Teacher Discussion Forums

Hello, all!

I'm an experienced teacher of ESL to adults who, just this year, agreed to teach in Kindergartens here in Germany. I thought that generally liking kids was qualification enough. . . and the week of training I got from the school where I worked clearly wasn't enough.

Here's my problem: I made an okay connection with the kids, but I'm having a hard time getting them to learn much, or engaging them in the learning. They're at a level where they can identify colors, and count, and name some things. . . but they aren't forming sentences, at least, not without me modelling the sentence first, and they're starting to get bored with the lessons.

Until now, I've been starting with a 'warm-up' of "What is your name?" and "What color is your shirt?" And have started to vary this to cover more vocabulary as we've learned it (what color is your hair? What color are Toby's eyes?) To this, I add in a bit of flashcard review, and then we start in a new activity.

These activities are--I thought--pretty cool, from coloring (students have to ask for crayons by color, I ask them what color they made Santa Claus) to a cool fly-swatter game where we put flaschards on the table and, in teams, they had to be the first to hit the card with a flyswatter. We've used a parachute to practice colors and movement like 'crawl under' as well as 'up' and 'down.'

What I'd like--and here's where I desperately need help--is to change things up in the New Year. A better warm-up? I'd like to get them so that they feel motivated to ask questions like "What color?" and "Where?"

But, being a large child myself hasn't been an insight into how they think and how to motivate them. (Gummi Bear bribes, sending the kids out.)

The lessons are once a week for thirty minutes and the students range in age from three to seven.

I'm sorry that this post is disjointed, but, well, it's the best I can describe the situation.

I'd be thankful for tips, a reference to a website, or even a still-in-print book recommendation. (I read a pointer to "Pushing Back the Desks" but Amazon.de says that I'd have to pay €70 for a used copy and that seems a bit steep.)

Thanks,
-Toby

You might have to reduce your expectations a bit because you have come from adults. Kids don't always display their knowledge as easily either so they may know more but won't show it for awhile. It is good to have high expectations but not to exceed their capabilities. How about reading a book on developmental expectations for that age? Of course, they will vary from the highest to the lowest in the classroom but at least you can know what to expect.

It sounds like you are doing well. Just continue with new ideas added each lesson. Establish a routine so that you are doing the same things with new ideas added at the middle of the lesson and then drop one over time and add another one. They like stability but get easily bored so you have to balance. Glad to hear you are using the parachute. There are a ton of games.

I have written in Preschool forum what program we followed. Lots of realia as they say - real things with hands on and games to repeat and repeat. There are a ton of ideas here on Dave's and on enchantedlearning.com.

You didn't mention songs and music. They love songs and music at this stage. You didn't mention using their names in songs. They like that even more.

Puppets too.

I used a picture dictionary and other things from the Let's Go series and they loved that.

Lots of positive feedback for everything they do to build their confidence and just completely ignore behaviour you don't like and have fun! Put up a mirror where it will catch your reflection often and make sure you are smiling. We don't do that as often with adults or they would think we were too flighty but kids need it.

Sally,

Thanks for the suggestions. Can you recommend a book title? (I have the what-to-expect books, but they're for my own kids.)

I'm going to be doing some hunting around here on the forums in the 'break.' And I'll have a good long look at enchantedlearning.com

Thanks again!
-Toby

What is good for your kids is good for your students as long as you take the abilities from say, 4 to 8 for a 5 year old in Kindergarten. There will always be a huge range in any class and your own children are not always a good example because you know them better.

Hope you have fun. There is a ton of stuff particularly if the children have access to computers/

Just something I've seen in special education in an Australian school. (Although the aim was building social skills and asking questions) Flip cards with different faces like the game 'Guess Who' this required students to ask each other simple questions... "Has yours got Red hair? etc...

Hope this helps...