Learn How to Thrive, Not Survive in Kindergarten
Summer time is a great time to reflect on what went well for you this year, and what didn’t. Consider how many years you’ve been teaching this, and what issues you see again and again. If this was your first year teaching kindergarten, remember to give yourself grace! Nothing in teaching is ever perfect, and there is always room for improvement. As the saying goes, it never gets easier, you just get better!
Today, I want to share three quick tips on how to THRIVE in kindergarten if you feel that you’ve been simply working to survive.
Be Proactive
One of the biggest mistakes that any teacher can make is being reactive with classroom management, instead of proactive. Proactive classroom management means that you start thinking about it WELL before your students ever enter your classroom! One of the summertime systems I recommend is to sit down and think through all of the routines and procedures your students need to master next year. Make a list, and then think about how you’re going to teach them. Lay out the steps. Thinking through these things early on prevents you from having to deal with a slew of classroom management issues once the school year begins!
Be Explicit
Kindergarten students need clear, direct instructions. If you want students to walk to the door to line up, in small groups, that is exactly what you need to say. As you’re mapping out the routines and procedures you’re going to teach, think through exactly how you want students to complete them. When it’s time to unpack in the morning, what steps will students follow? What will you need to model for them before having them do it themselves? You may feel like teaching all of this will take a long time…and it will! But it is worth it to lay a strong foundation for your students to be successful!
I also recommend working in visual cues wherever you can to reinforce what you taught. This helps your learners be more independently successful, and lifts the burden of repeating yourself too often off of your shoulders!
Be Consistent
Whatever you choose to teach, be consistent in the way that you do it. If you teach a routine, be prepared to reinforce that routine every day until it becomes habit. If you want students to unpack in the morning, and quietly begin morning work, you need to actively reinforce that behavior every morning. Decide upon an incentive system to reward students who are meeting your expectations. Redirect behavior of students not on task as soon as you see it, especially in the first weeks of the year! Over time, you will be so proud of the way that your class completes tasks on their own, without your guidance. But in those first few weeks of the year, get ready to repeat expectations, reward, and repeat again!
Click HERE to grab my FREE How to Thrive not Survive in Kindergarten Guide
Looking for More Support?
I have an online course, The First 25 Days in K, designed just for teachers like YOU. Teachers who want to thrive this year, and move past survival mode. If you want to learn more about the course, check out the button below! I’d love to help you make your classroom a place that is centered on student learning and growth this coming school year, rather than a place full of chaos and confusion!
