6 Things You Should Never Do With Kindergarten
Kindergarten is usually a child’s first experience of formal education and there is so much to learn. The exciting part of being a Kindy teacher is witnessing the progress and development each and every child makes throughout the year.
However, they have a long way to go. The first term is usually spent teaching them to sit with their 5L’s on the floor, to walk in two straight lines around the school and to put their hand up, without calling out and waiting to be chosen.
From experience, Kindergarten students are good learners and eager to please, yet there are six things I would avoid doing during the year unless you really have to. This includes never;
ask them to take their shoes off - unless you love doing up shoelaces and have plenty of time as well as enjoying matching up pairs of shoes and finding lost ones. This one opens a can of worms….
do paper weaving or origami - unless you really want to test your patience and have plenty of time because n the end you will end up doing most of it for them. Teach the skill of ‘giving things a go’ as well as following directions and listening skills before tackling any project like this
ask them to stand in a circle - unless you want to move each child personally into place yourself. There is the ‘Make A Circle’ song I have seen some teachers use which can help but is still not foolproof
let them bring a pet in for news - once you say yes to one student, then you will have every child wanting to bring in a pet. Working with kids and animals is one of the hardest jobs in the world. They should not be mixed
let a child go to the toilet with a friend - they are tempted to be silly, be loud and take a long time. Children should take someone with them however choose a partner wisely
paint at their tables on the carpet - paint will always somehow get on the carpet and it is very difficult to get off especially when you have twenty kids around. Save painting for the wet area ad ensure your students are wearing paint shirts
Kindergarten is a real test of your patience.
You start to sound like a broken record because you will find yourself repeating things over and over again.
Yet, it is also a lot of fun and it will leave you with many stories to tell over Friday afternoon drinks.
What are things you suggest you should never do with Kindergarten? We would love it if you joined the conversation and left a comment below.
