A Scientist put an adult and I child in 2 different rooms. Both rooms were full of horse manure and a shovel. The adult began ranting and raving about how deplorable the accommodations were and if anyone expected him to clean it up they were crazy. The child just began shoveling the manure like crazy. When asked why he was shoveling he responded “with all that manure there had to be a horse in there somewhere and he was going to find it! Kids see things differently than adults. Their point of view isn’t wrong or unreasonable it is simply different. Your challenge is not to change the child but to get the Word in them that will transform them.
If you build a room that will supply a safe environment and meets all of a child’s needs. You might feel that you have provided a nice house. The child could perceive it as a jail. The godly thing to do is have the child help you build this place then it will be considered a home. The main difference is the relationship that is created by working together.
Have you never gone to a country where they spoke a language that you didn’t understand? You feel like you miss a lot. If you attend a worship serviced your pretty bored. A sense of inadequacy can creep in while doing the simplest tasks. This could be the same point of view the children have in your class if you’re using words that are too big for them to understand.
Now that I am standing on your toes …. I think I will stay there for a minute. Have you ever had the nerve to ask any of the children what they thought of your class. If you realy have some guts ask them want they learned. It can be very humbling question. Maybe this is why we never seem to have time for review question segment of our class? Review and test show how well we teach.
To get a child’s perspective be observant. Spend time watching them. Read books written for their age. Watch TV programs geared for their age group. Ask them questions that will help reveal their thought processes to you. This is an art but it is worth the effort and a lot more entertaining than Sesame Street. It is your responsibility to become like them not for them to become like you. Children will become like those that reach them. After all Jesus became like us to reach us so we could be like Him.