Teachers are always searching for tips on how to manage and create fun in their classroom. Tips for teachers from teachers are like the gold nuggets inside the magic teacher bag! Mary at Sharing Kindergarten had the great idea to link up our tips for kindergarten teachers by kindergarten teachers. Thank you Mary!
I taught kindergarten for 3 years and it was the funnest, most exhausting age I taught. I don’t know how, but the kids give you their energy every time they hug and smile those precious smiles at you! But how can you as a kinder teacher have your class run with ease, teach all the content needed, and still be fun? Follow along the linky party today, you will find fantastic tips for teachers that you too will have a class that learns and has fun!
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One of the hardest things to teach to a little human in kindergarten is conflict resolution. How can we stop them from arguing and using their hands to express their feelings? How can we teach them to use their words and not their hands to express the way they feel? How can we teach them to resolve conflicts? Here are a few ways that I taught my students, and my own children as well.
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Teach them to be kind. It sounds easy, but some of our little humans have a hard time treating others with kindness. The best way to explicitly teach strategies of being kind is to model them in front of children. The actions and words you use are a direct link to how they will behave. If you want to teach kindness, be kind. Point out those who are kind and use kind words. Remember to patient, listen, and express empathy. Give examples of what they could do if certain situations arise in their daily lives. Give them time to practice the skills and give tons and tons more of positive praise when you see it in daily activities.
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Teach them to have courage. Courage by definition is the ability to do something that scares oneself. In their little human world, there are so many situations and things that are scary. As their teacher, you need to create an environment that gives them a feelings of safety and security. Not only for their physical safety, but also for an environment that lends itself to the feeling of security to take risks. Risks in kindergarten? WHAT! Risk in their world is speaking up in front of others, playing with a new friend, and asking questions about things they are curious about. They need to feel secure to have courage. Give them the environment to have courage.
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Be kind and have courage….. Cinderella’s mother gave this wonderful advise to her as a child. It was true then and is true today. How can you model kindness? Here is a wonderful video from Kid President that may help you and your kiddos.
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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m5yCOSHeYn4
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Want more tips from teachers for teachers? YES PLEASE! Click on the link below to hop back to Sharing Kindergarten and the list of links for all the fabulous kindergarten teachers tips!
What are some ways you teach kindness and courage? What is your best tip for teachers? What is the best tip you have received? Will you leave a comment and share them with everyone? (I love reading your comments.)
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Blessings y’all,
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Valerie
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6/7/2015
I’m an early childhood educator with over 18 years of classroom experience in grades pre-k through gifted 5th grade. My strategies and products have helped thousands of educators be the teacher we all aspire to be.