Monthly Archives: July 2016

30 Techniques to quiet a noisy class

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Hi friends,
My hubby and I were just called as primary teachers.  EEEK!!!  We are both super jazzed about it, but honestly a bit nervous.  The last time we taught together was when we were newlyweds and taught 15-16 year old Sunday School together.  While we loved our class, we always did have a problem with getting them to be quiet and focused enough to even start the lesson.  In preparation for teaching primary, I found this article and thought there were some really great techniques that can be applied to primary and the youth.  I thought I would share it with you as well!  Do you have any additional techniques that you have found to work well?
Heart,
Melanie B.

YW Come Follow Me – FREE PRINTABLE

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SDBlogPrintable-02Hi friends,
Today I am sharing a printable that I have created from this month’s Come Follow Me lesson, “What does it mean to take upon myself the name of Jesus Christ?”This FREE printable is part of our package that is available here in our shop.  It’s size is 4×4 and comes with 4 per 8.5×11 page.  Print these off for your Young Women on regular card stock or sticker paper and instruct them to put it somewhere where they will see it often (computer screen, TV screen, mirrors, doorways, etc.).
Click here for the printable.

Enjoy!
Heart,
Melanie B.

MeckMom’s Teaching Tips: How to incorporate games into your lesson

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Keeping teens and primary kids engaged in a lesson can be tricky. My favorite go-to-tool is to work in a simple game. This short video will give you some great tips on how to use games effectively in class as well as show you a few of my favorite grab-n-go games that can easily be incorporated into any lesson. I hope you enjoy it!

[embedyt]https://youtu.be/CHQev_mNzG4[/embedyt]

I like to pick games that are easy to explain, fast to play and involve almost no set up. I also love games that have a bit of drama (like a tower that tips over or a balloon that might burst). The games I mentioned in the video are Boom Boom Balloon, Wonky, Jenga, and Tin Can Alley. I’m also a big fan of Bucket Blast, Bounce Off and Pie Face.

Sometimes I do a short game at the end of class and sometimes I like to have a full class of games to review everything we’ve learned in a unit or at the end of the year. Either way, I’ve always found that incorporating games into my lessons is a sure-fire way to keep students engaged and excited to participate.

Happy teaching everyone! I’ll be back next week with more tips.

Best,
Maria

Pioneer Children Song

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Here is a cute (and simple) idea for teaching the song, “Pioneer Children Sang as they Walked“.

Items needed:

– a rectangular laundry basket
– items one might find in a pioneer handcart (clothing, food, dishes, etc.)
– doll (to represent the people that might have to ride in the cart)

To introduce the song, hold up each item before putting it in the cart (basket) and ask them why each item is necessary.  Tell them that the pioneers couldn’t bring a lot of things because they needed to be able to push their carts a long, long way.  So the only things they took were essentials.

Choose three or four children to push (walk) the cart around the room while the song is being sung.  (Create a clear walkway for them before Primary begins so you have more time to sing.)

It’s easy to sing it multiple times because the children will all want a turn.  🙂

Man of Might Printable

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IMG_7264Hi friends,
Today is my oldest son’s fifth birthday.  I cannot believe that he is 5!  Time just goes so fast, right?!   He is just the best of kids and I love his sweet, perceptive, and intense personality.  Like most moms do, I worry about him as well as my other two sons.  I worry about the type of trials they will have.  I worry about how they are treating others.  I worry and pray that I am doing enough to teach them and to help build their testimonies. There are so many things I want for them to know.  Besides the basics of laundry, picking up after yourself, and how to treat others, (especially girls, gulp) I desperately want them to know who they truly are as Sons of God.  President Monson worded it perfectly with this quote in the latest priesthood session, and I KNEW I wanted it displayed in each of my boys rooms with their picture and baby blessing outfit.
Even though two out of the three are not able to read yet, this quote also helps me remember who these boys really are.  They aren’t really mine.  They have been entrusted to me to raise them to be “men of might.”  When I am tempted to lose my temper with them, or when I am just plain burned out, this quote helps me remember how I should be treating them, and gives me the strength to be a better mama.

ManofMight-Listing-02This printable is perfect to be displayed in any boys room, in an office space, or to be given as a gift to your missionary. You can find this printable here for $2.50.  It comes in 2 sizes, 8×10 and 5×7.

Heart,

Melanie B.
SageWood Ave. Designs