"Then Saul dressed David in his own tunic. he put a coat of armor on him and a bronze helmet on his head...'I cannot go in these,' he said to Saul, 'because I am not used to them.' So he took them off." (1 Samuel 17:38, 39b)
Just as David couldn't fight effectively in the wrong armor, we can't make someone else's lessons fit us perfectly.
We teachers love to try different ideas in our classrooms. But, as you know, alterations are required based on your personality and the way your group of kids learn best.
Lessons about God aren't patterned after the latest fad-they're to be fashioned from unchangeable truth. If you want to make a lesson on your own, first acknowledge that God owns the material.
Spend sometime in prayer, asking God to use you to teach what he wants. You're special, and God chose you to teach. God will use your unique gifts and style to bring kids closer to him.
Don't be afraid to mmake a few tweaks and changes to the lesson to fit your abilities.
Maybe your lesson wants you to lead a worship song. But you're sure that your singing would cause kids not to be worshipful. Thhis might be a good time to change the lesson so you have a student leader up front.
Another thing to keep in mind as you prepare the lesson: The only one who knows your kids is you! Your lesson might be heavy on teacher talk-and you're sure your kids can't sit and listen that long. Rework the teacher talk into a group talk.
Finally, you can take it a step further in making it your own by adding personal examples and stories. Have your own example of not quite following God's directions? Tell that story as you teach about jonah. You'll not only fit the lesson to your style, you'll give the kids a glimpse into your life!
If you see that a lesson doesn't fit the way your kids learn or isn't engaging for your students, change it. We're teaching kids, not lessons. You have full permission to make it work.
----based on Group's Take-Out Training for Teachers.
