God give it all for us to do nice work, so find it develop it and use it for our God. Dont waste it!
Who Am I?
Im not a saint also not a real superhero ( I have mentioned this at some previous post ago ). I also got some fail in my blogging experience. But now my blog can running well and many people like it. Thanks for supporting. One of my weakness is my English, i cant speak and write it perfectly. But its ok, I will try as hard as possible so people can understand what I mean ( thats the main function of language isnt it ? ). Dont let people turned you down just because you have weakness, everybody has weakness, but we have our talent too.
Back to me, I like to do some sports too. I join the karate club at high school and reached purple belt. Then at this time I like to cycling and playing street soccer. How about music ? I like secular music too, like LP and Fort Minor.
You can asked me if you want to know more about me.
thanks for coming!
From Zero to a Hero : Get Up!
In our journey as a teacher, sometimes there are hard rain with storm on our way. And often we've got down, even we've fight it nicely. Get defeated, get down, get hit, and anything else synonym to failed. Upset or sad is normal. Even, you can think about resigning. Well dont do it without think. I do these things when got failed on teaching :
Relaxing
Dont be too overhelmed by the failure, just do another thing and dont think about it until you feel good. Well this is hard to do if you still on the location or meet people related to your work or job that failed. Go away from that world. You can go to park or beach to give yourself some silent time. Also you can forget it for a while by playing games or reading comic. I played games on PS 2 when get some problem.
Evaluate
After you've got back your cool brain, then think about the problem again. Whats wrong with it? dont do this to blame yourself, but to know what to do next. Its a bit painfull to remember it again, but remember that doing this thing will benefit yourself. " A success person is the one who can look at his failure with tough face ".
Social Support
This is the most effective way to help you get up. Call old friend or your best friend. Just talk about what happened. Sometimes "just talking" will relieve your pain. Even better if they can motivate you ( and you must do this when there is friend who need you ).
Pray
Pray to God and tell Him that you need His help. Believe me that God will help. He will make a way for you. But still need your action to decide, whether you just sit down and crying or get up and build your dream again.
To get up from emotional breakdown is a hard thing. But if you can do this, you will become stronger and growing better. It will take time, but with patience and persistence, you can work through it. GET UP! ( even a good boxer needs time to get up )
picture taken from internet
this topic related to From Zero to a Hero : facing anxiety
Tuesday, May 16, 2006
From Zero to a Hero : Encouraging Soldier
Entering class with unknown people inside it, without parent beside them, different environtment, etc. He/her sometimes will try as hard as possible to keep theirself in the "secure zone", they will pretend too hold their parents arm and dont want to enter class. Or just crying as loud as possible. But the battle must begun Sir!
Come to him/her
Dont just standing numb in your class. Get outside and come to the crying kid. Tell them that its ok to entering class. The class if fun, also the kids are great. Make him/her believe you. Ask what are they afraid ? then give the right answer. Example : I want to be with my mother, then you can answered, Thats ok, mom will watch you from the window, and everything gonna be alright. If you pretend like this, your mom will sad.
Make sure the situation inside is great!
Let them take a look at the class from window or outside. But you must told the kids inside to act polite and greet the new comer. Open the door and instruct the kids to greet, Example : Welcome to our class ! or just Hello, good morning, please come inside. It will be better if one of the kids inside want to come outside and encourage the new comer.
Give reward
You can give sticker or keychain to lure him/her. But dont do it if you dont try as hard as you can.
Let the parents guide
If the kid still dont want to be separated from his/her parent, you can let the parents enter your class. Then you can do some shaping technique, week 1 ( sunday school ), parents can get inside, week2, they just looking from outside, week 3, try to let the kid alone.
In handling this situation, you must also calculate the time. If you're the only teacher , then give yourself about 5 minutes to take care this case. After the time is up, then let the parent decide whether they will back to their house or they want to try hard to encourage their kid and let you go inside to teach the other kids.
From Zero to a Hero : Kids Name
Experience like that often happen when we just started a new class. And it can be worse if you still dont remember kids name until half of the semester. There is some way to make it easier
Let them Introducing
When started a new class, let the kids introduce themself. Not you who read their name from a list. Let them stand and said their name , one by one. You can let them added some information such as house, pet, etc. After that you can guess their name one by one, act like this is a guessing game. Kids also can involved, example, you point at one of the kids and ask " Ok kids, who is her name ? ". You can do the name guessing game for 2 weeks ( in sunday school )
Chunking
This is a memorizing technique that use a word related to the subject. Memorize, just name only can be a bit hard example : Joan, Andrew, Ron. But if you add some information, it would be more easier, and you could just know their name by words you chunk to their name. The add on word can be related to their physical or their attitude. Example Blue eye Joan, Silent Andrew, Short Ron, etc. But remember to said this formula in your head only.
Name Tag
You can create name tag for them. This is the most helpfull tools. After giving the name tag, order them to write their name on the name tag. But dont just depen on these name tags, because you must know their name to when they]re not wearing name tag ( if you meet them outside school ).
Listing
You can do this at activity time. You can call their name one by one, and checked at the name list. When calling their name, you must also see who the person you call, so you can remember, not just read and check.
Dont be sad if you cant memorize kids name on your first week. It needs time for your brain to process it. Have a good time!
Its 3 o'clock in the morning
hi visitor!From yesterday I have start to write new series, the Fun Sunday School. The different between this series and From Zero to a Hero is the focus. In Fun Sunday School the focus is around the school, while im focusing on teacher skill in From Zero to a Hero. Hope you will like it. Because my blog is nothing without you.
what time is it in your country?
Have a good day!
Fun Sunday School : Introduction ( simple technique )
How to make a fun self introduction?You can make a simple quiz, the quiz aim is to guess your name. Example : Your name is Lucky, then write five line in whiteboard like this _ _ _ _ _, then you can said, my name is form by five letter. Let them said the letter, if they said a, then answer, no there is no a. If they guess c, then write c, _ _ c _ _. And so on. If its to difficult, you can give a hit about the first letter or the last letter.
This simple quiz can be used to introduce new students to all, or to introduce the character or things you want to explain in the lesson ( example : Jonah, Fish, etc ).
Using this technique can attract kids to focus on you and your name. They are lure to guess your name and try to get right letter. And they will remember your name easily, because their brain try to get it ( there is interest factor ).
Other technique is with some variation
still with example Marie, then write five lines _ _ _ _ _
after that, told them that each of line consist of one letter, the letter is the first letter of what you will draw. Draw Moon below first line then, Apple below second line, Rose below third line, Ice cream below fourth line, Egg below fifth line.
This can be used if you've got times and the kids is bigger.
have a nice introduction!
Monday, May 15, 2006
Fun Sunday School : Ice Breaker!
How to melt the ice?Put it in hot athmosphere, then it will melting soon. Same with kids, you must know them and memorize their name and their face. But this isnt enough, although you know them, but some situation sometimes make them so cold or sleepy. This happens especially at morning, when you teach morning class, you can find some kids are unmotivated. Maybe they still want to sleep or their parents force them to come to Sunday School while they're still watching cartoon.
Ice Breaker is a technique to melt down the cold situation, and make happier condition in class or in relationship. Usually we use games for Ice Breaker. Games must involve kids movement, more movement is better, their body will get warm, blood will arise to brain also oxygen, and this make them more fresh.
Some Ice Breaker games :
Tornado
Kids sit in circle, then teachers spin around his body , and said Tornado come to kids that wear shoes . After that , kids who wear shoes must substitute sits. Example : Maria, Jane and Rocky wear shoes, then all of them must run to others place, Maria to Jane's chair, Jane to Rocky's chair and so on. You can variate it by saying : Tornado come to kids who have red color in their shirt ( although they wear white shirt, but if there is a red stripes there, they must change their sitting posisition ). Say the words for about 3-4 times, until the kids mixed.
Follow the Coach
Pretend to be a commander of soldier. The game is simple, use flute ( that used in sport games ), give some code first to the kid. Example : Short whistle means stand, twice means sit, long whistle means jump, etc. Also you can said : Are you ready for today? lets see your reflex!. Make it fun!
Hidden Treasure
Hide a things like key or something related to subject. Then give 5 minutes for kids to find it. Hide it outside the class will be better, and even good if you give them the maps. Make sure that this game not disturbing other class.
The games above are the games that me and others teacher used in sunday school. You can find more Ice Breaker game in internet, because Ice breaker not only for kids but it can applied to in many occassion.
1 Month of my blog
Hi all!
today is one month of my blog. Well time went fast....
Thanks for all people that visits my blog regularly and suddenly. Also I thanks to my friend at google groups , bloggerforum.com ( This is very usefull forum for all bloggers ), blogfam ( indonesian blogger forum ), and special thanks to my friend and kids at White Wood Sunday School.
I hope this blog will last for a long time and can give benefit for not just Sunday School but also educator. I realize that there are some weakness here, and will try hard to fix it and to improve the content.
Have a nice blogging day!
Fun Sunday School : Lets Make it ! I ( physical )
First question : How to make school fun?
My answer is, don’t make it a school. I know, that some school have a fun effect too. But majority, school is perceived as an unpleasant place. This happened mostly in East side of the world , where feudalism still exist. In
So, lets change their ( students ) perception of school/Sunday school.
Classroom
This is a physical representative of school. Lets make over, put some bright decorative in there, and also outside the class. It must be up to date decorative. Some animals character made by cartoon is also good. One of my friend make over her class crazily, she decorate the class like a bedroom, with crane origami at the ceiling. And the other create an aquarium classroom, where fish and other sea character from paper are stick on the window. Still one of my friend create a forest in her class. I know this will cost a lot, but its nothing compare what you will get next, the joy of students in your class ( school ).
Sitting Arrangement
One of the sign of giving freedom is by let the children choose their own sit. You can arrange the chair forming circle or big U. It means openness. But if the class is small and the kids is too many, then using traditional row is ok too. Or you can avoid it by using mat, or just sitting on floor.
Toys and Books
You can add some toys and book in class. So kids can play or read it before the class begin. Or they can use it while they are waiting for parents to pick them. Better if the toys can be played together, so you can play it also, games like snake and ladder , ludo , puzzle are a good example. Books like comic and children books are good option, the books musnt to thick, so they can finish it fast. Or if the book is thick, you can let them borrow it, with promised that they must return it.
Wall Magazine
Put a big thick paper in the wall. Or place that can be view by kids. Then you can add some articles there, with smaller paper ( colorfull ) then stick it on that big paper. It can be informative articles, such as sports event, or news. Also you can stick humours or cartoon there, but remember to make it suitable for their ages.
At the next post I will write about the other points of Fun Sunday School. Although Im focusing this for Sunday School, but its also applicable for secular school or even for your house. I will also give some example of classroom decorative, sitting arrangement, and the wall magazine .
Sunday, May 14, 2006
Fun Sunday School
Well I think I havent define what I mean by Fun Sunday School, I will define these words by myself. Lets start it one by one.
Fun : Means fun, just kidding, its mean happy , a bit freedom, smile, laughter, joy.
Sunday : Its a name of a day in week. Sunday, in international calendar is holiday. People can take vacation in sunday or just taking a rest. Some said that Sunday is the first day, but some said that sunday is the last day. Bible told us that the last day of creation, God take a rest.
School : Place to study. The subjects to study is depend on curriculum in this place. Also there is some rule in this place. People who study in school called student and people who guide or teach students called teacher.
Now I will arrange it by two words
Fun Sunday : Means that a nice sunday, full with happiness and joy.
Sunday School : Some people seen this as a contradictory, school in Sunday ?! Oh cmon, isnt that just enough for school from Monday to Friday ( or Saturday ). Sunday School term has different definition from School. In Sunday School, students learn about Bible and things related to that. The teacher called sunday school teacher. Learn about Bible isnt a cool things in this modern day. So lets just add one more word infront.
Fun Sunday School : Sunday School added with fun. Means kids can learn Bible with joy and happiness. The athmosphere is set to be as comfort as possible. Not to serious and religious. The teachers also not to cold or to formal. Its different from usual school. Many cheerfull song and activities add here.
Seems hard to make it fun, since Bible and School isnt a fun thing for children.
I will post the how to make it fun in the next post.
Welcome to Fun Sunday School.
Where are the teachers gone?
I notice this question at a "Matilda" by Roald Dahl ( a kids to teen book, but also great if you want to read it ). There is scene in this book, when Matilda asking in her heart, where do the teachers go after school over. Are they just gone , pooping away then poops in again tomorrow, or they just went to teacher box. Me myself has this question when I was a kid.
Then Matilda found a surprisingly fact about her teacher. This happened when her teacher invite Matilda to her house. They walk together to that house. The house is small, and her teacher eat only simple food , she dont have butter so she used margarine.
In my country, there are lots of teachers life below good condition. Some of them have side job as a " ojek driver " ( they used their motorcycle to deliver people, just like taxi but using motorcyle ). And lots of them have worse house then Matilda's teacher house, their house just made by tripleks ( thin gipsum wood ). And still many problems they got such as cut off wages by governtment ( the reason is for their retirement funds )
This is very ironic, the educator dont get a good life.
Hope condition will change , and job as teacher can have a good status too in the society.
picture taken from internet.
Lets Read Comic
As I said comic isnt a bad source for kids. You can read it with your kid. Here is some tips and tricks to prevent choosing wrong comic. But there is also sacrifice you must made to make this comic mission going well.
Read it first
Before you buy comic for kids, you must read it first. And make sure that the comic doesnt contain pornographic or much violent. I know that it is rare to find comic without violence. So just filter the violence, not to much blood fest, not to detail on character scar ( dont buy it if its too expose the character scar or hurt, maybe its a sadomasochism comic ). Also you must aware of the age meter on the comic ( some comic have their grade , example : everyone, above 13, above 17 ).
Read with kids
You can read the comic with kids. But dont disturb them to much. After reading together, you can discuss the content. Example : Why Spiderman must hit Green Goblin, or why Superman is angry and say some dirty word. Then you must explain that we can models the good character, but must avoid to become bad character or using bad habit as smoking or saying dirty word.
Read after they read it
If its not comfotable for kids to read with you, then let them read it first. Then you can borrow their comic, use friendly approach. Dont make it an inspection. I think they will also be happy if their parent or teacher want to read their comic.
If you find something wrong
If you know that the content of the comic that already bought by your kids is not suitable for them, then you must explain it clearly. Substitute with other comics or toys. Remember to always explain about the not suitable content , why its not suitable, and etc. Dont just grab away the comic without explaination.
As I said, need sacrifices to doing this things. Its not easy, but there will be no easy for doing the best for our kids.
