Care, consistency ensures success with little children
As a primary-level teacher, I had some students who had learned that begging or pestering would get them their wish.
From day one, I provided “conditioning”: kindness with consistency was the motto. In my second grade, once I said “No, no more recess,” or “No, we can’t have 10 more minutes of enrichment center,” there was no vacillating. Being consistent paid off as the students realized their reasonable and caring teacher meant what she said and a refusal was for good reason.
As the school day neared its close, a brief reminder was given: “When your family asks what you did at school today, don’t answer ‘nothin’. Remember we read about how beavers build dams, you did 10 math problems, and we learned ‘This Land Is Your Land.’ ”
Primary-age children are precious little sponges. They respond to a teacher’s love, care and interest. Enjoy!
Ethel K. Harder, Reedley
This story was originally published August 27, 2015 at 5:59 AM with the headline "Care, consistency ensures success with little children."