How to Deal with the Mischievous Child in Sunday Schools

The talk clarifies that the mischievous child in the classroom is not merely an individual problem but the result of multiple causes: they may be specific to the teacher, the lesson, the child himself, or the surrounding environment. The goal is to know the causes and treat them with a spirit of love and education instead of harsh solutions.

Common Causes

• An uninteresting lesson or one not suitable for the child’s age.
• The length of the lesson or repetition that causes boredom.
• Not involving the child and not making him feel noticed or that the teacher cares about him.
• Classroom crowding or lack of order and a comfortable space for the child.
• Influence of a bad role model from home, the street, or other peers.
• Personal differences: stubbornness, excess energy, heredity, or being spoiled at home.

Practical and Educational Strategies

• Make the lesson interesting and age-appropriate and attract the children’s senses.
• Involve the child with questions, activities, and movement instead of lecture-style delivery.
• Assign roles and tasks to use his energy (arranging chairs, reviewing, reciting).
• Give sincere praise and encouragement to good students and make every pupil feel present.
• Build a relationship of love and affection with the students; a beloved teacher will have less mischief.

Pastoral and Educational Approaches

• The solution should not be expulsion, beating, shouting, or blame; these methods lose the child and set a bad example.
• The child may be an opportunity to acquire virtues: patience, endurance, wisdom, and good management.
• If multiple methods fail: transfer the child to a more capable teacher or a special class as a last resort.
• Consultation and cooperation with more experienced Sunday school workers is useful.

Spiritual Conclusion

Dealing with the mischievous child must be a corrective educational and spiritual process: reform not punishment, love not harshness, and patience not haste.

Patience and Love

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