TEACHING KINDERGARTEN

RENEROSE C. PABLO

Teaching kindergarten has always been very challenging for an educator, especially molding young minds and laying their foundation for higher levels is very critical and sensitive.

But there are many ways to make kindergarten education not only systematic, but fun and enjoyable as well:

Manage Your Classroom: Knowing how to manage your classroom is key! There are so many questions to ask before setting up your classroom. You should know how to keep order, set up learning centers, establish a discipline policy, coordinate classroom activities, and be able to effectively place students in groups. There are so many resources available to make sure you know how to make your classroom a positive environment focused on a day full of learning.

Choose and Store Supplies: You can’t have an effective learning environment if your classroom is cluttered! Make sure you are utilizing storage options that keep unused objects out of the way while clearly labeling items for daily use. Visuals will go a long way in aiding how students use your classroom for supply needs so label, label, label! Your classroom should be clean and make sense for daily student navigation.

Get Parents Involved: To make it through the kindergarten school year, you’ll need parental support to ensure the complete education of each child. Communication is important. Let parents know that you care as much as they do! Not only should you be communicating, but you should be doing it often, as well. A good kindergarten teacher realizes that constant communication, whether through a monthly newsletter or individual notes on homework assignments, is critical to individual student success.

Arrange Your Desks: Seating plays a huge role in determining how focused your students will be while you teach. Will you have them arranged in groups for learning stations or facing toward each other for reading circles? How many students will you have, and how will you most effectively utilize your classroom space? Inspiring spaces for young children is a great resource for answering those questions and more, covering everything from furnishings to visual displays!

Pace in the Classroom: Pace is important in the classroom, as it will determine if and how long you’ve captured your students’attention. Pace your lessons so that you are only showing a couple of steps at a time and ensure demonstrations or discussions don’t last longer than 10 minutes. If they do, chances are you’ve lost them. Group work will help keep a kindergarten class on the same level and help everyone to feel successful.

Get Students’Attention: Kindergartners especially are prone to distraction. Before you start speaking, make sure all eyes are on you. Even if it seems to take forever the first time, give your patience a go and wait until you have the attention of the whole class. This will get

Finally, always Smile! Every day spent with your kindergartners will be an adventure! If it’s your first year, you’ll have a lot of learning to do. It often takes several years for kindergarten teachers to feel they can effectively manage a class. The most important part is putting students first and approaching the class with optimism. Your students will take your lead and do the same, making the learning experience an enjoyable one for everyone involved. Because no one ever stops learning!

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The author is Teacher I at San Matias Elementary School, Sta. Rita, Pampanga