Gigi Schweikert
10 2016
1
The Ultimate in Classroom Fun
What’s Your Fun Factor and Attitude towards Learning?
Your attitude towards continued learning is just as important as your current knowledge in keeping your classroom fun and exciting. What’s your learning quotient?
- I am eager to learn new things about education. I sign-up for workshops, read articles, and try new ideas in my classroom.
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- I am realistic about my current abilities. I don’t think I can do it all by myself. I am not ashamed to ask others for help.
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- I am truthful about my current knowledge base. I don’t pretend to know things I don’t know.
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- I am open-mind and realize that “good enough never is.” I don’t say things like, "This is the way we do it here or “I’ve always done it like that."
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- I ask questions when I don’t understand or need further knowledge. I am not embarrassed when I don’t know thing. When I don’t know something, I am not too lazy to find out.
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- I am open to change. I support change by not complaining or grumbling.
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- I seek new learning opportunities. I use the school resource area to learn new ideas or observe other teachers working.
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- I attend workshops and trainings. I go to at least the minimum number of workshops required by my school and usually more.
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- I share my experience and skills with others in the field. I give mini-workshops at my school or do a special project in a class other than my own.
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- I stay current in the field. I know about current research on how children learn best.
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- I save and organize the information I learn. I collect the information I learn and organize it so that I can use it as a reference for myself and others.
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- I ask others how well I am performing. I am not afraid to hear what others think of my performance, other staff, parents, administration, and even the students.
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What’s Your Learning Quotient and Fun Factor Potential?
If you scored 36-30, you are a Sponge. Soak up any more information and your brain might explode. Keep on learning, you’re doing great, but remember not to overwhelm children or other adults with your many new ideas and enthusiasm.
If you scored 29-23, you are a Paper Towel. You have a healthy attitude towards learning more about the field and staying current. Concentrate on any areas that you could improve and think about ways you can share your knowledge with others.
If you scored 22-12, you are a Cotton Ball. You’re soft and comfortable, but need to step your learning up a bit. Don’t be afraid to venture out of your comfort zone.
If you scored 11-0, you are a Q-Tip. You can’t suck up a lot of knowledge with a Q-Tip. Maybe you’re in a learning rut. Start taking some baby steps to learn more about what’s new in education. It will help you and the students.
Moving through a Learning Rut
There are lots of reasons why we may not be eager to learn more about education:
- We may have been in the field so long; we feel like to know how to do it!
- We may have been in the field so long that we lost a little of that passion and spark.
- We’re new to the field and we’re overwhelmed. We fill like we just need to practice the skills we have before learning more.
- We’ve tried some new ideas and that haven’t worked well. We’re afraid of failing.
- We have a life outside of work and I just don’t have time to take classes or go to workshops.
- We go to training sessions, but they are often boring or uninteresting.
16 Ways to Push through a Learning Rut
Any of those sound like you? We all go through learning ruts, but we have to push beyond them. Here are a few ideas to get you started:
- Change your attitude. Have an attitude that you can learn anything from anyone or any experience.
- Think like a child. Learning isn’t a chore to children. It’s as natural as breathing for them and a joy. Try to see the world from a child’s point of view.
- Realize that no one knows-it-all. You may have been in the field for years or just received a PhD, either way, those who know a lot usually realize that the more they learn, the more they have to learn.
- Take small step towards a big goal. Learning anything new can be overwhelming to adults. We don’t like change. Take small steps, one workshop or one class or one article at a time.
- Seek knowledge from any sources. Learning doesn’t just happen in a course or in a workshop, but by watching others or learning from our mistakes.
- Use the stuff you learn. It doesn’t help the quality of education that we provide the children if we never use the information that we learn. Give it a try!
- Teach what you know to someone else. When you teach someone you know to another that person benefits and you gain a greater understanding of the information.
- Relate the new information to old information. Learning new ideas doesn’t always mean throwing out the old. New information may enhance the work you are already doing.
- Discuss ideas with others. Have productive conversations and meetings in which people talk about their ideas and how to effectively use them is a great way energize your learning and passion for the field.
- Join professional organizations. There are local, state, and national organizations that provide conferences and give you the most current information on education research, legislation, and practices. It’s also fun to hang out with others who are doing the same job.
- Attend conferences. Whether the conference is for a day or a few days, conferences are a wonderful to get out of the learning rut. Expect to learn one or two new ideas you can apply to your job. Don’t be disappointed by presenters or topics that you didn’t enjoy. We all have different styles and expectations.
- Read. Read professional journals, but don’t forget the local newspaper or books about the hobbies you enjoy. You’ll learn new ideas that you can apply to your job just about everywhere.
- Keep a list of your staff development. Write down the books you read or make a copy of articles. Keep a journal of some of the key points you learn on the job or in a course. Make a list of the workshops you attend. You’ll be amazed and inspired by all the opportunities you take advantage of.
- Eliminate the excuses. There is never a perfect time to start a course or sign-up for a conference. If you have the will, you can figure out a way to go and in many cases get funding.
- Take chances. You might fail when you try something new and you might not, but you will never know if you don’t give it a chance.
- Push through the learning rut. Push through boredom, procrastination, and interruptions. If you set your mind on reading an article, read it through to the end.
What skills and talents do you have to share?
So let’s find out what your skills and talents are. What do you do well? List below three things that you are good at doing. Don’t think about your job, just think about what you like to do and do well. It doesn’t have to do with work. Here are some ideas to get you started. Are you a coupon clipper? Are you good at drawing? Are you good at gardening Are you wonderful with animals? Do you just love to be with people? Do you love to organize? Are you good at writing? Are you the computer expert? Are you great with money or the lack there of?
My Skills and Talents
- ______
- ______
- ______
Share Your Talents at Work
Here’s the next step, share your talents in the classroom. Sharing your talents will not only help the children and your program, but renew your own enthusiasm about teaching and raise the fun factor in your room.
My Talent or Skill ______
Ideas to share my talents at work:
- ______
- ______
- ______
Where and how can you share your talents?
- With aschool
- With all the schools
- In a classroom
- In an enrichment class
- For a classroom party
- For a schoolevent
- For a staff event
- For a parent event
- At a parent meeting
- At a staff meeting
- In the community, a nursing home, hospital, or food pantry
- With other schools in the area
- At a community college
- In a local public school
- By writing an article to distribute or publish
- In a school newsletter
- In your company newsletter
- On your website
- By giving a workshop for aschool, all the schools, the whole company
Get out of Your Comfort Zone
The list of how and where you can share your talents is endless. Remember that as an early childhood professional, you have a team that goes far beyond your program doors. It is your responsibility as a professional to share with others. Taking your talents and school successes and sharing those on a local, state, and national level, can feel overwhelming and a bit scary. But do it anyway!
How are you going to share your talents?
- Push yourself to move beyond your comfort zone.
- You are a completely unique person who has gifts like no one else.
Tips for Choices
- Offer children choices only when a choice is possible. If everyone is going outside then staying inside may not be a choice. “You have to go outside. Do you want to play on the swings or kick the ball?’
- Try to offer only two choices when possible. Instead of “Where do you want to sit?” ask “Would you like to sit here or here?” and point to the options.
- Realize that children make very few choices and that allowing them to choose prepares them for making greater life choices in the future, like whom to marry and what job to take. All that from preschool? Sure thing! The foundation of character begins in preschool.
- Be flexible with a child’s choice unless he is always changing his mind. If he chose green paper and decided blue. Give him the blue. How many times have we changed our minds when ordering from a menu or trying to pick out clothes?
Strategies to Encourage Appropriate Behavior
Cruise Director and Games
- Make routines and clean-up a game.
- Use your imagination and creativity for daily expectations.
- Develop fun rituals.
- Use silly language and phrases.
- Have fun.
Kick Start the Action
- Ask the child for his idea.
- Work along side the child.
- Offer encouragement and praise.
- Have a routine.
- Have a first this, then this approach.
Marching Orders for the Band
- Give only one or two directions at a time.
- Be specific.
- Ask the child, “Tell me what I want you to do?”
- Do not give any directions unless you are willing to follow through or help.
- Remind the child frequently of the expectations.
- Help the child succeed.
Gigi Schweikert
Join Gigi Schweikert, early childhood expert, mother of four, and author of the popular Winning Ways for Early Childhood Professionals book series, as she takes us down the sometimes frustrating, yet always rewarding road of early childhood education. Gigi’s practical ideas and realistic perspective on working with young children have you laughing and learning how to be a more effective educator. Teaching parents and teachers to help every child succeed is Gigi’s life passion. Contact Gigi at for staff workshops, parent seminars, conferences, and keynotes.