Let’s face it, working with kids who are learning how to adjust to a classroom setting and starting to learn the basics of socializing can be an incredibly challenging task.
Now let’s imagine a classroom full of excited (happy or upset) preschoolers and your mission is to keep this classroom calm while delivering your curriculum and keeping an eye on all the kids.
This might require an unlimited supply of patience and can seem overwhelming for sure.
Unfortunately, classroom management is something they don’t really teach you in universities. Nope! No manuals, no step-by-step guide to follow, no clear instructions.
So what really makes the difference? How can some teachers manage their classes so easily while others find it hard and struggle to keep their classrooms running smoothly and peacefully?
We gathered a few tips and techniques from teachers who could uncover the secrets behind classroom management from years and years of experience. Now they are all yours!
Use these tips to keep your daycare class in order:
1. Balance between energetic and quiet activities
To avoid chaos, it is important to start by separating the calm activity areas from the active ones and creating strategic stations in the room.
Certain activities will get your preschoolers excited and energetic while other activities will help them calm down and relax. Finding a balance and knowing when is the right time to switch between them is important. If the kids are full of energy it’s probably not the right time to make them listen to a calm song, you can give them an activity to blow off some steam instead.
2. Be a role model
You certainly have to put rules for children to follow in your classroom but what is more important is to make sure you follow them.
If you do something that breaks your classroom’s rules make sure to point it out and give a small lesson to the kids by simply saying: “Oh I forgot that it is not permitted to sit here while we are doing this activity, I will sit on another seat.” By simply watching you, preschoolers will learn from your mistake and will make sure not to repeat it.
3. Apply a reward system
Good behavior and accomplishments deserve good points!
By using the 360Daycare system, you can insert gift points or notes related to specific kids and share them with their parents to keep them updated on their child’s growth and progress!.
The behavior of some children may be challenging, but they just want connection. To encourage them, you need to find what they are doing right and praise them for that. They will be motivated to do more things right.
It is important to hold children accountable for their behavior this is why you need to be firm, fair and consistent.
4. Stick to the Routine
Consistency is essential for preschoolers and it is a key point in classroom management. A routine will give your students a sense of obligation and they will be more willing to follow it.
By making routines predictable, you’ll no longer have to remind children of what’s coming next.
Consistency is important for everyone, but especially for children so they can feel more comfortable and avoid Anxiety which leads to misbehavior.
5. Communicate with parents
It is essential to consistently communicate with the parents since their support and cooperation are necessary for the management of your classroom.
At 360Daycare, we’ve made communication with parents super easy! You can register different types of activities for each child according to their behavior such as meals, naps, medication, temperature, water consumption, mood, and many more. Parents will be able to check them and know what their child is doing. You can also take pictures of the children and make them accessible by the parents through the gallery of 360Daycare system.
At 360Daycare, we make sure to provide you with all the needed tools to take the teaching experience in daycare to the next level.
