Annual Workshop Trains
Weekday Teachers
“Every child comes to us with incredible potential,” Tommy Sanders told a group of Church Weekday Education workers at their training workshop July 20-21 at White Oak Conference Center.
The yearly event is designed to offer training opportunities for all Church Weekday Education faculty and administrators to hone and enhance skills in teaching preschoolers. Attendees can earn clock training hours that meet Department of Social Services requirements for licensed and registered centers.
Under the theme “Today a Note, Tomorrow a Song,” participants could attend a variety of music-themed sessions such as “I Fall to Pieces” on teaching with puzzles or “Jesus Loves Me” on teaching with the Bible. New teachers could “start from the very beginning” and attend “Do-Re-Mi.”
Sanders, Childhood Ministry Director in the Masters of Arts in Christian Education program at Dallas Baptist University, addressed all participants in a main lunch session, emphasizing the importance of training and reaching young children in today’s society. Sanders stressed that every child has endless promise.
“You may think that all you do is care for boys and girls, but every moment you have with them has immeasurable potential,” he said.
“Strike ‘I’m just a preschool teacher,’ from your vocabulary. You are not just a teacher. They have potential. You have a potential.” Sanders continued.
Sanders pointed to the value that advertisers place on reaching children and exhorted all present to do the same. Using songs he learned as a child such as “I’ve Got Joy” and “Jesus Loves Me,” Sanders talked about the long-term influence teachers have on young children and their faith.
“First impressions that boys and girls have of God are lasting,” Sanders said.
And as is common in most classrooms, Sanders encouraged all teachers dealing with difficult students.
“The area around the foot of the cross is all level,” he said.
Teachers from 72 Church Weekday Education programs of South Carolina Baptist churches, representing over 7,400 children, participated in this year’s workshop. The 2008 Workshop will be held July 25-26 at White Oak Conference Center. For more information, contact the SC Baptist Convention’s Childhood Ministry Group at (800) 723-7242 ext. 4100.
Click here for the Church Weekday Education home page.
