Teaching
Tips
What
is a teacher?
A
teacher is someone who brings forth knowledge in a way that will enlighten, engage,
and inspire someone to learn.
A
teacher can be anyone, a stay at home mom, a nurse, a truck driver, child care
provider, or even a farmer. A teacher doesn't have to be someone that goes to
work in a classroom every day.
Teaching
takes a certain gift from the heart to make every experience a learning opportunity.
The
following tips are being shared, they are ideas that I have used myself when working
with children. These are methods that are practically painless, and will result
in better learning moments.
1)
Be an active listener.
Talking
or telling a child something doesn't necessarily mean that it will be understood
or retained. Listening will give you great insight into the child's behavior,
and learning process.
2)
Be honest.
When
a child asks you a question, and you may not know the answer... or maybe the answer
is a little uncomfortable for you... tell the child your fears or that you don't
know the answer. Then take it a step further and look it up together. That child
will remember and respect you for being honest.
3)
Be positive.
Children thrive with positive reinforcement. Soft voices, praise when earned will
help develop that child's self esteem. You are more likely to get through to a
child with positive verbal and body language than you will with negative.
4)
Be consistent.
Children need and respond well to structure and consistency. At early ages, children
have a harder time with change. Establishing a routine that you can stick to will
make things so much easier for you as well as the children. Children like to know
that at a specific time and day they will be participating in a specific activity.
5)
Be open to different styles of teaching.
You
are going to find that no 2 children will learn exactly the same way. When you
have an integrated number of children (integrated referring to age and skill levels)
you will need to spend a great deal of time observing the children to make sure
that all of their individual needs are being met. Some children will grasp concepts
with ease if they can touch and explore while other children grasp concepts better
if they can read the material and absorb it.
Teaching
doesn't always mean sticking to one set curriculum, it is an ever-evolving process.
Don't be afraid to try new things!
6)
Be creative! (My favorite)
The
best teachers I personally have had were those who went the extra mile to teach
concepts outside of the box. Teachers who spent the extra time to bring props
to class, or dress up to coordinate with a theme, or even make a large display
in the classroom.
You
may think that you aren't all that creative, but you most definitely are. Being
creative takes practice just like riding a bike or learning to drive a car. It's
about coming up with ideas that maybe you haven't ever tried before.
Spending
just a little extra time, will reward you more than you ever imagined!
