Kids, life and art
One of the session I did go to on sat at Forge was on using art and drama to reach out to people and get them thinking. One of the ladies who took the session used the example of getting people of all ages to creat a piece of art that resembles for them God's Love or creation etc.
This, Digs post on RE teaching and my own thoughts/ experiences of teaching kids piano really got me thinking about how to 'teach'/ relate esp. children to God and life. Currently on sun morrnings we'd take the children to another room and teach them a bible story and a simple verse and then do an activity relating to the bible story. All this is fine- bible stories are great and almost all my knowledge of bible stories comes from my sunday school days. But maybe we should allow the kids to be more creative and show us what God means to them instead of alwas telling them 'this is how it is'- I'm sure we'd learn heaps to.
Have the same internal questioning about how to teach piano. I understand the importance and benifits of teaching kids to read music and keep in time etc. but all that leaves little room for the kids to be creative and play how and what they feel and want to. For students going for exams I'm tied and have to follow every rule but I think there needs to be a balence.
Thats one of the reason I enjoy my job at the sports centre- my main job is not to teach the kids how to how to play properly with the right techniques (plus there just isn't time) but to make sure everyone is having fun. I'm probably a coaches worst nightmare but so long as the ball makes it to the batsman i don't care how they bowl it. sure i need to enforce certain rules to facilitate the game and reduce likelyhood of injeries etc but the main emphasis is on everyone having fun.
Now that this post has totally gone off track! my main point is that I don't think we should always feel we have to teach kids how stuff should be done- sure thats often important but kids also need to be creative and art and sports are great ways of allowing this.
This, Digs post on RE teaching and my own thoughts/ experiences of teaching kids piano really got me thinking about how to 'teach'/ relate esp. children to God and life. Currently on sun morrnings we'd take the children to another room and teach them a bible story and a simple verse and then do an activity relating to the bible story. All this is fine- bible stories are great and almost all my knowledge of bible stories comes from my sunday school days. But maybe we should allow the kids to be more creative and show us what God means to them instead of alwas telling them 'this is how it is'- I'm sure we'd learn heaps to.
Have the same internal questioning about how to teach piano. I understand the importance and benifits of teaching kids to read music and keep in time etc. but all that leaves little room for the kids to be creative and play how and what they feel and want to. For students going for exams I'm tied and have to follow every rule but I think there needs to be a balence.
Thats one of the reason I enjoy my job at the sports centre- my main job is not to teach the kids how to how to play properly with the right techniques (plus there just isn't time) but to make sure everyone is having fun. I'm probably a coaches worst nightmare but so long as the ball makes it to the batsman i don't care how they bowl it. sure i need to enforce certain rules to facilitate the game and reduce likelyhood of injeries etc but the main emphasis is on everyone having fun.
Now that this post has totally gone off track! my main point is that I don't think we should always feel we have to teach kids how stuff should be done- sure thats often important but kids also need to be creative and art and sports are great ways of allowing this.
posted by Mim @ 4:29 PM
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