Coaching(Supporting) my Host teacher

Coaching/ supporting my host teacher means observing the classroom, the children's behaviors in it, and the methods my teacher uses with them to handle any issues that arise such as behavior problems, transitions and problem solving between students.

Towards the end of the day we play a game about letters. One student has difficulty understanding that he cannot win the game every day and he expresses his anger in a violent way. This is a situation that my host teacher has tried to manage many different ways. All of which include her explaining to the child that he cannot win every day and that he will have another chance the next day. Unfortunately, this alone has not been enough to keep the student calm. As a coach, I would recommend using a reminder at the beginning of the game each day by talking about the class as a team and when the game is over, they all win. At the beginning of these conversations I would even say to try and dig deeper and talk about what a team means and how to cheer each other on and be proud of your team. This may help the child understand that even though he doesn't specifically get to chose the letter that wins the game, his team/ class still wins. During the game I would encourage my host teacher to make references to the team like cheering on each teammate at the board and celebrating when they win. If the child still has anger at the end of the game I would recommend my host teacher getting down eye level with the student and trying to calm him down. Once he is calm, she should explain why his reaction is not acceptable and how he can deal with his emotions next time.

Transitions normally go well for the students in the class except one child. Sometimes he will willingly line up but other times he refuses, especially after choice time. Instead of cleaning up the area he played in, he wants to continue playing. My host teacher has always rang a bell at the end of choice time to signify it is time to clean up and she announces it's time to clean up. This is a great method to use but because one student is having difficulty, I would recommend taking further steps to help him understand that choice time is over. Giving the children a warning before ringing the bell may help with this transition. 5 minutes, 3 minutes, and 1 minute before she rings the bell she could give a short reminder that it is almost time to clean up. This will allow the students to finish what they are doing and they will be more willing to put their toys up when it is time.

At the beginning of the day, the children come in and are expected to take their coats and backpacks off and put them in their cubby. Some students doddle around and take a long time before they decide to take their stuff off. This has just always been part of their routine and my host teacher usually just waits for them to get into the room. However, I believe starting the day off inside the classroom with a more engaging and fun activity would really encourage the kids to get their stuff put into their cubbys and come into the room without waiting a long amount of time.

Just as a reminder, I have only been in my preschool setting for 3 weeks and I am not certified as a preschool teacher or a coach. These are merely just recommendations that I have read about or seen work in other scenarios.