I have always said that teachers should be parents. I do know some very good teachers who do not have children. While they can teach, they simply cannot see things in the same light as through a parent’s eye. As a teacher, I have always tried to treat my students as though I want my own personal children treated.
There are so many concepts that are interchangeable in teaching and parenting. Kori proves this to me almost daily when I read through her parenting articles and see how much they relate to student and teacher relationships.
Her latest, “Let Kids Know What is Going to Happen”, once again proves the point. In her article she discusses how often we leave our children out of the loop of what is going on. She suggests that we let them in on our plans.
It is true that children appreciate knowing what is ahead of them. It takes away the uncertainty and anxiety that some children experience. The same goes for students at school. Children like to know where they are going and what they will be doing when they get there.
Every classroom should have a schedule for the day displayed somewhere so that the students can see what is happening and when it will be taking place. Of course things happen and plans may change. However simple details such as what time the children will eat lunch and when they go to activity are important. They also like to be informed of what is for lunch each day. Posting a menu in the room is also a good idea. I also have a schedule posted that tells what activity the class goes to on each day of the week.
Even young children enjoy looking at these postings. With my kindergarten students I post the words along with pictures to help them understand the schedule better.
Many supervisors will also suggest posting the learning objectives for the day so the children can prepare themselves for the skills that they will be focusing on in class.