teaching

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teaching
By noreen

After 12 years of teaching I can tell you each group is different. What worked one year or one week ago might not work. Be flexible, be fair and be consistent. There is an old adage, "Don't begin a sentence with the word
If unless you are able to carry out what you say. For example if you say "Billy" if you get out of your seat again you will not have gym, you have to follow through (even when they give you those sad puppy eyes or start crying) Make the punishment fit the crime, don't make an issue out of a tissue and when you feel you are losing it step away and take a deep breath. Mean words said

in anger can not be taken back. I try to tell someone they are making my heart smiling because they are sitting in their seat. Little ones love to make your heart smile, they truly want to please. When they make my heart sad, I tell them that only kind words and deeds can fix my heart.Since they so often tell me that they are going to tell their mothers I tell them that I am going to tell them I am going to tell mine. They ask me what my mother said. When they do something right they also ask me to tell my mother that also. Some years this works, some groups don't care. Some kids are free spirits regardless of the consequences. It is usually the free spirit who needs gym, recess or art the most. Sometimes if you give them a job that they like and know that they can loose the job for failure to conform to the class rules that works.If you explain the rules and why you have them the kids usually try to cooperate. Try to learn the personalities of the kids and see what will work for that group.