Teaching elementary students is a challenging job, but there are many good tips for making it easier and more effective. Among the best tips are those that recommend having patience with students and speaking to them in a respectful tone of voice. Avoiding monotony and taking extra care with organization can help as well. Additionally, putting effort into making learning fun may prove beneficial.
One of the best tips for teaching elementary students is to have patience. Sometimes younger students have a harder time grasping concepts the first or even the second time they are introduced to them. Becoming frustrated, however, will likely cause them upset and may even make them resistant to learning. Instead, relaxing and keeping patience in mind may make the classroom experience more pleasant and effective for both the teacher and his students.
Another good tip for teaching elementary students is to avoid monotony. Like adults, children can become bored with monotonous lessons or routines. To keep things interesting for students and encourage them to learn, a teacher may do well to shake things up with various teaching approaches or even a different location in which to learn. For example, if a teacher occasionally takes his students outside for a lesson or adds a video lesson to his traditional teaching plans, this may help keep things interesting. Sometimes, however, even using expressive voice tones rather than speaking in a monotonous tone of voice may help.
Being organized is also important when teaching elementary students. When students have to wait a long period of time for a teacher to find a lesson or accompanying materials, they may become restless and have a hard time sitting quietly. Having lessons and materials ready or at least within easy reach when children enter the classroom may help. Enlisting the students' help with organizing and distributing materials may prove helpful as well.
Teachers can also benefit from tips that recommend treating elementary students with respect. A teacher might need to use an authoritative tone of voice with his students but may do well to ensure that the tone is one of respectful authority. When teachers speak to students in a disrespectful way, they may create a persistently uncomfortable environment in the classroom. Additionally, speaking to children in such a manner may make it hard for them to learn.
A teacher may also benefit from elementary school teaching tips that suggest making learning fun. Children often pay more attention and retain more of what they learn when lessons include fun. For example, a teacher could include hands-on activities and games in his lesson plans in order to make learning more fun for his students. Even educational songs and classroom discussions can keep elementary school students interested.
