I’m sometimes amazed at the regularity with which Sunday morning seems roll around.  There are weeks it seems as if there is merely moments from one Sunday to the next. Whether you purchase curriculum or you write your own lessons, preparation requires time.  It is important to prepare yourself, the students and the material you are teaching if you want to be effective.  Here are 7 quick tips to help you with the process of preparing your lessons:

Start Early

When preparing for a lesson, the sooner you begin, the better!  You really can’t start too early, but you most certainly can start too late.  The best teachers spend lots of time allowing their lessons to marinate.  For me, the sooner I begin preparing for a lesson, the more time I have to allow God to speak into the lesson.  It is always smart to start early.

Know Your Audience

Just because the curriculum uses specific illustrations doesn’t mean those illustrations will be effective with the children in your class.  It is important to know the boys and girls you serve.  Taking time to get to know what they like and dislike will prove to be invaluable.  A simple tweak of an illustration can dramatically affect the lesson’s impact.

Read Through the Lesson Multiple Times

So many teachers read through their lesson plans one time and go with it.  We intentionally send out material to our teachers on Tuesday morning so they will have all week to go through the lessons.  We encourage them to read their parts daily so that God can speak to them about the direction He wants the lessons to go.  A quick read through the lesson on Tuesday followed by several more times through the week will cause the lesson to really take root in your heart and in your mind.

Pray

To be effective, a lesson needs to be Spirit-led.  Allow the Spirit to lead you in your preparation.  Spend time asking God to prepare the hearts and minds of your students and be amazed at how He will use you and your lessons to impact them in supernatural ways!

Gather Supplies

There is nothing worse than standing up in front of a group of kids and not having everything you need.  At the start of a new series or the beginning of a new curriculum, take time to gather all the “stuff” you will need.  The earlier you start this process, the more opportunity you will have to get creative and possibly save some money. 

Practice

As crazy as it sounds, taking some time to stand in front of a mirror and teach your lesson to yourself can become invaluable.  Whether you have been teaching for 2 months or 20 years, a little practice time can only make you a better teacher!

Give it your best

After all the preparation, there will come a moment when it is time to put all that work into action.   As a friend of mine says, “Go big or go home!”  The boys and girls in your class are counting on you to give each lesson you teach the most energy, passion and enthusiasm you can, don’t let them down!