Treats in Class

Having always been involved in church leadership where my primary charges were adults I am learning a lot teaching Sunday School to the 12-13 crowd. What I didn't realize coming in is that bringing treats to class is such a controversial topic. Some people definitely frown on the idea of teachers bringing treats to class, while others strongly encourage the practice. First, I should say that I come down very strongly on the "pro" side. My arguments for bringing food to class is as follows:



Signals Preparation - Young adults do not always have a good handle on when a teacher is, or is not, prepared. Bringing in treats signals that you have thought ahead, and put effort into the class. Thus, it demonstrates that you think enough of them to prepare. (This is especially clear if you bring in treats that are homemade!) You can easily take this a bit farther by finding out what they love and making effort to bring those treats.

Encouragement to Come to Class - It isn't that hard for kids in the 12-13 range to ditch out on class. In fact, it's quite common since they are just at the age to start to push the boundaries. By bringing in treats I discourage ditching.

Reduce Hunger - Those in the 12-13 age range are growing and always hungry. Especially boys. Since church for us in the afternoon, 1-4, it is a time when they are apt to be hungry.

Class Participation - Treats are a great motivator. Treats never go out of style, and they can be easily incorporated into a lesson. A few times they have really saved me from an out of control class. I always bring more than enough and I hold the extra in reserve. If the kids just aren't paying attention I put up the extra as a prize and have the kids compete for them. The "competition" is usually some sort of scripture focused game associated with the lesson. Even the kids who wouldn't be caught dead looking through their Bibles normally will be the first in line when the reward is a brownie.