handling 5 common problems in church classes

But why not just let

sleeping dogs lie?

It can

disinvite

the Spirit.

At first, class

members will

be irritated

with the

problem

person.

And then,

they will

point the

finger

at you.

Class members can

begin to tune out.

It’s hard to

teach when

you feel like

you’re in the

crosshairs.

What are

common

problems

teachers

can

expect to

see?

real

fake

You know, the

ones waaaaaay

out here

Image courtesy of kevinalanlamb.com

Fixing it

takes more

than a wish

on a

dandelion.

Preparation is the

bread and butter of

handling all of these issues.

An engaging,

well-designed,

balanced

learning

experience is

the best

defense.

Don’t make people wonder how

the class is going to go.

If you want people

to raise their hands,

tell them.

Even the length of

responses is in your hands.

“Let’s see

how many

responses we

can get in a

minute.”

“Let’s keep

responses to

less than

30 seconds

or so.”

Let’s take a closer look at our 5

specific problems.

Image Credit: Missy Saunders

Teacher

Individual

class

member

Content

Class as

a whole

get to the heart of

why they are

dominating the

conversation

What is

their

need?

Do they crave

attention?

Are they

trying to fill

awkward

space?

Are they trying to

make up for our

inadequacies?

{ouch}

Get outside

real

fake

(not everything is worth addressing, and

some things aren’t worth addressing in

front of everyone)

Ask them to clarify

what they mean.

{sometimes it’s not as

crazy as it sounds}

“Hmmm, can you

find the source for

that for next week?”

“What else have you read about this?”

Don’t get bogged down in it

{because it’s not helping}

You know, the

ones waaaaaay

out here

Image courtesy of kevinalanlamb.com

“That will be a

crucial idea in a

coming lesson.

Please remind

me of that

when it comes

up again.”

When I wink

at you, it’s

time to stop.

No, really.

Make sure

everyone

knows the

goal is this:

Not a series

of mini-

lectures…

It locks out the Spirit.

When you feel

the Spirit shift, it is

your duty to bring

it back to class.

No matter what.

Dear Spirit, Please come back…

“No point or opinion is

as vital as keeping the

Spirit in the class. Let’s

move on to a different

topic in order to

preserve the Spirit.”

To recapture the Spirit, use music.

Tell a story.

Or even say a prayer.

Satch

el Paig

e - Flickr Crea

tive Co

mm

on

s

get to the heart of

why they are not

participating in

the conversation

Are we allowing overparticipators

to shut people down?

Do we call on

the same

people over

and over?

Is speaking in

class out of

their comfort

zone?

Do they feel they have

nothing to contribute?

Are they unprepared?

Are they electronically

distracted?

Are we lecturing & only the

boldest feel they can chime in?

You have to find the why before you can find the right intervention (if one is needed).

Evaluate which issues

you’re having

Decide on a few

strategies to try.

Pray about your

decision.

Make a plan.

Set your

expectations.

Repeat.

The Master Teacher

is fully invested in your

having a successful class,

and He will help you.