Movin' on up!

Well it is getting close to that time of the year when kids start switching classes. I decided not to move my kids till May. Since they are going into the Preschool class I think that they need to be going into preschool first not just moved cause they turned 4. Now the younger kids that I am getting are moving once they turn 2 because they are bored in their class. Our church is growing with all the babies coming and people getting married. I still like to think back to when I only had 1 child in my room. So much has changed since then and I can see God working in the lives of these kids. It is so much fun watching kids grow with God and seeing them actually understand what is going on when us as leaders talk about the Bible.
Hope you had an amazing weekend! Talk to you more this week, don't forget to follow.

Kids love nature!

I have to take an environment class at my school to graduate. It actually got me to start thinking about getting kids involved now. I am going to start working on a nature activity with my kids. I am debating exactly what to do with 2 year olds, so if you have any ideas let me know. But I really want to get the kids more involved outside. They love going outside and keep asking me if we can. I might have them help plant some flowers outside  the building.
I really want  the kids to get involved more at the church to show them that they are never too young. It is really important to me to show them that they are never too young to do things for God. They are just as important as their parents and they can do amazing things too. Have a great day.

Kids need attention

It is really easy foe us to forget that we have to pay attention to children's needs sometimes. I mean we play with them, but we miss the red flags that could warn us that there is potentially something wrong.
Children show signs of abuse and disorders, that if we don't notice it when they are young, then a child could go unnoticed. I'm not saying confront the parent directly about it. I would talk to someone else first. More importantly try talking to the child. I have seen when people thought a child was autistic because she didn't talk. In reality she spoke a different language and no one bothered to get to know her. Knowing each child is really important. I make sure I spend time with my kids individually so that I can get to know them, and they know they can trust me.
Once kids have your trust they will be more open, and listen better. Kids just want to know you care. Hope you have a great day.

Change is coming!

So after 3 weeks of me working on my door and finally getting it all nice, I get a new door to my room. It's really nice I just wish someone would have told me so that my stuff didn't get destroyed. But I fixed it all so it looks just as nice. Besides just getting a new door I'm adding a lot more ark like things in my room. I want the kids to have fun and feel like they are on the ark. Only problem is everybody, including me, rather just have a new building. Our rooms are trapezoid so things get a little weird when it comes to where things can go. But we work with what we have. That's why I'm not doing any big projects unless I know it will be there a while. 

I'm getting more kids it seems like each week. I still remember the days when I had only one. It's amazing to see God working in my class with kids so young. 

Hope you had an awesome weekend! Have a great week. 

Stressed filled life!

Every day can be filled with stress. New stress, old stress, it can seem like a lot is piling up up on you sometimes. I have to remember to let God take a hold of my stress and give it all to Him. I know that not everything is perfect in life, and sometimes you get a curve ball that you never saw coming. On my worst days I find myself coming to God more than ever. I look towards Him for guidance and I thank Him for each moment He has given me. I decide to make each day great because that is how God has planned it. We may not see it at the moment but there is a bright future planned for you.
Hope you guys have a great week!

Relaxing

So today I took a break. I didn't go to work, I just stayed home and caught up on some homework. It was nice, and was needed for sure! It also has helped to relax and get some energy back so that I can be well rested for the next few weeks. I have to make it to spring break before I can "rest" again. Have a great day! 

Wild Child

We all get the one child who is crazy and tears everything apart in our room. They dump and run as I like to say. It can be so difficult sometimes and honestly I use to dread that child coming in. But then I came up with a plan. I made that child responsible for everything they destroyed or dumped out. Amazingly the child realized it wasn't fun to clean up something they didn't play with. The fact that it worked was amazing to me
I've done the same thing with one year olds and it works too! Kids understand more than we think. Once they know how it makes us feel they will understand that they shouldn't do it causes  they don't like it either.
In high school I used to hang up posters for drug prevention. I would spend hours hanging them to make words and pictures. Literally it would be up for an hour during school and someone would tear it down. I started getting people involved and they realized how much work it was. Some of the kids who torn down the posters no longer did, and they made sure their friends didn't either. It gave them the realization that it took someone time to do this and it wasn't fair that someone would rip it down in seconds.
It works for every age so just try it out! Have a great week!

We "bee"long to Jesus.

I finally finished my door to my room. The kids loved it! Only thing left is to finish the bees to hang from the ceiling. 

The kids have become really hyper lately, which could be from the full moon a few days ago. But I knew they needed to get some energy out so we played outside for a little bit. We don't really have a play area so I try to keep them as contained in the grass as I can. But they had fun. It was something new and different. I can't wait for it to get warmer so that I can make some sidewalk chalk paint for them. Hope everyone had a great weekend, enjoy your week! 

Love is imporant!

Loving a child no matter how much they annoy you can actually help them to listen to you more. I have had children that would not listen to a single adult, but when I would sit and talk to them and show them love they actually would listen to me when I spoke to them. As kids would say, love is a super power. Some people have a difficult time loving kids who are "always causing trouble". Those are normally the kids that I like to target. When they see that someone care and they don't have to act out to get attention, they calm down. Most times it is caused because they live in a sad house where their parents don't pay much attention to them. With me loving them it shows them that someone in the world cares about them.
God loves us even if we do something stupid that we know we are not suppose to do. But "love covers a multitude of sins." 1 Peter 4:8. If God is willing to love us when we act out, then we need to be willing to love kids who do the same.
Hope you have a Happy Valentines Day! Have a great weekend, and don't forget to follow. Talk to you on Monday!

Falling behind

As some people may have noticed I have not been posting as much. It basically comes down to, if I don't schedule it and write when I have time, I will completely forget. School has gotten crazy, and in order for me to keep up and do the nursery, my blog may slack a little. I will still post on Mondays for sure. If I find other things to write about when I have time, then I will, but I do not think that I will be able to post every weekday.
Hope you guys have a great day, don't forget to follow to get more updates.

Please Listen to me!

The struggling question of how to get a child to listen. Well it is a lot easier then most people want to believe. Most parents would hate to hear this, but honestly if it works do it. I can have children sit nicely during lesson, in the bathroom, and have them walk nicely in a line. My secret is I bribe them with marshmallows.
Yes they are sugary, but I only give out a max of 5 per child on a good day. It is amazing what kids will do for a marshmallow. If I say I am giving out marshmallows for whoever cleans up the block, at least half of the kids will run over and pick them up and put the away nicely. I mean not everyone has to do it but it works in my class. The main reasoning for marshmallows is it works for all ages. If a child chokes it will dissolve fast enough that nothing bad will happen. I don't have to worry about getting different treats when I have brand new two year old's in my class. It is up to you and what you are allowed to do, but it works in every situation.
Have a great week, and don't forget to follow.

It's the little things.

God works hard in everyone's life. That includes children. The sooner we can get God into a child's life the more likely they are going to live for Him through their life. Every little detail matters, including a child.
When planning a lesson you have to think of all the small details. Everything that might happen needs to be thought out. Kids can be unpredictable so you have to be prepared. Each day is a learning experience and we just have to take it as it is.
When I decide to paint with my kids I have to expect that they are going to get paint on themselves and the table. But I am will to clean it so that they can have awesome art projects!
One little thing that you leave out could be detrimental to your class. Don't forget the small details, and especially not the little children. Each of them is important to God! Have a great day!

Beware of the snake!

As we all know Adam and Eve were kicked out of the garden for eating the forbidden fruit. The snake caused all the problems! 

So that is the story we learned yesterday. I had the kids make a snake using pantyhose. It was probably their favorite craft so far. I also made a sign, which scared most of the parents walking in cause they thought there was an actual snake. But it was fun and the kids loved their little snake friends. It was fun and exciting day and totally worth the mess that the poly fiber made. 

It's all about your look!

Dressing right is very important! I always want to wear a dress to church, but knowing I am going to be on the ground I choose against it. Sometimes I like to play Mrs. Frizzle and match the theme. If I'm teaching light and dark I'll wear black and yellow. The kids probably don't notice but if they do it might help them remember! It is important to look nice but also appropriate so that you can work with the kids. Don't look like a slob but also don't look like you are going to senior prom. There is a happy medium. Obviously if you have older kids you could wear a dress but make sure it's long enough. The older the kids the harder it could be to dress nice. 

Hope you had a great week! Happy Friday talk to you some more in Monday!

What to do?

Sometimes I will sit and look up ideas that I can use for a lesson. Some are easy, but others are like pulling teeth! Some of the lessons I have are so confusing to me, that I can't possibly teach it to a 2 year old! I look up ideas and crafts but I end up with nothing. Most times if that happens, I'll just skip the lesson. This then gives me a couple of weeks where I have nothing. No I don't just sit there with my kids doing nothing, I plan it out to where around Halloween and Thanksgiving we do mini lessons on them. Last year for Halloween I read the book "The Pumpkin Gospel." We talked about pumpkins and we even carved one for Halloween. For Thanksgiving we talked about being thankful. We also did a little bit on the Pilgrims, but not too much. It's when we go outside the box of what we are told we have to teach that kids have fun.
My mom is a Kindergarten teacher. She is given a unit of stuff she has to teach by a certain time. But when she doesn't follow the exact steps, and goes away from the same boring videos, her kids start to learn. I've said it before but it is true, kids learn in the weirdest way, we just have to figure out how they will learn. Never stop learning yourself. Keep expanding on what you have. Make something new and exciting. If the kids see you having fun they will want to join you! Have a great day!

Connections

Getting connected to other people working in the same field is important. I am always bouncing ideas off of someone. I want to make sure what I am doing sounds fun to others and is also appropriate for my kids. I also go to conferences where I can talk to other people who are a lot more experienced in kids ministry. It is okay to ask for help if you need it. People love if you ask for help, or ask to use something of theirs. As I have learned from my teaching classes, beg, borrow, and steal. As long as you are willing to give credit, people really don't care. Just look on pinterest, that's my source of creativity. Most times I take stuff I see on their and modify it. Nothing has to be perfect, especially if you are working with kids. When it looks like a kids made it, then it is done right. I use to be about making each craft perfect and exact, and the parents didn't seem to like it as much. Like I said yesterday, let the kids be messy. That way the parents know that the kids did it, not you.
A good example is when I did the trees. I wanted the kids to rip the paper into small pieces and make a puffy tree. Some of them ripped long pieces and theirs looked like palm trees instead. The only one I fixed was the one that the child covered the whole trunk (You couldn't tell it was a tree).
I encourage you to find at least one person you can work with, and places you can get ideas. That is when you will see a change in the kids! Have a great week!

Getting started and Having FUN!!!

Getting started can be the hardest thing. I never thought that I could work with a 2 year old. But really all it takes is going in with a smile on your face! All kids really want is.to know that someone loves them. I always put a smile on before I walk through the door. The kids know that they are going to have fun if I look like we are going to have fun. No child wants to see a grinch when they walk in.
Making learning fun is th  most important. Switching the routine, or the room, let's kids explore more of their senses. The more movement or involvement the kids have in their day, the more they will remember, even if they are young. It doesn't matter how you do it, give them play doh, let them get up and move, or even build a whale. Kids are going to learn when you make their day fun and different.
Peel have told me that kids need routine, and consistency. I've noticed that the along things stay the same, the more wild they become. When I change the way my room is set up, the kids come in, in awe. It's lime I have a new room with new toys, and I don't. Making things different isn't going to hurt them. Each day is a learning process, not everything is going to work. I take everything I've done and see how I can make it better next time, or how I can be more prepared.
In all honestly a mess that might be made can be easily cleaned up. Are you really going to risk kids learning and having fun because you don't want to clean up the mess? If a kid paints on the table I just clean it up. I will stay after for an hour to clean up if it means the kiss will have fun and learn!
Don't be afraid to get messy. Expand the children's learning by changing.the way you do things. Every activity helps a child learn, even if you don't physically see it. Kids learn through play, so have a little fun! Have a great week!

God made the animals and me!

Another great Sunday! We learned how God made the animals and people. We talked about how God molded Adam out of clay. Since I didn't have clay I used play-doh, but I gave each kid a piece and let them mold it while I talked. It helped them get hands on and understand more when I came to creation. It wasn't an easy process! We started painting for our peacock, which I know is a bird, but I didn't want to do a lion because we talk about lions later. I love that the kids actually remember what they are learning. As they get older I can see it click and they can tell back the story. 

Well I hope your Sunday was as good as mine, I'm not even gonna talk about the Super Bowl. Have a great week! 

Classroom design

I totally forgot to post yesterday. I've been working on a new design for my room for spring. If you have seen my board on pinterest you have seen it, I'm doing the one that says, "we beelong to Jesus." I'll post my version once it is complete. So far I have the bees, I'll put flowers and for Valentine's day I will put some hearts. I am also working on making a rainbow in my room for the ark. I just have to figure out where to put it. The way the room looks is very important for a class. It needs to change semiregular to keep the kids interested. I'll be posting a lot more pictures from my class to give some ideas. Follow my pinterest so you can repin them.

Classroom Management

So I might have talked about classroom management before but I think it is really important. People think it is crazy that I can get a 2 year old to sit an  listen to a story, and then I can have them listen to me when I say, "don't do that". It all comes down to how you manage the classroom. I only see my kids 1day a week, and yet my kids come in and know the rules. I treat every kid I work with like they are a year older then they really are. I know they can't do everything, but I do set high expectations for my kids. Then when my kids have their birthday, they already know how to act their age. I get kids who won't listen to their parents but are perfect for me. It literally comes down to how I manage them and the expectations I set for them. Don't be afraid of being a little mean. I'm told that I am not allowed to put the kids in timeout but if they are going crazy and not listening then they will be removed from the situation, no matter how much they cry. And that is why they listen to me and follow my rules.
Have a great day! Don't forget to follow for more helpful tips and tricks!

God made the birds and the fish

The STL rally was awesome. I will have the video up for you tomorrow. But a lot of people were really encouraging and came and talked to me! It was nice, and the speaker was really hyper which kept me awake.
This week we learned how God made the fish and the birds. As our craft the kids made fishing poles out of Popsicle sticks. I have to glue the fish on with hot glue cause there was no way for it to stick. But the kids loved them. They showed literally everyone they saw. I got the fish from my mom. Who knows where she got them from. But the kids got to pick out their fish and then I glued it to the yarn. Pretty easy and simple little craft of them. The one below is one I made, as you can tell.
My class is getting so much better! The sad part is most of them are leaving in May! =( But they have to move on, I can't keep them forever. I know some with move easier then others, but that is why transitioning is important. But I'll touch on that some more later.
Hope everyone had a great weekend, and have a great week!

Speed the Light

Today is one of my favorite times of the year. Tonight at my church is a Speed the Light Rally (STL). Churches in our district come and we gather to get pumped about raising money to help buy vehicles for missionaries over seas. As you know I am going to be a missionary so it is a very important part in my life. I will post the video of the rally on Monday and Tuesday I will talk about it more on here.
Also I was asked to speak for about 2-3 minutes about how I was called and how I am pursuing it. This is a big honor because many other amazing speakers are also going to be speaking tonight. I am super excited and can't wait to show you guys. I will talk to you more on Monday, have a great weekend!

Leading on Empty

I read this book a while ago called Leading on Empty. It basically talks about pushing yourself too far that you are so worn out you basically "snap". I recommend this book even if you aren't going to be in ministry. It really makes you think about how much you put on your plate. 

The real reason I've been thinking about this book is cause school is kicking my butt! But the book has helped me to know when to stop and think, "is this really that important?" I know what God has called me to do, and I need to make decisions that will positively effect my life instead of negatively or not at all. 

Seriously check this book out, it will help you in all aspects of your life. 

Giving

As some of you know I work with children but I also help out with my youth group. I find it important to know more than one aspect of the church. This Friday is our Speed the Light Rally (STL). It is a rally to get teens pumped about raising money to missions. Since I am going to be a missionary I know that this is important. I will be posting a video on youtube and I will post the link on here either Monday or Tuesday. But I wanted to let everyone know that missions doesn't only have to be a older kid thing. My 2-3 year old's get excited about giving money in offering, and I don't even say anything to them about it. If one kid brings money then they all run to their parents asking for money. To them it is the joy of bringing something that they can put in the jar.
I am thinking about having them find ways to earn money so that it has more meaning to them then just getting a dollar from their mom, if they earn it then they might realize that it is much more then that.
Have a great week, and let me know what you think.

Learn Everyday

As we all know it is very important to get an education. We go to school for years get a diploma and then start our lives. After that most of us stop learning. Well I know that in order to continuously teach we have to continuously learn. While, yes I am still in college, I am always learning. Even during summer I make it important to me to learn new ways to teach. Right now I have to read a book that I hope will help me for the future, it is called The Second Time We Met. My teacher told me that it is about cross cultures. Even if I am not reading books for school I find new ones for Children's ministry or just growing more with God in general. Life is full of learning opportunities. I heard someone once say, "You learn something new everyday of your life, and the only time you stop is when you are dead." Find something to learn, whether it is about the kids you are teaching or how you can teach them better. Have a wonderful week!

God made Everything!

Welcome back everyone. As you may know I have been teaching my kids about how God made everything. Yesterday we learned that God made the sun, moon, and stars. I wish I had taken a picture of what they made because it was super cute. But they worked hard on making each piece and then I attached it to make a mobile. It is amazing to see the kids learning. I also started working on having them tell me what they remembered from the story. I will ask a question like; Who, What, When, Where, Why, or How. If they get the question right then they get a marshmallow, which is the best motivation for a 2 year old. And to my amazement they remembered a lot!
I am thinking about putting together a devotional for each week for them. This way it helps the kids remember what they learned, and it helps the parents know what we are taking about. Who knows I could end up with the smartest kids! But it is amazing how much a 2-3 year old can absorb if it is fun and they get involved.
Hope everyone had a great weekend and have a great week. I will talk to you guys tomorrow! Don't forget to follow! ;)

What a day!

Well today was my first day as a substitute. It is a lot different than being a teacher in a 2-3 year old class. It really helps to see all the aspects that go into teaching. It's not just about writing lesson plans and teaching them. You have to know the kids and how they will react. I had like 4 kids I had to watch out for. I know this will help me grow in my pursuit towards missions because I won't always be with the same kids. It's about learning to adapt and over come everything that comes my way. But with God nothing is impossible! 

What a day!

Well today was my first day as a substitute. It is a lot different than being a teacher in a 2-3 year old class. It really helps to see all the aspects that go into teaching. It's not just about writing lesson plans and teaching them. You have to know the kids and how they will react. I had like 4 kids I had to watch out for. I know this will help me grow in my pursuit towards missions because I won't always be with the same kids. It's about learning to adapt and over come everything that comes my way. But with God nothing is impossible! 

Future News

Hey guys,
I hope everything is going well. I have been working out some new ideas that I might start doing. Right now I am working on activities for my class, that I will soon turn into a book. I have come to the realization that I have to have 2 different art projects because I have the same kids for 2 years, and I don't think they want the same art project on their wall. Once I have all of that done I will make it into a book for ages 1-4.
In other news I am also working on a podcast from my youth group. We'll see how that goes. Have a great Thursday and I'll talk to you all soon!

Learning more

Maybe it is just me but I do not believe in handing a child a coloring sheet as their art project for the lesson. I do not care how old they are they are capable of doing more than just scribbling on a page. This could explain why I can get 2-3 year old's to remember lessons from a week ago. As you have probably seen in my older posts, or on my Pinterest, I do crazy art projects and activities. I have noticed that if you let the children have fun, or get messy, they remember more. This could also be that I never stop talking about the lesson until they leave, but they get what I am saying. Most 2 year old's could care less about what you are saying, but mine sit and listen because they know that they are getting something out of it, even if they really just want the marshmallows. But I have noticed when I ask questions that  they are able to answer them.
Try thinking outside the box and doing something you might think as "too hard" for them. You will be surprised at what they can do. I hand my kids scissors and help them cut out their projects, I don't do it for them. But it helps the kids grow and become better learners. I try to treat my kids as if they are older, I don't treat them like little babies who can't do anything. Eventually they have to grow up and do something, so why not start now.

Reading is Important!

I know this is really out there but working in Kid's Ministry can be really hard sometimes. I recently read a book called I Blew It By Brian Dollar. It was really inspiring and made me realize it is not just me.
If you haven't read his book you need to! It is funny at some points and very informational. Although some of the things he talks about I just say to myself, really you thought that was a good idea? But then again I have grown up working with kids so it comes natural to me.
Honestly I am always trying to find good books to read to help inspire me in either my Christian life, or in working with kids. If you have any good ones let me know. I'll try to read them and talk about them. You can post a comment or find me on twitter @12cole22. I am always open to talk and would love to hear some feed back! 

Welcome back Monday.

Well I hope everyone had an amazing weekend! This month we are learning about how God made everything and yesterday's topic was plants and trees. So I had my kids make trees. It was a good fine motor skill for them cause I had them rip the paper to make leaves. It is cool when you look at the picture because it shows that they are not all on the same developmental stage.

My biggest difficulty is trying to come up with two actives because I have the kids for two years and I don't want them to take home the same project. But I figure it out. I spend Saturdays planing and Sunday morning finalizing. 

I have started working on a promotional video to get more volunteers to help in nursery. I am giving the kids lines to say. So far it is adorable!!!! I hope they play it in service because I think it will totally work! 

Have a happy Monday and make it the best because God made it that way! 

"God has, can, and will use children to change the world." Brian Dollar

My Ideas

Below are some pictures of activities I created. The whale was obviously from Jonah and the whale, or big fish. I took the 2 tables from my room and put them together. I used pool noddles to form the body and make it safe. When I do it again I will show what it looked like before I covered it. Right now I am working on making it something that I can use whenever, without having to buy all the supplies. 

The last one is from David and Goliath. It is hard to see but my sister traced my body and drew the the details. The kids used water balls, it was suppose to be outside but it rained. They trey them and Goliath like David, without the slingshot. I wish I could find or make a slingshot of the kids to use. But it is still a process and these were testers to see how they kids responded. And with kids from 1-5, which is who was allowed to come in, they LOVED it. My kids still talk about the whale, and this was about 7 months ago. 

Resources

Everyone has some ideas of what to use in their children's ministry. Some of my personal favorites are I Love Kids Church.  They have some really good ideas, mostly for older kids. Now for the younger kids, like 2-3 year old's, I use Pinterest. My boards are loaded with ideas that I morph to use with younger kids. Also posting original ideas of my own is what I am going to start doing.
I am thinking about writing a book with all the ideas that I use that work from one year old's to up to five. Honestly if it does come down to teaching a large age range I suggest targeting the younger. Use the older kids as mentors and have them help you. Surprisingly they learn a lot too because now they are teaching it. If you want to find some more good blogs for kids ministry this website has the top 100, so check it out.

Hello out there!

I have a few new updates! I got my class schedule changed to Tuesdays and Thursdays only. So I will be posting more. I still want to have my main post on Mondays. That way everything is still fresh. But I will be posting little things through out the week. So keep your eyes open! If you want to chat you can comment or find me on twitter @12cole22. I'll try my best to get back to you guys. Have a great Wednesday! 

New Year!

So today is the first Monday of the New Year! Which also means back to school for me. It might be a struggle to keep up but I will sure try. But enough about me!
My little friend from last week came back, and let me tell you it was like a 180 with him. He walked through my door and was like, "Bye mom, see you later." and did not want to leave when she came back. I think his mom was really impressed. But my class has been going really well. The kids are really growing and excited to learn. I know that they will do great things in the future.
I have been going over some ideas that I have done in the past with my kids that they really liked, and how I can make them better for the future. I'm always thinking and drawing up new ideas. My biggest focus is on raising money for my missions trip to Columbia. I know that will draw me closer to God, but also help me come up with more ideas to work with my kids now. I've also come to the realization that the only thing I really look up on Pinterest is ideas for kids ministry. It is one of my biggest boards on there, and I even made different holiday themed ones to make it smaller!
Well I hope everyone is having a great winter break, and a Happy New Year! It is so crazy knowing that it is 2014!