{"id":899,"date":"2016-08-12T14:39:51","date_gmt":"2016-08-12T21:39:51","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/magoosh.com\/praxis\/?p=899"},"modified":"2018-12-21T22:34:05","modified_gmt":"2018-12-22T06:34:05","slug":"top-10-tips-student-teaching-kindergarten","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/magoosh.com\/praxis\/top-10-tips-student-teaching-kindergarten\/","title":{"rendered":"Top 10 Tips for Student Teaching in Kindergarten"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-900 \" src=\"https:\/\/s3.amazonaws.com\/magoosh-company-site\/wp-content\/uploads\/praxis\/files\/2016\/07\/19065658\/US_Navy_090303-N-3666S-003_Boatswains_Mate_2nd_Class_Rasheema_Newsome_assigned_to_Commander_Navy_Region_Hawaii_reads_Dr._Seuss_The_Cat_in_the_Hat_to_kindergarten_students_at_Lehua_Elementary_School-1024x670.jpg\" alt=\"Reading to students while student teaching in kindergarten\" width=\"476\" height=\"311\" \/><\/p>\n<p>There\u2019s a lot of pros and cons for student teaching in kindergarten. On the one hand, you have the cutest <a href=\"http:\/\/www.imdb.com\/title\/tt0137313\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">kids who say the darndest things<\/a>. On the other hand, it\u2019s a lot of work to keep 20-plus 5-year-old kids in line every day and make sure that they\u2019re all where they should be academically. Before taking on this challenge, here are 10 tips for your consideration.<\/p>\n<h2>Research the School<\/h2>\n<p>It\u2019s important to learn as much as you can about the school at which you\u2019ll be teaching. Most schools have a website. Check it out online and read the handbook, school rules, disciplinary codes, and more.<\/p>\n<h2>Study the Curriculum<\/h2>\n<p>If you can get your hands on the curriculum before you start student teaching, take some time to familiarize yourself with it. Your teacher probably has a textbook that he or she uses. Ask if you can borrow it, even if it\u2019s just for a night or 2 after you start student teaching. Get acquainted with the materials and know the books and other materials that will be used.<\/p>\n<h2>Develop Procedures<\/h2>\n<p>At the beginning of the year, most kindergarten teachers spend the majority of time focusing on <a href=\"http:\/\/www.mrsjonessclass.com\/2014\/06\/routines-routines-routines.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">developing procedures<\/a>. The kindies need to learn what to do when they arrive, how to line up for recess, how to act at circle time, what to do during transitions, and on and on. Determine what procedures you\u2019ll use and which ones your cooperating teacher already uses.<\/p>\n<p>It\u2019s also helpful to explain the reason behind the procedures. Tell the students why they should do something in a particular way.<\/p>\n<h2>Create a Behavior Management System<\/h2>\n<p>Your cooperating teacher probably has some sort of <a href=\"https:\/\/schools.magoosh.com\/schools-blog\/tips-for-new-teachers-classroom-management\">behavior management system<\/a> in place. If not, you should consider coming up with some way to promote positive behaviors and address any negative behaviors.<\/p>\n<h2>Learn Names<\/h2>\n<p>Learn your students\u2019 names as quickly as possible. Use nametags on the first day to help you. As you get to know your students, it\u2019s helpful to take notes about the things that they say to you, so you can remember things about them and ask about them later.<\/p>\n<h2>Connect with Parents<\/h2>\n<p>You might only be there for a few weeks, but it\u2019s important to connect with your students\u2019 parents. Talk to your cooperating teacher about sending home a <a href=\"https:\/\/schools.magoosh.com\/schools-blog\/writing-a-letter-to-parents-as-a-student-teacher\">letter to the parents<\/a>. Introduce yourself and tell parents about the curriculum that you\u2019ll be covering.<\/p>\n<p>Feel free to call parents to tell them about their student\u2019s progress, and attend parent visits whenever possible, too.<\/p>\n<h2>Plan Developmentally-Appropriate Lessons<\/h2>\n<p>As you start planning lessons, remember that kindies have a short attention span. Activities should only last about 15-20 minutes at the most.<\/p>\n<p>Also, look for ways to get everyone to participate. For example, give the students 2 answers and have them hold up 1 or 2 fingers to see what they think. Then, you can quickly assess which students understood the material.<\/p>\n<h2>Carry a Clipboard<\/h2>\n<p>You don\u2019t have to carry the clipboard around all day, but you should keep one near you throughout the day. Use it to jot down notes about the students or conduct informal assessments of the material.<\/p>\n<h2>Teach Beyond the Curriculum<\/h2>\n<p>Remember that your kindies don\u2019t just need to learn the curriculum. They also need to learn <a href=\"http:\/\/www.ldonline.org\/article\/Teaching_Social_Skills_to_Kids_Who_Don't_Yet_Have_Them?theme=print\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">social cues<\/a>, <a href=\"http:\/\/theimaginationtree.com\/2013\/09\/40-fine-motor-skills-activities-for-kids.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">fine motor skills<\/a>, and more. You need to help your students learn how to treat their peers and others with respect. Look for teachable moments throughout the day to help students develop the skills and traits needed to succeed throughout school and life.<\/p>\n<h2>Focus on Safety<\/h2>\n<p>With everything else that you have to focus on throughout the day, it\u2019s easy to forget about safety. However, <a href=\"http:\/\/www.cedfa.org\/teach-fine-arts\/instruction\/safety-in-the-classroom\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">safety is key<\/a>. Watch out for improper use of scissors and other supplies, and remind students not to run in the classroom.<\/p>\n<p>Prevention is the best way to handle safety concerns. Learn to anticipate possible issues, and find ways to fix them before they become an issue.<\/p>\n<p>Student teaching in kindergarten can be\u00a0a rewarding experience. I spent several years working with kindergartners, and I have so many fond memories of those students. It also poses lots of challenges, but using these tips and working with your cooperating teacher will help you overcome these and have a successful experience as a student teacher.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Thinking about student teaching in kindergarten? Check out these 10 tips that will help you have a smooth and successful experience.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":178,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[2440],"tags":[],"ppma_author":[4919],"class_list":["post-899","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-becoming-a-teacher"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v21.7 (Yoast SEO v21.7) - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>Top 10 Tips for Student Teaching in Kindergarten<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Thinking about student teaching in kindergarten? 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Check out these 10 tips that will help you have a smooth and successful experience.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/magoosh.com\/praxis\/top-10-tips-student-teaching-kindergarten\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Magoosh Blog \u2013 Praxis\u00ae\ufe0f Test\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2016-08-12T21:39:51+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2018-12-22T06:34:05+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/s3.amazonaws.com\/magoosh-company-site\/wp-content\/uploads\/praxis\/files\/2016\/07\/19065658\/US_Navy_090303-N-3666S-003_Boatswains_Mate_2nd_Class_Rasheema_Newsome_assigned_to_Commander_Navy_Region_Hawaii_reads_Dr._Seuss_The_Cat_in_the_Hat_to_kindergarten_students_at_Lehua_Elementary_School-1024x670.jpg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Jamie Goodwin\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Jamie Goodwin\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"4 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/magoosh.com\/praxis\/top-10-tips-student-teaching-kindergarten\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/magoosh.com\/praxis\/top-10-tips-student-teaching-kindergarten\/\",\"name\":\"Top 10 Tips for Student Teaching in Kindergarten\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/magoosh.com\/praxis\/#website\"},\"datePublished\":\"2016-08-12T21:39:51+00:00\",\"author\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/magoosh.com\/praxis\/#\/schema\/person\/b11e93b5c370f865a01b321ebffaa88a\"},\"description\":\"Thinking about student teaching in kindergarten? 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