1. Learn from others. Listen to more
experienced mentors. Observe how they handle disruptive situations. Watch how
they diffuse a tense situation.
2. Expect great things to
happen. Be excited about your work each day. A child’s first teacher is often
the one he or she remembers the most. You could be that person in the life of
the children you teach.
3. Learn to be flexible. Although young
children need a consistent schedule, allow for the unexpected. What if snow
starts falling? Or, a bulldozer is working nearby? Or, a helicopter hovers
overhead? Make use of these teachable moments.
4. Leave personal problems
at home. Begin each day with a warm, friendly greeting for each child who enters
your program. Tuck personal problems away until later. A smile reassures
parents that you will care for their child until they return.
5. Maintain a clean, safe
environment. Is your program one in which you would want your own child to spend
the day? Look around. Make a list of potential hazards. Prevention could keep
an accident from happening.
6. Respect individual
differences in each child. Realize that each child has a different learning style. Some children
learn the best in a visual mode, such as watching a demonstration. Others learn
in an auditory mode, such as listening to instruction. Still others learn best
in a kinesthetic style which includes using the hands to feel, touch, and
explore. Research shows that teachers usually teach in the mode in which they
learn best. Evaluate each child and find his or her best learning style.
7. Develop a primary
bonding process. Some of your children may be from homeless shelters or dysfunctional
families. They may exhibit aggressive behavior, signs of withdrawal, or
disruptive conduct. Realize that a structured environment, consistent daily
routine, and shared control between adult and child are critical to the
distressed child to take ownership of their learning.
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