You teach a class of children ages 3–11 the gospel of Jesus Christ. The lesson is a framework; the relationship is the point. A child who feels seen, safe, and loved in your class is learning something more important than any curriculum could teach.
Day One
Do These Things First
Meet with the Primary President.↗ text her
Ask: Which class am I teaching? How many children? Are any children on the spectrum or have other learning needs I should know about? What supplies are available? Is there anything about this class I should know going in?
Get your class roster.
Know each child's name before your first Sunday. You won't remember them all immediately — that's fine — but walking in already trying to match names to faces sends a message that you took this calling seriously.
Find your classroom. Where is it? What's in it — chairs, tables, whiteboard, supplies? Is there a cabinet with materials? Walk there before Sunday so you're not wandering the halls with children in tow.
Locate the curriculum. Primary uses Come, Follow Me ↗ — the children's edition. It's free online and in the Gospel Library app. Note where your class is currently in the year's schedule.
Prepare your first lesson before Sunday. Don't wing it. Children can tell the difference between a teacher who came prepared and one who didn't. Even 30 minutes of preparation changes the quality of the class significantly.
Your Role
What the Primary Teacher Actually Does
You teach a class of children on Sunday during the second hour of church. After sharing time — the large-group portion with music and a lesson led by the Primary presidency — your class splits into a smaller room for the lesson portion, typically 30–45 minutes depending on ward schedule.
Primary classes are organized by age. Younger classes (Sunbeams, CTR) typically cover ages 3–7; older classes (Valiant) cover ages 8–11. Each group has a different developmental rhythm — what engages a 4-year-old is not what engages a 10-year-old, and you'll adapt accordingly.
Your most important job is showing up consistently. Children build trust with adults through repetition. A teacher who is present every week, knows their names, and genuinely likes them will accomplish more than the most creatively designed lesson from a teacher who's hard to count on. Consistency is the curriculum.
You are not expected to be a professional educator or a theologian. You are expected to prepare, show up, and care about the children in your class.
Weekly Rhythm
Every Week
Prepare
Read the Come, Follow Me lesson. What's the central idea? What questions can you ask the class? What activity, object lesson, or visual might help? You don't need a perfect plan — you need enough of a plan to stay on track when a child asks something unexpected.
Arrive early
Set up the room before children arrive. Chairs arranged, materials out, yourself ready to greet each child by name as they come in. That first 60 seconds sets the tone for the whole class.
During class
Ask more questions than you answer. Use names constantly. Children's attention spans are short — expect to redirect, pivot, and adapt. A class that gets off track for five minutes and comes back together is normal, not a failure.
After church
Note who was absent. If a child you know well misses two weeks in a row, let the Primary President know. You don't have to manage follow-up yourself — but noticing is your job.
Teaching Children
What Actually Works
Keep it simple
The Come, Follow Me lesson typically contains more content than you can cover in 30–40 minutes. That's intentional — it's designed to be adapted. Pick one or two central ideas and go deep rather than skimming across everything. A child who leaves understanding one thing clearly has had a better class than one who leaves confused by ten things briefly mentioned.
Ask, don't tell
Children learn by participating, not by listening. "What do you think Nephi felt when..." gets more engagement than explaining what Nephi felt. Even very young children will answer if they feel safe doing so. Ask questions you genuinely don't know the answer to — their responses will surprise you.
Movement helps
Especially for younger classes (ages 3–7), children who have sat through sacrament meeting for an hour are not going to sit still in your class without some help. Build in movement: a quick activity, standing up to act something out, passing an object around the circle. It's not distraction — it's developmentally appropriate.
Names are everything
Use each child's name at least once during class — positively. Children who hear their name in a warm context feel included. Children who never hear it often feel invisible, even in a class of five.
If a child has behavioral or developmental needs, ask ahead of time. Talk to the parent or the Primary President before your first Sunday with that child. Knowing what helps — a specific seating arrangement, advance warning before transitions, a fidget tool — makes your class better for everyone.
Teaching in the Savior's Way
The Church's teacher development resource is called "Teaching in the Savior's Way." It's available on the Gospel Library app and covers principles that apply whether you're teaching adults or children. If you've never had any teaching preparation, spend 20 minutes with the introduction before your first Sunday. It's worth it.
Key Contacts
Who You Work With Regularly
Primary President
↗ text
Your direct leader. She sets the culture of Primary, manages the overall organization, and is your first call when something comes up — a child with an unexpected need, a supply request, or a Sunday when you need a substitute. Keep her informed; she can't see what's happening in your room if you don't tell her.
Primary Secretary
↗ text
Roster updates, class rolls, supply coordination. If a new child shows up in your class or a child has moved, the secretary handles the records. Let her know when your attendance changes so nothing falls through the gap.
Primary Chorister
↗ text
Leads music in sharing time before your class. If your children are coming from a particularly energized or difficult sharing time, knowing what happened upstream helps you calibrate how you start your lesson.
Parents
You will occasionally need to communicate with parents — about a child's absence, a behavioral concern, or just to say their child said something wonderful in class. Err on the side of more contact. Parents are almost always grateful when a teacher reaches out directly.
Quick Notes
Operational Notes
Log your meeting schedule, room numbers, key dates, or anything worth handing off when you're released.