1. Develop routines for the classroom and honor them every day. Children feel comfortable with routines. Some of the things you want the routines to address:
a)Keeping the environment in order
b)Transitions
c) Basic needs -- eating, toileting, exercise
d)Building community/fostering relationships
e) Distributing important information
2. Create an orderly environment where children can find things.
3. Create a beautiful environment.
4. Create a classroom atmosphere and basic rules:
e.g. "In this classroom, we respect each other." "In this classroom, we don't yell at each other." "In this classroom, we love animals and we learn how to respect them and care for them." "In this classroom we enjoy listening to music while we clean up."
5. Supply the basic and initial materials, then pay attention to the children's interests and expand what you have based upon what they care about.
6. Figure out how to pay attention to and record what children are learning. (Check out learning stories; look at check list approaches; make a list yourself of what you care about and want them to be learning. Don't limit yourself to cognitive learning -- develop social/emotional goals, creative goals, spiritual goals, environmental goals for learning in your classrooms.)
7. Be yourself -- what you are passionate about should become a part of your classroom.
8. Learn how to really listen to kids.
Source: Karen Fite
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