Top 10 Teachers tips
Teach From ANYWHERE in the World
We’ve successfully traveled all over the world while teaching with VIPKID. Take advantage of VIPKID; make your own schedule, work remotely, and get out to travel more. We’ve been able to see so many unbelievable places because of this job. There are so many tricks and tips to teaching with VIPKID while traveling and you can find a few of them right here: How to Teach with VIPKID While Traveling the World (World Travel) How to Teach with VIPKID From Your Car or Truck (USA Travel)
Use games and music
I almost titled this one ‘take breaks’ but depending on your schedule, a ‘break’ may be less useful than simply transitioning or team-building, etc. That said, keep resources like Kahoot, coolmath.com, or even videos of others playing games to engage students in distance learning during portions of the lesson or activity where it may be waning. (Think halfway points.) The internet is full of games and music. Use them intentionally. Here are some video games to teach with and classic hip-hop music you can teach with to get started.
Sing letter sounds.
Switch out the first letter of silly songs, like this example from The Wheels on the Bus, to reinforce letter sounds and help students hear how words change when you change the first letter.
No Props Needed
There, I said it. Props aren’t as important as VIPKID makes you believe. The most important prop at your disposal is yourself and your ability to connect with these kids. Something that I have found to be very useful instead of physical props is the last slide on the PowerPoint. VIPKID leaves that slide blank 99% of the time. So instead of using toys and stuffed animals, I use the last slide to play games with my students. Sometimes I even use it to write out a few concepts that need more of an explanation. In order to skip forward to the last slide, I type in the last page number in the bottom left corner box. This quickly brings me to the last slide. I also take note of which slide I was previously on so I can jump back to where I left off. Use this last slide to play games with your students for rewards and to explain new concepts and vocabulary words. For example, if my student doesn’t understand the word “sun”, I go to the last slide and draw a sun. Easy!
Bring stickers!
“I used to bring stickers. No allergy issues. I also brought a book to share and some brain break ideas to fill extra time.” —Lauren S.
Stay on task, and leave a record.
“Follow the lesson plans as much as humanly possible, leave detailed notes for the teacher about what got done or didn’t get done, which students were awesome and not so awesome, and leave your number if you really enjoyed the class.” —Dawn M.
Plan fun annual events for your students and their families.
Whether it’s a Mother’s Day tea, a fall feast, or a spring BBQ, Pre-K students love traditions. And they love to include their families.
Know the features and functions of that platform inside and out
And when you do find a tool that actually makes your life easier while (more crucially) improving student learning, learn how to use it effectively. You don’t necessarily have to use every nook and cranny of Skype or FlipGrid to get the most out of it. The point is to know the platform and then selectively use the bits and pieces that work for you and your student.
Make feedback fun!
Check out these free, adorable “While You Were Out” templates from Teachers Pay Teachers.
Organize your room strategically
A preschool classroom can be quite chaotic, so the way you organize is important in that it can help ensure that effective learning is happening wherever children are stationed. There are certain tips and tricks that you can only learn from experience, according to Barbara Harvey, ECE professional and parenting educator. She’s learned to separate noisy areas of the classroom from the quiet ones. For example, the blocks and other activities should be on the opposite side of the room from the reading center. “There should be clearly demarcated areas in the room—like reading, timeout, play, food—and rules surrounding those areas,” says Adam Cole, co-director at Grant Park Academy. If the ‘boundaries’ of each space are clear, it facilitates the relationships in the room, Cole says. “Difficult situations occur less often and can be resolved more quickly.”