Sunday School is the adult Sunday class hour. Your job is to staff it with good teachers, support those teachers, and make sure the second hour of church is worth coming for. The organization is lean; the work is focused. Start with your teachers.
Day One
Do These Things First
Meet with the bishop.↗ text him
Ask him: What are his expectations for Sunday School? Are there any teacher situations he's already aware of? Any classes that need attention?
Identify your current teachers.
Who's teaching which classes? Are there vacancies? Are any teachers over-extended or burning out? The ward clerk may have a list; if not, ask the outgoing Sunday School president or check with the bishop.
Contact your counselors and secretary.
Find out what roles they've been playing and what they know. Don't assume anything is working the way it appears.
Attend each Sunday School class at least once in your first month. You can't support teachers you've never observed. Sit in, listen, and notice — not to evaluate critically, but to understand what each teacher needs from you.
Know the current curriculum. What's the class(es) using this year? "Come, Follow Me ↗" is the primary curriculum. Know what week the ward is on and whether any resources are provided to teachers.
Your Role
What the Sunday School President Actually Does
Sunday School is the second hour of the Sunday block — the adult class period after sacrament meeting. Your job is to oversee it: make sure classes are staffed, teachers are supported, and the learning environment is what it should be.
The Sunday School President leads through teachers. You are not in front of most classes yourself — you're the person who ensures that someone good is. In a typical ward, Sunday School runs one or two adult classes, and the organization is relatively lean compared to RS, EQ, Primary, or YM/YW.
The Sunday School President's superpower is teacher support. Most Sunday School teachers are under-resourced and under-appreciated. A president who checks in, provides materials, sits in occasionally, and says "thank you" will have a significantly better organization than one who simply assigns and disappears. Your teachers determine the quality of the second hour for every adult in the ward.
You also represent Sunday School at Ward Council, attend bishopric meetings when relevant, and work with the ward clerk and executive secretary on any administrative pieces (teaching assignments, room coordination).
Weekly Rhythm
Every Week
Before class
Are your teachers present? If a teacher is unexpectedly absent, you either teach or find coverage — fast. Know who in the ward can cover a class on short notice. Keep a mental (or actual) list.
During class
Sit in occasionally, not every week. When you do, you're there to support — not to redirect or correct. If you have feedback for a teacher, give it privately after.
After church
A brief word to your teachers goes a long way: "That was a good discussion on the Atonement today." Specific beats generic. Teachers who feel seen by their president teach better.
During the week
Check in if a teacher mentioned they were struggling with a lesson. Send a resource. A mid-week text to a new teacher is simple and kind: "Let me know if you need anything for Sunday."
Monthly Rhythm
Every Month
Teacher check-ins
Are all your teachers doing okay? Anyone approaching burnout? Anyone who should be released and is waiting for someone to notice? Regular check-ins catch these things before they become problems.
Ward Council
You represent Sunday School. It's a quieter voice at Ward Council than most organizations — that's fine. Come prepared to share anything relevant: attendance trends, a teacher who needs acknowledgment, a class that needs attention.
Calling pipeline
Sunday School always needs good teachers. Keep a short mental list of people you'd like to recommend. When the bishop asks for suggestions, you want to have names ready — not be starting from scratch.
Curriculum check
Are teachers aware of what's coming up in Come, Follow Me? Any special lessons or weeks that might need extra preparation or different handling? A heads-up from you in advance is always better than a scramble on Saturday night.
Supporting Teachers
The Core of the Work
What teachers need
Most Sunday School teachers want three things: to know someone's paying attention, to have their questions answered quickly, and to feel like the class is going well. You can provide all three — without micromanaging.
When a teacher is struggling
Sit in more often. Ask questions: "How do you feel like the class is going?" "Is there anything I can do to help?" Most teachers who are struggling know it. What they need from you is acknowledgment, not more pressure.
Teacher burnout
A Sunday School teacher who's been in the same assignment for three or four years may be tired. Some are fine with long-term assignments; others are quietly waiting to be released. Ask. Don't assume.
No teacher should feel isolated in their assignment. The worst thing that can happen in Sunday School is a teacher who feels like they've been handed a manual and forgotten. Even a monthly check-in makes a difference.
Training
The Church provides teacher training resources — "Teaching in the Savior's Way" is the primary manual. Make sure your teachers know it exists and have had a chance to engage with it. If a new teacher has never had any preparation, walk them through the basics before their first Sunday.
Ward Council
Your Voice in the Room
Sunday School's Ward Council role is quieter than most organizations — you're not tracking welfare needs or ministering assignments. But you do have a perspective worth sharing: who's engaging with Sunday learning, what the adult class environment feels like, and whether the second hour of church is doing what it should.
Come prepared with at least one name or one observation. Even a brief "Our Come, Follow Me class has been running well — Sister Jones has been an outstanding teacher, and I wanted to acknowledge that" is a worthwhile contribution to the room.
Key Contacts
Who You Work With Regularly
Bishop
↗ text
All callings, including Sunday School teachers, go through him. When you need a new teacher or want to recommend a release, bring names to the bishop. He sustains the calling — you identify the need.
Sunday School Teachers
Your primary responsibility. Know who they are, how they're doing, and what they need. Visit their classes. Check in monthly. They are the product of Sunday School — invest in them accordingly.
Executive Secretary
↗ text
For scheduling settings apart after new teacher callings, and for anything that needs to go on the bishop's calendar. When you need bishopric coordination, start here.
Ward Clerk
↗ text
Calling records, membership information, LCR access. If you need to know who's been assigned what or want to look up a member, the clerk is your resource.
Other Auxiliary Presidents
At Ward Council you'll coordinate occasionally on things like room usage, calendar conflicts, or adults who attend (or don't attend) Sunday School. The connections matter even if they're infrequent.
Quick Notes
Operational Notes
Log your meeting schedule, room numbers, key dates, or anything worth handing off when you're released.