Five Minutes Till the Bell Rings!!!

Hi there!!  I know some are wondering WHAT to do with those LAST few MINUTES of CLASS TIME.  Just so you know,  I seem to RUN out of TIME every SUNDAY!!!  I would LOVE to have BIBLE CLASS run 15, 20, 30 more minutes. :-)  But, realistically speaking I would probably STILL run out of time!!!  I know ME!  

But, I want to show you something that I have on the wall, RIGHT next to the DOOR.  Because, I believe in using EVERY LAST SECOND for teaching, I refuse to give up the time when we are WAITING on MOM or DAD to come get the KIDDOS from the classroom.  (I do not think it is WISE to release KIDDOS without proper supervision---KIDDOS LOVE TO RUN in the CHURCH building---so, I tell all my KIDDOS parents that they need to RETRIEVE their KIDDOS from the classroom.)  If NOT, I think I might just KEEP them ALL!!!!!  :-)  

OK--enough of my procedures.  Here is what I really wanted to SHARE with you.  I have this STAR chart hanging right next to the door and right under the LIGHT SWITCH.  (NOT PLANNED--but, it WORKS with this THEME!!!) I titled this area, "BIBLE KNOWLEDGE SHINES BRIGHT!"   I coded the BIG POCKETS  with "LIVED During the OLD TESTAMENT."   "LIVED During the NEW TESTAMENT."    Then I placed a bunch of BIBLE PEOPLE Picture Cards (they came from the Dollar Tree) in the pockets.

While Waiting on the Parents, I will PULL a CHARACTER out of the Pockets and tell the KIDDOS something about the LIFE of that Character---BTW, the back of the cards do have information on the character on the front---but, I just TELL the KIDDOS things I can quickly recall.  I then ask them if that person lived in the OLD or NEW TESTAMENT TIME PERIOD.  The one that answers correctly gets to put it in the correct pocket!!!  We have CLEARED this chart SEVERAL TIMES through the past 5 YEARS!!!  But, the KIDDOS NEVER seem to get BOARD with this.  It is not "PLAYED" every SUNDAY...Due to the fact that I generally am NOT READY for the BELL to RING...but, every once in a while I will actually have a few moments waiting on the parents to get to the door and that is when I get to "PLAY" this with the KIDDOS.  I do like to do this activity---It is amazing to see how many BIBLE PEOPLE they can PLACE into the RIGHT TIME PERIOD!!!  

BTW, I just wanted to tell you I have a departure procedure for my classroom!!! I tell the KIDDOS---"YOU have to answer my question in order for me to open the door for your parent."  I then ask them a question  about the lesson....(within the earshot of MOM or DAD) and when they answer the question I open the door and let them out!!!  BTW, I am blessed to have a DUTCH door!!!  I open the "TRAP" door---(the KIDDOS named the top half of the door the "TRAP DOOR."---I don't know why?) so that the PARENTS get to see and hear their KIDDOS answering their EXIT QUESTIONS!!!   

Although I use this as a REVIEW at the End of Class Time, this could very easily be an EAA--Early Arrivers Activity too!   I encourage you to use EVERY LAST SECOND for a TEACHING OPPORTUNITY!!!!!  Bible Class is so important!!! 

Blessings

Ronda

"Party Hat" Visuals

I have still be working on this weeks  LESSON about Elijah's Majestic Ride Into Heaven.  This lesson will be taught this up coming Sunday.  I wanted some VISUALS...that were a "little" different than the VISUALS I have been using....So, I began to think.......(insert cricket sound here.)

Well, after a few days of pondering this is what I came up with... "PARTY HAT" VISUALS.  At least that is what I am calling them.   At first I was going to PRINT my visuals and then glue them to party hats....After all, I can get 8 for a $1.00 at Dollar Tree.  But, I was running short on time and really could not see that I was going to have the time to go by the Dollar Tree before Sunday.... 

Wicked Ahab and Wicked Jezeb

SO, what was I going to do....  That is when I began looking into my PATTERNS....NOPE---can you believe it---NO PARTY HAT PATTERN.    But, then, just as I launched my Printmaster Program--The PROGRAM I use for EVERYTHING,  (insert my hubby shuddering with concern...he is not a fan of the way Printmaster does not AUTO SAVE.)  I saw it had an area called PRINTABLE PARTY Supplies.  Holding my breath--not really long--I began looking at the projects.  That is when I saw that they had a FABULOUS (MAKE YOUR OWN) Party Hats area....YAY!!!!!!  I used their HAT as my Template! 

Elijah

I used MY own BIBLE CHARACTER Drawings---except for the one of the Chariot of Fire...That came from www.coolclipart.com

I also used PRINTMASTERS OXEN.  

Because, I used my drawings---I was able to manipulate my characters in my Picture Editing program.  :-)

Elisha with Oxen

Now, if you could have been here you would have heard me do one of those "SQUEALS of EXCITEMENT" that I do when I get really excited about an IDEA.  BTW,  those SQUEALS have been known to happen ANY WHERE---They have happened in Dollar Tree, Hobby Lobby, Michaels, Ross, Walmart, Hardware stores, Thrift Stores, Garage Sales, Bible Book Stores!!!  My family has sort of gotten used to it...my teenage son is the ONLY one that seems a bit embarresed by it.  :-)  

OK---Now the first few tries of making these DID not GO so well---LOL  It was all about the PLACEMENT of the FACES....I worked on it via my Picture Editing Program....and FINALLY came out with something I was happy with....So,  then I PRINTED, LAMINATED, CUT OUT and ASSEMBLED my Visuals.  

I think they turned out cute...and my KIDDOS will PROBABLY want to WEAR them on their HEADS.... Which has me to thinking...IF I have enough students here on SUNDAY...I may have them put the "HATS" on as a QUICK REVIEW of the STORY...If I run short on time...I will suggest it to my Wednesday Co-Teacher.  

My plan is to place one Party Hat on the table at a time...as I tell the story to the KIDDOS.  

     

If these go over WELL with my KIDDOS, I will probably make MORE "PARTY HAT"  VISUAL AIDES in  the future.

The Ravens Fed Elijah 3D Visual

 I forgot to share this PIC with all of you.   I wanted a 3D visual for the KIDDOS with this story.  So, this is what I decided to do...I printed all the WATER, TREES, and ELIJAH from my clip art programs.  I laminated them for sturdiness.  

The RAVEN are all from Dollar Tree.  I purchased them last FALL.  However, I just noticed that our Dollar Tree was bringing out their FALL merchandise....I am sure they will have these again.  

I LOVE the way this BRINGS the STORY to LIFE!!!  BTW, watch for the "WATER" to reappear in a few weeks.  I will be using this same "water" for the story of the FLOATING AXE HEAD.  Make it once and USE IT FOR SEVERAL BIBLE STORIES!!!  I LOVE it when I am able to REUSE something for multiple lessons.  

Hope you have had a great week prepping to teach your Bible Classes.   

Blessings,

Ronda