Trooping into church with 20 preschoolers is fun. Other teachers – and parents who join us – look at me like they pity me.

It’s fun to let them see just how wrong they are.

Because here’s my secret weapon: 6th graders. I put my little ones next to the big ones and watch them both behave!

Although 6th graders are not always less likely to squirm than preschoolers, they have a lot of pride.

They want to show their preschool buddies how to behave during Mass.

And the little ones? They want to act like big kids!

So when we troop in, hand-in-hand with our big buddies, skipping and talking and laughing, I know that when we sit down, we will be quiet and pay attention.

This week I saw some proof (aside from good behavior at Mass) of their attentiveness.

We had just gotten settled with our snack when Timmy began blessing his food just like Father Greg does at Mass!!!

Pairing students of different ages is a great way to get good behavior in many activities.

In this case, the 6th graders want to be good examples and teach their little friends how to behave in church. The preschoolers want to act like big kids. It’s definitely a win-win situation … and I get to pay attention, too! 🙂