Teacher Discussion Forums

hi there, i need some advice. i don't really like children, and don't know very well how to deal with them. i am 7 days into a 4-week class of kids (six 10 year-olds). (fyi, i agreed to the class because it will lead to other classes teaching adults.) in my class, there is only one student who really wants to learn. 4 of the others come to class with cameras, video games, toys, candy, etc that i have to constantly take away. they are always out of their seats and always talking to eachother (in spanish, which i can understand). asking them to sit down or stop talking results in 5 seconds of them seated or quiet. i do play games and create varied activities for them, which they like. the trouble is when we actually have to do a bit of work. they do everything but work. they drop their pencils, get up to look for other pencils, sharpen the pencils, throw away a tissue, etc... they don't listen when i give a presentation (which is only 5 minutes, and i also explain it to them in spanish so they are sure to understand). they don't participate in the practice (or if they do, it's half-assed), and then when we do the exercise they compain that they don't understand, so i have to go around to each one and give the presentation again, which they then understand (which leads me to believe it's not my presentation that was confusing but the fact that they didn't pay attention.) are these kids just unusually naught or is this really what teaching kids is like? if so, how can i get through the next couple weeks without major stress and help them learn something as well? shouldn't they be expected to do a bit of work? is it just my fault for taking a class knowing i don't like kids? anyway, advice please!

Teaching kids is definitely a challenge, but once you get used to it, it can be a lot of fun. This is a big age range, but I think there is a lot you can do. I am not sure what the topics you have to teach are, but there are a lot of resources out there that can help. As far as controlling the class, maybe you need to do things to really get there attention. Since I am not sure of the situation entirely, let me just tell you a bit how I teach this age and maybe it will help.

If they are new students, I try to keep things really simple at first, and teach them things they are interested in. Most kids, at least where I am, have had some exposure to the alphabet and numbers in English, so this is a great warm up to make them comfortable. I use flash cards, songs, and games to keep their attention, but always make sure they are learning something from the activity.

There are a few sites out there I would recommend for this age group. MES English has a ton of materials, flash cards, games, etc. that you can download and use for free. www.mes-english.com I have a site too that has a bunch of free download songs, and chants plus lesson ideas you can use www.dreamenglish.com

Just keep trying out different things, and you are bound to figure out your way with the kids. Try to remember the kids want to have fun! I hope this helps a bit, good luck!

I've worked with Mexican kids in the US who had little to no formal education. One had kindergarten there, and one who had one year and only knew how to write his name and a few basic addition problems. You may have kids who can't read and write in Spanish, so formal instruction might be too advanced for them. The parents are for the kids getting as much education as possible, so talk to them if possible about their behavior.