Interview with Jerry Vogel.
How can a children’s minister talk with potential volunteers who are concerned about classroom behavior?
Guiding kids behavior can be one of the most challenging tasks for a volunteer. Each child is uniquely designed by God and can behave differently in a group setting at church than they do individually at home. God designed kids to be detectives, investigators and explorers. Many volunteers think kids will sit still for long periods of time and only speak when spoken to, but this is not always the case. Kids learn through “doing….” which translates…active, active, active!
Why is discipline such a hot topic?
When many kids and parent hear the word “discipline,” they only think of punishment or negative reinforcement. Yes, this is part, but not all, of discipline.
How do you define discipline?
Discipline is best defined as “to guide or lead by teaching.” Some great Scriptures that remind us of the importance of discipline are Psalm 94:12-13a; Proverbs 3:11-12; Proverbs 15:5, 31-32 and Hebrews 12:7-11.
How can a worker at church have this difficult conversation with a parent about the child’s behavior?
It’s best not to have this conversation in the doorway of the classroom. It is dangerous when kids hear themselves labeled, plus a parent really doesn’t want the teacher to unload about her misbehaving child in front of the peers who may also be standing just outside the door. Have this conversation on the phone or away from the child’s room at church. Begin the conversation, “I love (your child.) I am so glad he is in my class. However, I am having trouble knowing what to do when he (kicks, hits, speaks out of turn, etc.). What do you do at home?” Enlist the parent as a “partner.”
AUTHOR BIO INFO:
Jerry has been a children’s minister, he is a parent of 4 & grandfather of 12! He currently spends a lot of his time training kids ministry workers. He and his wife teach preschoolers at Brentwood Baptist Church in Brentwood, Tennessee.