The following guidelines will be useful in learning how to carry out your teaching duties effectively.
Before Sunday:
Pray for the preschoolers and their families as you prepare for the session.
Read the dated extended teaching care leaflet Extended Teaching Care for Babies and Toddlers.
Underline or highlight the Bible thoughts, conversation, and songs to remember to use them through the session.
Make arrangements for your family during the worship service. Also plan where you will meet your family after the service. Ask them to wait for you away from the department room door because parents will be waiting there to pick up their preschoolers.
Arrival:
Arrive ready to teach fifteen minutes before the worship service begins.
Place your Bible and other belongings on the assigned shelf.
Put on a smock and wash your hands with soap and water.
Listen carefully to instructions from the lead teacher who may be one of the Sunday School teachers who stays through extended teaching care with you.
Become familiar with the needs of each child by reading the sheet of instructions left by the parents for the session.
If the toddlers are resting, join them and enjoy the music.
Activities:
If the toddlers are restless or the music ends, ask them to help you fold the mats and store them in a cabinet. In case a toddler falls asleep, let him continue sleeping as others begin their activities.
Sit on the floor where you can see the entire room.
Be ready to use Bible thoughts, conversation, pictures, and songs as the preschoolers participate in activities.
Babies and creepers may take naps, need their diapers changed, and need their bottles according to their individual schedules.
Since younger preschoolers explore objects with their mouths toys need to be cleaned with soap and water often.
Your hands can be carriers of germs. Clean your hands with soap and water after changing every diaper, after wiping a nose, and before picking up a baby.
Focus your attention on the preschoolers. Visit with the teachers after extended teaching care.
Departures:
Fifteen minutes before the parents are expected to return; the lead teacher adds information to the Dear Mommy and Daddy Notes and places them in the diaper bags. Each child’s belongings are collected and packed in the bag.
The teachers continue enjoying the activities wish the preschoolers until the last child leaves the room.
All teachers help change diapers so that each child leaves wearing a dry diaper. When a parent knocks on the door, the lead teacher greets the parent, closes the door, quietly walks to the child, and takes him and his diaper bag to the door. Each parent needs to hear a positive comment about his or her child’s experiences.
After the Session:
After the last child departs, all teachers need to help clean the room and store the materials.
The lead teacher will guide you to items that need to be put away.
Remove your smock and place it with the used linens.
As you leave, turn off the lights and close the door.
