Here are some reminders by experienced teachers listing the following pointers from their experiences with preschool children:

 

1. Help children to formulate two or three rules for the classroom. Be sure that you're consistent in keeping the rules so the children know that they are important. Have fun and let children know you care about them.
2. Don't make any rules for the class that you are not willing to follow through with. Always be consistent and fair and let children know that you mean what you say.
3. Never get into a power struggle with the children. Always listen to both sides with a non-judgmental and non-confrontational attitude.
4. You won’t damage childrens’ psyches by taking the lead and being the boss of your classroom. Once you gain the confidence things will go more smoothly, and once you take a firm lead, the children will respect and respond more readily.
5. Have a good balance of discipline and humor with the children.  In order to gain their respect, you need to convey your genuine enjoyment to be with them. Humor is important to have for your own perspective and for the children. It keeps the days lively and enjoyable.
6. It's not what you teach but how you teach it that makes all the differecne. If what you are doing in your classroom is exciting and motivational, classroom discipline problems disappear. Children do not want to get in trouble and they do not want to miss out on what is going on in your room.
7. Not every child will like you and you won't like every child. Try to find at least one thing you can respect each child for - even if it's just showing up at school.
8. Children will quiet down when the teacher is quiet and waiting for their attention.   Teachers can lose their voices by trying to focus their attention on themselves. Simply wait for the attention you as a teacher deserves before moving on to the next lesson or set of instructions.
9. Adolescents love choices and challenges!  Whenever possible, give children choices - whether it's a long-range project or coloring a map with crayon, marker, or colored pencil!   Try to give as many "small" choices as possible, even if it seems insignificant.
10. Watch the body language for both yourself and the children. With ...

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Bethany Covenant Schools 125 Northeast 119th St. Miami, FL  33161 Ms. Lee: (305) 758-6367	Saturday, 8/21/10	9:00am	5-hours	The Growing Concern About Autism anld Asperger Syndrome found in Children at School	$20.00
Children’s Academy #6 2570 NW 139th Street Opa Locka, FL 33054 Ms. Fay (305) 687-0545	Saturday, 9/11/10	9:00am	3-hours	Recognizing Difficult Behavior in the Preschooler	$15.00

        

       Thank you all for your nice comments on Math Activities. 

Children think Math in funny ways: How could you make seven even?  Ans. Take away the s.

What did the dollar say to 4 quarters?  You’ve changed!

What’s between seven and eight?  and

What goes up and never comes down?  Addition

Since I gave you some ideas on math activities, I would like for you to create math activities from these ideas listed below. 
        -Bean Bag Math
        -Newspaper Comic Strips
        -Measuring
        -Shapes found in magazines

Doing numerial activities, I asked the children in the first row "how many bodies are there in the whole room?
                                              The second row "How many noses are there in the room?
                                              The third row "How many eyes are there in row 1 and row 2?
                                              I asked the girls "How many boys fingers are there in the first row?
                                              I asked the boys "How many girls ears are there in the room?
                                              I asked the girls "How many boys thumbs are in the room?   
                                              I asked the boys "How many girls chins are there in the room?
                                              I asked the group "Are there more ears or toes in the room?
                                              I asked the group "Are there less noses than eyes in the room?

These same questions can be used, too, by having girls and boys standing and facing each other from across the room.

Note: Keep in mind that a child’s view of the world and of math concepts is not the same as yours. 

                                                  

 

        

Morning Greeting Activities:

In greeting, each child is welcomed by name. It aids to set a positive tone for the day, provides a sense of belonging and recognition, to help children learn and use everyone’s name, and lets children practice hospitality. It is primary learned for socialization.

 

Role Call Singing Greeting – The teacher sings “Good Morning Mary!  Are you here?”  The child responds “Good morning teacher, I am here!”  

 

Describing Your Name – The child creates an adjective in front of their first name with the same letter. Example: Hiccups Harvey.

I’ve Got A Name – Have the children sit in a circle. The teacher demonstrates by saying his/her name and by clapping the name at the same time. Then one child is selected to start by saying their name and by clapping their name at the same time.  The group copies that child by saying “his/her name is _____.”  Each child in the circle follows through with their names. The coordination between saying the name and clapping the name comes from two different parts of the brain and it will help coordinate the rhythms within the child.

 

Copy Cat Name – Similar to “I’ve Got A Name” except the child stands up says their name with an action like a wave or a wink. The group copies the action and says the child’s name. Each child has a turn and tries to think of a new action with their name to not copy an action already presented. The group learns names the more times it is done.

 

What Did You Have? -  The child stands up and says their name and is asked by the teacher: “What did you have for breakfast?”  Each child has a turn to answer and everyone learns about what the child had to eat for breakfast.  

 

Birthday Bash – Matching birthday months with the group and then coming up with a cheer. Have the children find the birthday months with other children. When they are in a group, make sure the group has at least six. If not, find a group which will fit into that group. You should have at least three to four groups ready to create a birthday cheer. Give ...

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Margie's creative music CD's are easy concepts for children to learn. Enjoy and check out her website at http://www.musictherapytunes.com 

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What Happens When We Lose Our Patience?  Part of the new workshop:  "How the Child Thinks and the Way the Teacher Reacts" 

 

Your children will test you and push you to your limits of patience.  They don't mean to do it. Some of those patience killers are just a part of normal, healthy development.  Children just don't realize how their behaviors impact others.  When you are in a rush, they will dawdle. When you want to focus on a project, they will interrupt you. When you simply want a moment of quiet, they will shriek, make annoying sounds, and fight, often for no reason or often to disrupt the peace. When you easily see the solution to a problem, they will argue with you throwing tantrums at times because they cannot see the solution at all. *Sometimes, it is the child who lacks patience, and that alone can cause you to lose yours."

There will be days when you want to demand compliance. "You will listen to me." "Move faster." "Stop fighting, and "leave each other alone."  It is effective for the short term, but it loses it's effectiveness over time because it conveys a message to your children that says "I don't respect you."

How do you find patience?  When you're ready to accept that you don't always need to be in charge or on schedule that a few extra moments in your day tending to the emotional needs of the children will actually make things run more smoothly in the end, then you are ready to practice your patience.  Decide to handle things calmly, even do your best to speak with a delightful voice. 

Remind yourself that you are going to try to be more patient because it will make things easier in the long run and then calmly address the problem.  Don't let yourself feel guilty for not having patience 100% of the time (Nobody is that perfect)!  Just be proud of yourself and reminding yourself to be more patient.

 

 

 

   

 

 

        

Remember, "When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became an adult, I put childest ways behind me." 

Do you remember your childhood days?  What were they like?  Then you talked and thought like a child. What were they like?  Now as an adult and experienced, you still have to talk and think on a child's way of thinking in order to teach and share. It's not an easy job!   When we react to children through our experiences in life and the children react back with their experiences that they have had up to that moment, some times conflict and problems occur.

Let's talk about "patience." 

Webster's Dictionary states: "having or showing the capacity for endurance: bearing annoyance and pain and without complanint, anger or the like."  Do children have this kind of patience?  Can they have endurance?  Do they bear annoyance and do it without showing anger or complaint?  Do children have patience in their talking, thinking, and reasoning? 

How many times have we heard preschoolers express exactly how to use words to express their feelings?  They tell it like it is!  Children's emotions are an everyday feeling found in all early childhood settings. It challenges you as teachers to be committed to be more effective and constructive in guiding our children. This is why children in early childhood settings can feel and express anger but not understand it. Their ability to regulate expressions is linked to an understanding of the emotion and the child's ability to reflect on that emotion is somewhat limited. 

Children need guidance from teachers and parents in understanding and then managing their feelings. Remember, children are children and do not understand their emotions at such an early age.

Patience from the teacher's standpoint must create an environment of compassion and respect. When you're patient with children, it's just as though you are saying, "I respect how you feel because I respect you. I want you to be happy and independent because I love you and want the best for you. I want to help you find your own happiness, so I'm going to slow down and take time to clamly assist you.

When you remind yourself that at the end of the day, all of the important things will still be accomplished (showing love being the most important of all), then you can stop rushing, complaining, and start enjoying the ride during the ups and downs of life with the children you teach.

I wonder what happens when we lose our patience?  Then how do we find patence?  Till next time!

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A few examples of fun educational math games for children under 5:

Ball Arithmetic-Using fingers to add and count like 2 + 1 = 3 and then the answer is given by bouncing the ball for the answer.

It Adds Up-By having a starting line for 2 children, the teacher shows a math flash card like 3+1, the children race to the other side of the room to write the answer on the white board or chalk board. The first correct answer wins.

Shapes Around the Room-The teacher selects a child to find a shape in the room like find something that has a square or a circle.

Bean Bag Math-Using flash cards to add or subtract, the child answers by using a bean bag to give the answer by dropping the bean bag on the correct number on the floor.

Measurement Activities-have children line-up left to right according to their height or according to the first letter of their names or with their birthdays or with their shoe size. The fun list goes on and on.

Remember, with infants and toddlers, it is important to create trusting relationships that allow children to be ready and willing to explore. Supporting math development looks different to them. Be ready to join in on their curiosity and notice their interests, encourage exploration, and create play opportunities to highlight math concepts.

 

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"X" Marks the Spot Relay reinforces eye/feet coordination and team work.

Procedure: Two teams are selected with masking tape make an "X" on the floor for each team.  Have a starting line at the teacher's signal "go," the team leaders run to the "X," step on it with one foot and then with the other foot, and race back to tag the next team member.  This continues until all the team members competed.

Pong Roll develops quickness and overall fitness.

Procedure:  One child rolls a ping pong ball towards a wall.  The other child is standing next to the other child and as soon as it is rolled, the child standing runs and tries to beat the ping pong ball to the wall.

More Game Ideas Found in this Activity Booklet #BJ08-Icebreaker Games for Chldren at www.welearnbydoing.com website.
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