7. Listen to What Your Students Have to Say

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Kids come up with many excellent ideas. Being a good listener will show students that you care about what they have to say and this is also a sign of respect. When you respect your students, they tend to show you more respect as well.

6. Teach Topics Using a Variety of Methods

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Everyone has certain ways of learning that work better than others. Some are visual learners and have to be shown everything. Others learn via the auditory method, which means they remember what they hear, as opposed to what they read. I’ve found that the majority of the kids I’ve worked with are kinetic learners and pick up information when they have lots of hands-on activities. I’m also a kinetic learner, so this is easy for me to teach.

5. Collaborate with Other Teachers when Possible

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Teachers in larger elementary schools have the option to work with co-workers on class projects, since there are usually multiple classrooms containing the same grade. I was a high school teacher and greatly benefited from ideas my co-workers had on classroom management, teaching techniques, and other aspects of teaching that didn’t involve particular subject matter.

4. Have Strong Classroom Management

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I found that classroom management is the key to successful teaching. When the classroom is in disarray, no one is able to learn the material at hand very efficiently. Too much noise is distracting for most students. Maintaining order while teaching provides all students with the opportunity to learn in a calm environment.

3. Be as Organized as Possible

Preparing lessons during the weekend for the following week will help you to be ready for any last minute changes. It might not be the way you’d like to spend one day of your weekend, but it will greatly reduce the chance of being unprepared during the week. Organization also helps you be more relaxed and the kids will sense this as well.

2. Create a Folder Especially for Subs

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Substitute teachers often have a hard enough time convincing your class that they are there to be in charge and hand out lessons designated by their absent teacher. Giving subs a bit of assistance with the way things are normally run is extremely helpful. The folder can contain a list of students for each class with the names of a couple of trustworthy students highlighted, in case the sub needs some help. The class rules and discipline procedures should also be in here. Most schools have teachers create sub folders anyway, but if your school doesn’t then this might be something to get started.

1. Make Rules Clear in the Very Beginning

Posting classroom rules and letting students know what these are on the very first day helps kids know their boundaries from the start. Try to stick to the rules you set. Deviating from them in the slightest often lets kids think they can easily stretch the rules and make them fit them. Be firm about what you expect of them and how you wish them to conduct themselves in class.

Even if you can’t use any of these 7 tips every teacher should have, maybe they made you think of other ways you can better your classroom. First year teachers have a hard time getting into a rhythm. If you know of a first year teacher that needs some assistance, they might appreciate any tips you can give them. Do you have some great tips to share on teaching or classroom management?

Top Photo Credit: oldnataliedee