Creative ways to improve your early years teaching

early years teaching
  • Save

A chain is only as strong as its weakest link. Even the tallest of castles will crumble if it is not built upon strong foundations. These observations are just as true when discussing early years teaching (generally referred to as the Early Years Foundational Stage). Are there any ways in which you can improve your current early years teaching methods? How can these techniques positively impact the well-being of a child? Might modern software applications be able to help? Each of these questions around the topic of early years teaching deserves a closer look.

Develop a Proactive Mindset

One of the most powerful strategies to embrace involves the notion of flexibility. We need to remember that every child will learn at a different pace. This is why generic “cookie-cutter” teaching methods have been outdated for decades. It is much better to develop a malleable and scalable curriculum in order to better suit the demands of individuals.

Obtain Feedback

Many articles devoted to childhood development focus around assessing the behaviours of a child. However, it is just as important to remember that self-assessments are just as crucial when referring to teachers and caregivers. These are excellent ways to appreciate your strengths as well as any weaknesses that may be present. It may also be useful to obtain feedback from parents and co-workers in order to develop a more well-rounded perspective.

Foster a Positive Learning Atmosphere

Children always react positively to praise and compliments. Thus, it is important to recognise specific accomplishments (such as solving a puzzle or playing well with others). In the same respect, simply yelling the word “no” when a child misbehaves is not nearly as effective as providing them with different options (such as suggesting a new activity or a different approach).

Develop Strong Parent-Teacher Connections

It can be very difficult to determine if the techniques found within educational settings are having a real impact upon the home life of a child. The best way to take any guesswork out of the equation is to develop solid relationships with the parents and caregivers of your children. They will be able to provide insightful feedback and there may even be times when they can alert you to a potential issue that you were not aware existed within traditional classroom settings.

Cutting-edge online EYFS tracking software such as Tiny Tracker can represent a powerful tool within your arsenal. Not only will you be able to record and analyse numerous behavioural traits, but this information can then be passed on to other relevant individuals with the simple click of a button. This is an excellent way to keep parents “in the loop” at all times.

No one has ever claimed that teaching very young children is easy. Still, there are numerous ways in which you can foster a positive and encouraging atmosphere. Children will react positively to such an approach and you can gain an immeasurable level of insight so that any minor changes are able to be made at the appropriate times.

Book photo created by freepik – www.freepik.com

Leave a Reply

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.