The Value in Values – How Teaching Values Can Transform Your Preschool Class

The Fundamental Building Block Of Values

There is value in values, but how can teaching values transform your preschool class? Where do you even start? There are so many requirements, rules, and fundamentals from various agencies that are to be included in the preschool classroom.

Do you ever get bogged down with the “Include this, not that, do this, not that, etc?’ It can cause some major squirreling when you are doing a lesson plan.

It’s just downright stressful at times thinking that you are the first stepping stone in their academic career. You want to get it right. Do it right. Give them the foundation that others in the future can build upon.

There is one thing I strive to teach my preschoolers above anything else; above all of the other objectives you have to follow. It is THE objective, THE key to their success in life.

That’s a big statement but is so true on many different levels. It’s more important than their ABC’s and 123’s. More important than learning to read. It is essential to their academic career as well as their life in general.

They may not realize it, parents may not realize it, you may not realize it.

It’s Values.

VALUES ARE THE fundamental building block. Specifically, Biblical values.

How Does Teaching Values Help?

How is teaching values going to help them in their academic career you might ask? Because, without values, without a biblical moral code, there is chaos. Where there is chaos there is a deficit for learning. In the book of Proverbs, it says,

“When people do not accept divine guidance, they run wild” – Proverbs 29:28 (NLT) or “Where there is no word from God, people are uncontrolled.” (ICB)

See what I mean?

These aren’t mere antiquated words on a page, these are a roadmap for our student’s lives as well as ours. Teaching values help control the chaos.

What Kind Of Environment Do You Learn Best In?

How do you learn best? Most teachers teach to their learning style in the way they absorb information best. Think about that. If you could learn something new, what would that environment look like?

• One that is chaotic and without restraint?

• Loud?

• Out of control?

• Unsafe?

Even if your particular learning style needs were met, do you think you could have optimal learning that way? It’s a big NO for me and I know it is for your students as well. So how do you avoid the chaos and deficit in learning?

The Purpose In Teaching Values

The value of teaching values is that it can transform your class. How can you teach a classroom of children values if they don’t know why they should?

Teach them about God. It shows them:

1. The world does not revolve around them.
2. There is a bigger purpose for their life than just here and now (yes, even preschoolers can understand this concept if explained right).
3. How to treat others around them.
4. How they themselves are important and loved.

I realize this may not resonate with some of you, and some of you may not be allowed to teach these concepts. It doesn’t change their importance, but there are other ways to teach around these concepts from God’s word.

Use words like:

“treat others the way you want to be treated” or

” be kind and patient with one another” or

“be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to become angry” or

“a gentle answer turns anger away, but mean words stir up anger” or

“don’t let any bad talk come out of your mouths. Let everything you say be good and helpful”

These are straight from the Bible, but they have such good principles that work in a classroom. You don’t have to quote where it came from, but the truth behind them works. The list goes on and on of important truths like these in God’s word that can help our students. (I have a book of verses and activities already done to help you).

The Key To Values

The key to teaching values, or anything actually, is to build a relationship first. Their needs have to be met before any teaching can take place. I wrote a post called 6 Ways To Nurture The Social-Emotional Needs Of Preschoolers where it shows how to meet these basic needs.

Of course, there is always the exception, but time and time again I have found this to be true. It may take a while, especially if your student’s home life has limited love and attention, but building relationships WILL eventually work.

Let me give you an example. I had a 4-year-old one year. We will call him Ricky. He was a bully. A BIG bully. He would throw screaming fits, throw chairs across the room, push, punch, and basically made our classroom look like a cross between WWE and an episode of Survivor. It was awful. I spent most of my time keeping him from hurting others, including myself. He even broke my foot. Twice. It was a fun year.

Anyway, day after day, I would hug him, tell him that he was important, that he was loved, that God made him special and he would grow up to do an important job that only he could do. God already had a plan for him.

Every day we would go over our Bible verse, we would learn a value or trait from it to implement in class.

In between the fits and tantrums, as long as I would whisper and tell him,

“No matter what you do, I will always love you. I might be disappointed in your behavior, but I will always love you. None of us are perfect. We just have to keep trying to do our best because that’s what God wants us to do. We want him to be proud of us for doing and acting our best”.

Then I would see him start to calm down.

I taught him how to breathe and think before he acted. (That’s another post but a good lesson for all of us ).

Basic Breathing Technique To Gain Control Of Emotions:

• Breathe in for 10 seconds

• Hold it for 10 seconds

• Let it out for 10 seconds

• Repeat. Often

The Transformative Power Of Teaching Values

By the end of September, Ricky had made remarkable progress despite upheaval in his home life. In spite of everything, he continually made improvements.

He continued to breathe and practice the plan we had laid out in class for the week.

He came so far in fact, that the student became the teacher.

One day my foot was hurting (he broke it remember), and it was a full moon kind of day. I’m not a yeller. That day I became one, partially because I was in so much pain. I yelled at my class. I told them I had ENOUGH of their behavior. I screamed ENOUGH!!!!!!!! There was total silence. Crickets. The kids had never heard me yell before.

Everyone froze except for Ricky who bravely walked up to me, patted my arm and said,

“Bweathe, Mrs. Holley, Bweathe. God wants us to do our best. Are you doing your best? Just bweathe and know that I will always love you. It’s okay to make a mistake. Just bweathe.”

Seriously. You can’t ever tell me that there is no value in values. I am living proof that there is.

Children develop their values, learning styles, and personalities by the time they are five. For real. Five years old! Our job is so important. I may never know if what I taught him will carry with him to adulthood, but I planted the seed. I did my best. I hope God will be proud of me. I pray I helped steer him in the right direction despite his circumstances.

So, my friend, do you have that one child or a whole classroom that needs to know about values? It’s time we help change this next generation for good.

If you want a list of verses I use and how to teach them so kids understand, send me an email, and let’s chat! I’m here to help! holley@preschoolsos.com