Sticky Situations

For classroom devotions, each morning, I read a short story from a book called "Sticky Situations"(vol. 2). Each story is about a child who is in a situation where he or she needs to make a decision. The story always ends, "What should (the child) do?" I let 3-4 of the students give their answer for what they think the child should do. I then read the 3 choices that they have in the book, and have the students vote on the best answer. There are Bible verses that go along with each story, so I read them and we see what the Bible has to say about the situation. We have a short discussion about it and I try to apply it to their lives as best as possible.

When "sticky situations" occur in the classroom, i.e. a child is faced with a decision to do (as I say)"what she wants to do vs. what she is supposed to do", I stop and excitedly announce that we have a sticky situation! I put what is going on in real life into the story format, dramatized a bit. For example, I say, "Mary, a first grader at Beacon Christian Academy, had a crayon taken from her desk. She is angry because the girl who took it, never asked to borrow it.....What should she do?
A. Lay down on the floor, kick her legs and cry loudly.
B. Go to the girl's desk and steal all her crayons.
C. Kindly ask the girl if she can have her crayon back and forgive her for taking it.

Having slightly exaggerated answers adds humor to the story, diffusing anger, or sadness. The black and white answers make it clear what the correct choice is and generally speaking, the child makes the WISE DECISION.

I see the students recognizing "Sticky Situations" on their own. As this happens, they are being trained to stop and think about their actions before they act unwisely. This increases the likelihood of a wise choice being made.

I have seen this make a difference over the years in kids lives and have heard from a few parents, the same.

 
 

Kris McKenna, grade 1 Beacon Christian Academy