There are a lot of important components to being a successful and effective teacher in an

early childhood classroom. However, quite often we focus too much on the benchmarks our
students are required to meet rather than making sure they learn and retain the information. A
few easy ways to make sure that our students are learning the information and not simply
memorizing it for a test is to allow some free time other than recess for children to explore their
own interests and allow for movement throughout the day. Also, making sure all children have
their individual needs met, both personal and educational, is very important. Lastly, creating
activities that interest the students and that will help them learn, is very important.

In my classroom I will provide time for free exploration, especially in this age of video
games, to help children find new interests that they would not have known about otherwise.
Another wonderful benefit can be giving the children’s brain a rest. Towards the end of the day
children can get tired and less motivated to learn new things. Giving their brains a rest can be the
perfect break in the day to help children restart and want to keep learning. This also moves us
into the next topic of having movement throughout the day. When children sit at desks and chairs
all day long they get restless. The simple transition from one activity to the other is not always
enough for children to get their energy out. It can be beneficial for the children to get up every
few hours which allows them to stretch or move around the classroom/hallway and get out some
of their energy.

Another important aspect of a child’s life at school is to make sure that all of their needs
are being met. This can mean their personal needs as well as their school needs. Are they clean?
Do they have different clothes every day? What does their lunch or snack look like? Are you, the
teacher, accommodating their educational needs? If a child is hungry, tired, or dirty, it will affect
how well they learn. A free exploration time can also be used as a time for some children to
recharge, this can include taking a nap if they need it! Keeping snacks in my classroom will be
something I will do for my students. 

A problem I have found in my own school experiences throughout life is that many
schools now rely on worksheets. Worksheets do not engage students as well as we think they do.
Therefore, creating activities to engage students throughout the classroom can be a great way to
help them learn the necessary material. Children are also very interested in what is happening
outside of their classrooms. So, engaging them in activities in the school and surrounding
community can open up new learning opportunities.

All children should be excited for school and tailoring lessons and activities to their
interests is a great way to help them be excited and involved. Allowing them the opportunity to
explore new materials on their own can open up new interests for them and allow some
movement throughout the day can help keep them focused. Ensuring your students are fed and
rested is important to their ability to learn. All of these factor into how I wish to teach in my own
classroom.