Tips for Primary Teachers

Generally, children between the ages of 4-11 are considered to be Primary Students but this varies somewhat from country to country. Primary school is the beginning of formal & compulsory education. Typically, children learn to read & write, & gain basic mathematical skills. Towards the end of Primary schooling a child is expected to be able to communicate effectively in at least one language, know basic arithmetic & algebra & have a good foundation for the science subjects. Primary curriculum lays more emphasis on breadth than depth of a subject matter.

Primary Teachers are usually trained to teach all subjects but some Primary Teachers Training courses allow them to specialize in a subject of their choice as well. Sound knowledge of the subjects is an essential quality in Primary Teachers as they help children to learn new subjects. If a student does not have a solid foundation in any subject then he will have to work very hard to catch up with the topics in higher school. A Primary Teacher’s job is to make sure that this does not happen. All students will not be high achievers & that is accepted, but they all should have a thorough knowledge of the basics.

Teaching Primary students can be a rewarding experience if you know how to approach & guide the class. So, make sure that you have created an appropriate lesson plan & you have all the required materials at hand before starting a class. Some important tips for Primary Teacher Training are given below:

Always be well-prepared for class. Your students will know if you don’t know the topic thoroughly & you will lose their confidence. Make your classes interesting by using different activities & teaching aids. If you can arouse your students’ curiosity about the topic, that’s half the battle won. If an activity is not going well for some reason or if you see your students starting to lose interest then shift to another activity. children will learn quickly only if they pay attention. Be organized. Make several files & folders for keeping your desk organized. It will not only save time but also make you feel more confident, as you will not have to search for an item every single time. Discuss the rules & procedures to be followed in class with your students. Let them decide on any additional rules & negotiate with you. This will make them feel that they are an active participant in creating rules & discourage them from breaking these rules. Assign responsibilities to your students. Make one child responsible for class pet(s), another for watering the plants, a third for tidying up after class & so on. Make it fun by assigning job titles for each activity. Rotate the ‘jobs’ regularly. Be patient. If a child does not understand something, he is probably feeling worse than you. Always praise lavishly & admonish gently. Lastly, always acknowledge your mistakes & learn from them.