I work with young children all the time. Part of what goes into successfully teaching kids is being able to relate to them. This doesn't mean you have to become best friends or anything. But you should feel comfortable talking to them. A student comfortable with their private music teacher will be more receptive to learning.
I think one of my best teaching secrets when it comes to relating to young children is allowing myself to revert to my inner child. Everyone has one deep down. This doesn't mean behaving like a child. Far from it. But it does mean allowing myself to remember what was fun for me when I was young.
I'm always walking through toy stores. The main reason is to keep an eye out for any fun teaching supplies I could use in the lesson. But it's also a great time to tap into that inner child. When I'm walking through I let myself revert to "little kid" mentality. What was it that made a toy fun? What were the things that I used to look for when shopping for a new Lego set?
In allowing yourself to remember what it was like to be a child it will, in turn, allow you to relate to the children you teach. Don't superimpose an adult mindset on what should be fun. For example, these are multiplication flash cards, this should be fun! It's not, really. It's boring repetition work. You know it and a six year old kid definitely knows it. However, make a game out of how many repetitions you do and suddenly it's no longer boring.
I think one of my best teaching secrets when it comes to relating to young children is allowing myself to revert to my inner child. Everyone has one deep down. This doesn't mean behaving like a child. Far from it. But it does mean allowing myself to remember what was fun for me when I was young.
I'm always walking through toy stores. The main reason is to keep an eye out for any fun teaching supplies I could use in the lesson. But it's also a great time to tap into that inner child. When I'm walking through I let myself revert to "little kid" mentality. What was it that made a toy fun? What were the things that I used to look for when shopping for a new Lego set?
In allowing yourself to remember what it was like to be a child it will, in turn, allow you to relate to the children you teach. Don't superimpose an adult mindset on what should be fun. For example, these are multiplication flash cards, this should be fun! It's not, really. It's boring repetition work. You know it and a six year old kid definitely knows it. However, make a game out of how many repetitions you do and suddenly it's no longer boring.
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