Teaching Five Year Olds

Just in case you ever find yourself responsible for teaching 10 little 5 year olds (like myself) and feel a bit tentative (like myself) and you don't happen to have a fabulous team teacher who worked with autistic kids and is a genius, let me give you some tips:

• Schedule out the class time for them, so they know what they will be doing and can focus a little easier! (We wrote it on the blackboard, and after we finished one thing they could come up and erase that item.)
• Make the to-do list fairly sizable, feels like it goes faster when you're doing several little things. (Faster for you and your crazy-fun five year olds.)
  
• Make a class rules chart with a few simple rules. (i.e. sit nicely, raise your hand, listen.)
• Offer stars for obeying the rules.
• Motivate them with a chance to pick something out of a treasure box at the end of class if they get enough stars.
• Find excuses to give everyone stars.
• And have stretch time right in the middle.
  

These little wonders really made a HUGE difference in our class!! Shannon is amazing, thank heavens we're together. I'm really excited about this calling!