Teacher Training

You can invite MARY RICE HOPKINS or you can invite both MARY RICE HOPKINS AND DARCIE MAZE for your teacher training needs.

MARY RICE HOPKINS

Mary Rice Hopkins is an award-winning songwriter, singer, author and educator whose ministry is spanning the globe with her new television program “Mary Rice Hopkins and Puppets with a Heart” by Darcie Maze that is aired weekly on TBN and the Smile of a Child network. She is the recipient of the Dove Award that recognizes high-quality, wholesome entertainment options for the entire family. Her music is timeless and the lessons taught are “planting seeds that will last a lifetime” in the hearts of our children. Mary is focused on reaching out to the world with the message of God’s love, leading others to a life of faith and hope through difficult times with the timeless truths of God’s Word.

Brenda Carpenter, an elementary school teacher at Liberty Christian School in Richland, Washington, shares how Mary’s seminars motivated and challenged her as a teacher: “After attending one of Mary’s teaching seminars, I left challenged and excited about the new tools I had acquired to communicate and effectively teach. I discovered that music was a highly motivational technique to teach the truths found in God’s Word. Mary inspired me to incorporate this musical gift in all my lessons, and I’ve found it extremely effective. When children leave the classroom with a song in their hearts, and teachers are singing the songs long after the class is over, I witness God’s Word taking root in our lives.”

MARY RICE HOPKINS and DARCIE MAZE

Mary and Darcie combine music and puppetry, two of the most powerful teaching tools for communicating the gospel to our world, to inspire and equip teachers to effectively convey the good news of God’s love to His children. Darcie is the creator and designer of “Puppets with a Heart” which are unique because of the removable cloth heart on a string where small props can be put to make stories and lessons memorable. These hand-made, high quality puppets are found in over 150 countries.

“Webster’s dictionary offers too few adjectives for describing the heart-touching, life-changing sessions by Mary Rice Hopkins and Darcie Maze at our Children’s Ministry Conference. These ladies are an unforgettable, high-energy team with a professional, multi-media presentation which transitioned from hilarity to deeply moving moments. All participants left equipped, motivated and challenged to do their part in helping children become kingdom-focused” (Betty Robertson, Founder / Executive Director Virginia Christian Education Association).

TOPICS AVAILABLE FOR YOUR TEACHER TRAINING SESSIONS

ABC’s of Music and Motion: Can’t carry a tune in a bucket? You don’t need to be musical to attend this session and learn how to use music to reinforce your lessons — from songs for holidays to parable songs to teaching good character and God’s word through music. You will leave with new tunes in your head and heart. (Mary Rice Hopkins)

Chocolate Meets Peanut Butter: You will learn how to teach Bible stories and have fun at the same time, using the two most powerful teaching tools for communicating the gospel: music and puppetry. (Mary Rice Hopkins & Darcie Maze)

Eat It! You will be given oodles of ideas for effectively using music, puppets and food to teach good character using all five senses. You will walk away FULL of practical ideas you can use in your classroom! (Mary Rice Hopkins & Darcie Maze)

Learning Styles and Hard to Reach Kids: How children learn is as diverse as how they look or act, because God created us in different and unique ways. Through the use of music and puppetry learning barriers will be discussed and you will be encouraged to not give up on hard to reach kids. (Mary Rice Hopkins & Darcie Maze)

Music in Motion (Singing Through the Bible from Creation to Parables): Children remember for a lifetime what they learn through music. Why not have your children singing through the Bible, so their lives will be impacted forever? (Mary Rice Hopkins)

Positive Discipline for Children: Without proper management of discipline challenges, utter chaos can break out in a matter of seconds. Learn to provide boundaries with dignity so creative teaching can remain your top priority. (Mary Rice Hopkins/Mary Rice Hopkins & Darcie Maze)

Puppetry and Object Lessons Made Easy for Teaching Spiritual Truths: Learn how to use the second and third leading teaching tools to bring every day lessons alive with the focus being on teaching character qualities. (Darcie Maze)

Sharable Parables: Jesus was a master story teller. Lessons learned in the form of a story are easy to remember and later to share with others. Learn how to incorporate Jesus’ parables in your lessons through music and related activities. (Mary Rice Hopkins/Mary Rice Hopkins & Darcie Maze)

Sing through the Year: Have you ever fretted, “Where can I find music and a lesson to fit this holiday or season?” Why not reinforce each special time of the year with Biblically-based songs and lessons? We’ll help you prepare with simple songs, motions, and ideas that will impact your programs and lessons with fun, laughter, and worship. You will leave this session with hands-on tools and ideas. (Mary Rice Hopkins)

Training Wheels: What are you doing today that will make a lasting impact on the life of a child tomorrow? Learn practical ways to lay a life-changing foundation. Teach them, Reward them, Affirm their differences, Include them, Nurture them. As the Bible says, T.R.A.I.N. children in the way they should go. (Mary Rice Hopkins)

Using Creative Arts to Bring Focus and Healing: With the use of creative teaching tools such as food, games, songs and puppets, this workshop goes to the hard places where children’s hearts have been hurt. You will be equipped to help kids find strength in the midst of their difficult life situations. (Mary Rice Hopkins/Mary Rice Hopkins & Darcie Maze)