#Starting a Class.#--(1) No better beginning can be made than a prayerful conference between the pastor and the Sunday-school superintendent to determine the need and possibilities of teacher-training within the local school. (2) The nearest representative of organized Sunday-school work in your county or State will gladly furnish you with printed matter pointing out the teacher-training plans in successful use in your denomination. (3) Select your text-book and familiarize yourself with it. (4) Call the teachers and officers together. Have a half-hour social feature, to be followed with an earnest address on the need and the plan of teacher-training. Teach a sample lesson from the text-book. Endeavor in that meeting to secure at least a few persons who will agree to enter a class and will promise to do personal work to secure other members. But do not make the mistake of requiring a large class before beginning. A leader and two or more students will constitute a class.
#Who Should Enter the Class?#--Two general plans are now in operation. One provides for a training class for _present teachers_. This class should meet at a convenient time during the week to follow the course in a teacher-training text-book. A whole evening could profitably be given to class work. If this is not feasible the class may meet for study at the time of the weekly teachers'-meeting or before or after the mid-week prayer service.
A second plan provides for the training of _prospective teachers_, and this may be done in a class meeting at the time of the regular school session. These should be found in the senior and adult departments of the school and should be sixteen years of age or older. The most promising young people in the school should be sought for membership in this class. If possible, a separate room should be provided so that the time of the closing exercises of the school could be added to the lesson period of the class. This will enable the class to devote ten minutes to a brief study of the spiritual teachings of the general Bible lesson for the day and yet leave a half-hour or more for the training lesson.
It should not be overlooked that if a class for present teachers is established, the officers of the school will find the course invaluable and parents will secure very helpful instruction in the care and nurture of young children.