1. Start each class with a warm-up

My favorite warm-up is to use Google Slides. There are so many other beautiful ways to warm the class up like singing, playing, show and tell, free-talk. The routine you build will be the one that your students will come to love. I enjoy that 2 minutes before class bonding with my student.

2. Use Movement keeps Kids Focused

Kids love to move and expecting them to stay active and focused for over 2 minutes at ages 8 and below just won’t work. It could be the class TPR or just a 30-second jumping session to get them back on track.
I used to teach a class of 24-30 3 years old students and my favorite activity for the boys constantly climbing was to jump. I would start jumping with them and then sit and move my hand up and down until they were exhausted.

3. Collaborate your student to Success

Ask your kids to show you something in the class related to the lesson. If your teaching housework. Do you have a mop? Where is it? Can you show me it? I actually had a little boy laugh and say no. I said why and he bluntly answered because I don’t mop. I then said he should try to help mom.

4. Use Quiet Time and Student Reflection

When the child is not focused and causing chaos. Sometimes it just means they need a moment of silence. When they notice we stopped teaching and I place my hand on my mouth or my hand in the stop position it can be a very good non-verbal clue that will calm them down. Not all the time but most of the time. I do have a sign in Chinese that says be quiet and stop. If all else fails, hold up the cell phone and say would shall we call mommy?

5. Giving Instructions

Cup your ear and say listen. Once you have gained the student's full attention then speak. I also use my Robert D’ Niro move on my active boys. I see you. Pointing to my eyes and then theirs.
Make sure not to use too much incidental language. Be short and sweet and talk like a child to them. They are not very old and cannot comprehend long directions so use the names of the games for instructions only and then the TPR.

6. Mix up Your Teaching Styles
Try to mix up your teaching styles. This is where working with a team really comes in handy. Just like students, we can learn from each other. Look at how your co-workers are teaching their students. Ask another co-worker for suggestions.
We used to divide and conquer our weekly lessons at the school I worked at and I loved it. We learned from each other. One teacher used visual aids and different games. It was so much fun to see how others teach. We are not perfect beings and I love to learn from my co-workers. I love seeing the ways some use TPR and I am an audio-visual/digital learner I can learn so much from them.

Written by Brenda Brooks