Classroom Management Like Jesus

This session equips volunteers with classroom management principles inspired by Jesus' approach to discipleship. Through an engaging activity exploring the 12 disciples and a review of key biblical passages, volunteers learn to set clear expectations, model faith, and nurture positive behavior in children. Practical discussions and collaborative planning empower volunteers to create effective strategies tailored to their ministry contexts, fostering a supportive and prayerful environment for children's growth and development.
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Classroom Management Like Jesus

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About

The vision of Ozark Christian College is to glorify God by evangelizing the lost and edifying Christians worldwide. The mission of Ozark Christian College is to train men and women for Christian service as a degree-granting institution of biblical higher education.

Classroom Instructions

Lesson

Session 5 Leader Guide

Session 5: Classroom Management Like Jesus

Opening Activity Idea: Describe the 12 disciples

● Read Luke 6:12-16

● Write the name of the 12 disciples on a markerboard

● Ask volunteers to describe what they know about each of the disciples.

○ Encourage your volunteers to use their phones to search the disciple’s name in a Bible app or from a Bible resource such as youversion or biblegateway to research the

disciples

○ Review how different the 12 disciples would have been in age, family, region, profession, and temperament.

Preparation for video content or lead your volunteers in reviewing classroom management principles

Classroom Management as Discipleship

  1. Jesus set clear, firm expectations

John 13:34

Matthew 7:12

What are clear expectations that you have for the children in your ministry?

How do you communicate those expectations to children?

  1. Jesus modeled his faith by his actions

Luke 6:40

Galatians 5:22-23

How do you model your faith to children? How might you improve upon this?

  1. Jesus loved people and inspired them to greatness

Mark 10:45

How can you reinforce positive behavior?

How can you eliminate negative behavior?

  1. Jesus knew his sheep

John 10:27

Luke 15:4

What step can you take to get to know your students?

  1. Jesus lovingly corrected and rebuked

Example of Peter

What action steps can you take when a student is misbehaving?

  1. Jesus prayed for his disciples

How can you add praying for the children in your ministry/small group/classroom to your regular rhythm of prayer?

Practice together:

● If your church has clearly established behavioral expectation statements, share those with your volunteers. Discuss how volunteers can help reinforce these expectations and review them with kids on a regular basis.

● If your church does not yet have expectation statements, work together to create a short list of three to five statements that could be used with all children.

Discussion:

● Use the discussion questions above to guide a conversation with your volunteers about classroom management and expectations.

● If your children’s ministry has a child with a specific behavioral issue, set a time to meet with the volunteers who work with that child to discuss a proactive plan. Be sure to meet with the child’s parents ahead of time to include them in the process and to ensure you have all of the appropriate information to meet the needs of that particular child.

Concluding Activity:

● Provide a list of the children for the various age groups of your ministry.

● Divide your volunteers into small groups based on the age level with which they serve. Have each group pray over each name on the list.

Session 5 Handout

Session 5: Classroom Management Like Jesus

Introduction:

Classroom Management as Discipleship

  1. Jesus set clear, firm expectations

John 13:34

Matthew 7:12

What are clear expectations that you have for the children in your ministry?

How do you communicate those expectations to children?

  1. Jesus modeled his faith by his actions

Luke 6:40

Galatians 5:22-23

How do you model your faith to children? How might you improve upon this?

  1. Jesus loved people and inspired them to greatness

Mark 10:45

How can you reinforce positive behavior?

How can you eliminate negative behavior?

  1. Jesus knew his sheep

John 10:27

Luke 15:4

What step can you take to get to know your students?

  1. Jesus lovingly corrected and rebuked

Example of Peter

What action steps can you take when a student is misbehaving?

  1. Jesus prayed for his disciples

How can you add praying for the children in your ministry/small group/classroom to your regular rhythm of prayer?

Classroom Management Like Jesus Instructions

Lesson

Session 5 Leader Guide

Session 5: Classroom Management Like Jesus

Opening Activity Idea: Describe the 12 disciples

● Read Luke 6:12-16

● Write the name of the 12 disciples on a markerboard

● Ask volunteers to describe what they know about each of the disciples.

○ Encourage your volunteers to use their phones to search the disciple’s name in a Bible app or from a Bible resource such as youversion or biblegateway to research the

disciples

○ Review how different the 12 disciples would have been in age, family, region, profession, and temperament.

Preparation for video content or lead your volunteers in reviewing classroom management principles

Classroom Management as Discipleship

  1. Jesus set clear, firm expectations

John 13:34

Matthew 7:12

What are clear expectations that you have for the children in your ministry?

How do you communicate those expectations to children?

  1. Jesus modeled his faith by his actions

Luke 6:40

Galatians 5:22-23

How do you model your faith to children? How might you improve upon this?

  1. Jesus loved people and inspired them to greatness

Mark 10:45

How can you reinforce positive behavior?

How can you eliminate negative behavior?

  1. Jesus knew his sheep

John 10:27

Luke 15:4

What step can you take to get to know your students?

  1. Jesus lovingly corrected and rebuked

Example of Peter

What action steps can you take when a student is misbehaving?

  1. Jesus prayed for his disciples

How can you add praying for the children in your ministry/small group/classroom to your regular rhythm of prayer?

Practice together:

● If your church has clearly established behavioral expectation statements, share those with your volunteers. Discuss how volunteers can help reinforce these expectations and review them with kids on a regular basis.

● If your church does not yet have expectation statements, work together to create a short list of three to five statements that could be used with all children.

Discussion:

● Use the discussion questions above to guide a conversation with your volunteers about classroom management and expectations.

● If your children’s ministry has a child with a specific behavioral issue, set a time to meet with the volunteers who work with that child to discuss a proactive plan. Be sure to meet with the child’s parents ahead of time to include them in the process and to ensure you have all of the appropriate information to meet the needs of that particular child.

Concluding Activity:

● Provide a list of the children for the various age groups of your ministry.

● Divide your volunteers into small groups based on the age level with which they serve. Have each group pray over each name on the list.

Session 5 Handout

Session 5: Classroom Management Like Jesus

Introduction:

Classroom Management as Discipleship

  1. Jesus set clear, firm expectations

John 13:34

Matthew 7:12

What are clear expectations that you have for the children in your ministry?

How do you communicate those expectations to children?

  1. Jesus modeled his faith by his actions

Luke 6:40

Galatians 5:22-23

How do you model your faith to children? How might you improve upon this?

  1. Jesus loved people and inspired them to greatness

Mark 10:45

How can you reinforce positive behavior?

How can you eliminate negative behavior?

  1. Jesus knew his sheep

John 10:27

Luke 15:4

What step can you take to get to know your students?

  1. Jesus lovingly corrected and rebuked

Example of Peter

What action steps can you take when a student is misbehaving?

  1. Jesus prayed for his disciples

How can you add praying for the children in your ministry/small group/classroom to your regular rhythm of prayer?