Your only job in the first two weeks is to deliver the lesson without major disaster and start learning names. Don't try to innovate, don't deviate from the curriculum, and don't judge the quality of your teaching yet. You are calibrating to the class, the room, the schedule, and your own nerves. Every experienced SRE teacher had awkward first lessons. This is normal and passes.
Weeks 1–2: Survive and Observe
Weeks 3–5: Build Routine and Relationships
By week three, you should know most names and have identified the dynamics: the enthusiastic questioner, the quiet one who seems to be thinking hard, the talker, the one who's not quite sure why they're there. Begin building small relationship deposits with each one — remembering what they said last week, noticing when they do something well. Consistency of warmth is your greatest tool in this phase.
Weeks 6–8: Adjust and Experiment
By halfway through the term you'll have enough knowledge of the class to try something different: a movement activity, a more open-ended discussion, a creative response to a story. This is when SRE starts to become genuinely enjoyable. Students who initially seemed reluctant are often the most rewarding to reach — they signal something real when they finally lean in.
Weeks 9–10: Consolidate and Plan Ahead
End the term with something memorable — a recap activity, a creative project built across the final two lessons, or a time of genuine reflection. Think about what worked, what didn't, and what you'd do differently next term. Write it down. Your future self will thank you for the notes. And then, simply: return next term. Consistency across multiple terms is what turns a nice volunteer into a significant person in a child's formation.
