Children's Classes

I am reflecting this morning about the Ruhi book 3a course I took over the last three weekends and on children's classes in general in our community.

I think it has taken me a while to come to appriciate these classes, I know for the first few weeks I hardly planned and I was already getting tired of offering the classes and was looking for a way to give it away.

Really sitting back to think about children's classes these last three weekends gave me a chance to reflect on how difficult all new tasks are. I remember one of the first times I was asked to tutor an intensive; I was asked to go to Louhelen for two weekends (during the fast no less) and work with a group on book 4 that had pledged to finish the sequence by the end of the five year plan. I hated it. I didn't want to go back the second weekend. The people just sat that and quickly made thier way through the book and I could not figure out how to make them slow down and reflect and skill build.

God loves laughter. The next 4 or 5 study circles I tutored were all book 4. I learned it backwards and forwards. Even though I am now quite happy to take a brake and tutor other books, I have developed the confidence and skills I need to make a study circle or intensive meaningful and skills based.

I think children's classes are the same way. I have not had a whole lot of experience in teaching here and I was certainly not pouring my heart into it like I need to. I think with time and experience I will become an excellent children's class teacher and that as my skills grow, I will love the classes more and more, just like the kids will.

This is all fine and dandy for me, but where I am really happy about this thought is in the context of the community here. Right now not many people want to teach classes. We have over 100 trained book 3 resources, but none of them want to teach a class. Most are really scared and think it's not a job they have to do, it should be done by people with childcare experience. Mothers. Teachers. Not them. I think this will change as the community gains confidence. All they need is some encouraging experiences and they will then understand what the House of Justice is asking for and they will do it joyfully, and soon, skillfully.