Episode Summary
So many of you are gearing up to go back to school. So in today’s podcast episode, I want to talk to you about the five things that you should avoid doing during the first month of kindergarten. These are great lessons for teachers who have never taught kindergarten before. Maybe you’ve taught another grade before, or you’re new to teaching in general, but they’re also great reminders for us veteran teachers. Teachers, I need to remind myself of this every year because when we stop teaching in May or June, the kids are where we want them to be. They’re at the end of the year, kindergarten behavior and academic wise, and they’re where they should be. So they’re almost first graders. And it’s hard for us to get back into the mindset of them being basically preschoolers. So we’re going to get into all these tips for everyone.
In this episode, I share:
- Setting the tone
- Avoid rushing routines
- Adjusting expectations
- Building relationships
- Parent communication
- Prioritizing self-care
Related Blog Posts:
- 10 Steps for a Smooth and Successful First Day of Kindergarten
- Survival Guide for New Kindergarten Teachers
- 5 Classroom Routines to Plan Out Before School Starts
- How to Teach Classroom Procedures and Routines
- Establishing Math Routines and Expectations
- Kindergarten Classroom Management: Setting the Foundation for Success
Resources Mentioned:
First Month of Kindergarten Success Kit
Workshop: Getting Through the First Month of Kindergarten
Connect with Zeba:
- Instagram – @kindergartencafe
- Facebook – @kindergartencafe
- Website – www.kindergartencafe.org
- Tik Tok – @kindergartencafe
Read the Transcript
[0:00] Hey, teacher friends, and welcome. So many of you are gearing up to go back to school. And so in today’s podcast episode, I want to talk to you about the five things that you should avoid doing during the first month of kindergarten. And these are great lessons for teachers who have never taught kindergarten before. Maybe you’ve taught another grade before, or you’re new to teaching in general, but they’re also great reminders for us veteran teachers. Teachers, I need to remind myself this every year because when we stop teaching in, you know, May, June, the kids are where we want them to be. They’re at the end of the year, kindergarten behavior and academic wise, and they’re where they should be. And so they’re almost first graders. And it’s hard for us to get back into the mindset of them being basically preschoolers. So we’re going to get into all these tips for everyone. They’re going to be helpful. Here we go.
[0:56] Music. You’re listening to the kindergarten cafe podcast where kindergarten teachers come to learn classroom tested tips and tricks and teaching ideas they can use in their classroom right away i’m Zeba creator and founder of kindergarten cafe and i help kindergarten teachers with everything they need from arrival to dismissal in order to save time work smarter not harder and support students with engaging and purposeful lessons. I’m here to cheer you on through your successes and breakthroughs and offer support and resources so you never have to feel stuck or alone. Ready to start saving time and reducing your stress all while using effective and purposeful lessons that students love? Let’s get started.
[1:50] Tip number one, number one thing to avoid in the first month of kindergarten, rushing through your routines and expectations. Like I said in the intro, as veteran teachers, we are used to kids working with kids that know the routines, know the expectations that are ready for first grade, or if we’re used to older grades, then we’re used to kids that have spent their foundational years learning the routines and the expectations. And so in our head, it should be quick and easy to just go over the routines and expectations and that we can move on. But that is not the case for beginning of the year kindergarten. We really need to remember to break down every routine into very small and tiny steps. And we really need to teach every single little tiny routine. The good thing is if we forget to do this, the kids will tell us with chaos. The kids will show us that they don’t know what we’re talking about if we don’t break it down enough for them by doing the wrong thing because they just don’t know. It won’t be their fault. They just don’t know. It’s the classic story I feel like I’ve told a lot of times, but my first year coming to kindergarten after first grade, everything was going well. I thought I really spaced it out and planned it out really well. And, you know, schedule all the things was going slowly.
[3:13] And then it got to the end of the day and dismissal was starting. And I was like, oops, I never taught you how to pack up. And so I just said, OK, stack your chairs, because I was so used to saying that and having kids know what I meant. And then it was it was chaos. I mean, chairs were going everywhere. And I just stopped them and said, never mind. We will talk about this tomorrow. We’ll try again tomorrow. But that’s what I mean by every single little tiny thing needs to be taught and explained. They maybe have not had any schooling experience. And if they have had schooling experience, it was preschool. So it’s a very different kind of school experience. This might be their first day in this exact school. There’s a lot that they need to learn in terms of expectations and routines.
[4:01] But also, it’s not just that they don’t know it. It’s that this is your chance to set the foundation for the rest of the year. When you explicitly model, teach, and give them a chance to practice the routines, you are setting up your class for success because they will know exactly what it is you want of them and they will rise to the occasion. They want to do well. They want to do what it is that you want. But when they don’t know what to do they’re gonna make something up and then that’s where it gets a little cuckoo, gets a little a little different so the more that we can be explicit about every single little tiny thing the better and it is a hard shift for us even for me going from like I said I the kids can do it all on their own and the classroom runs on its own to now me having to teach just you know at that’s at the end of the school year and then we have the summer and now I’m back to the beginning of the school year with a new group of kids, and I have to talk through every single little thing. But I have to do that because I want the kids to get to the point where that I just left the other group at. I want to get them at the end of the kindergarten where the classroom is running itself. I can just stand back and watch. They know the routines so well that they’re independent with everything. They’re meeting my expectations. There’s no misbehaviors around the transitions.
[5:28] That’s the goal. And if we rush through teaching the expectations and routines, we miss out on that opportunity and you will see the problems in the middle of the year and at the end of the year. Your classroom will not run on its own. That’s not to say that you can’t backtrack and do it again. You can, but this is your chance to set the foundation. And so as long as you think it might take to teach the routines and expectations, it will take longer. And you need to give time for that. And it is okay, and you should, it is okay to not rush into to academics, academics. And I know that we can feel that demand, we can feel the curriculum pacing guides, but it is crucial that we take the time to build in those routines so that our classroom management can take effect, so that our kids can learn what’s expected of them before we put any academic demands on them. So I embed routines and expectations in teaching those things into every single activity and thing that we do the first couple of weeks of school. I would say the first two weeks solidly, and then the third week, even a little bit more in the fourth week, a little bit less, but I’m still going over routines and expectations every day.
[6:48] And like I said, the first two weeks, solidly every single activity I do, I am teaching kids how to do a routine or activity or expectation. This is how we use crayons. We’re going to use crayons for this activity. Let me show you how we use crayons. We twist them like this. I like the twistables. We don’t twist them out too much. We use them lightly. We can hold it like this or like this. Now we’re going to use the crayons to color. Look how I’m coloring. I’m doing my best to color in the line so that I can do my best work. Okay, now you’re going to go do this fun, cute little first week coloring activity with the crayons that I just taught you how to use. Oh, let me talk through how you guys are using your hands. Oh, I notice you’re not twisting them too much. Oh, I notice you’re putting them back in the cup that is for the crayons at the table. Oh, I notice that when you’re done with that crayon, you put it back in the cup instead of leaving it on the table. Oh, I notice that you didn’t take all the crayons at once. You just took the color that you need. You are talking through every single little thing and that matters. That makes a difference because that is what’s going to get them from what feels like herding cats at the beginning of the year to a few months down the road. Then being able to do this all independently and to not have misbehaviors and for the classroom to be running itself. And that’s what we want.
[8:06] Mistake number two for the beginning of the year, not adjusting your expectations.
[8:11] So again, especially for veteran teachers that are used to older kids or used to teaching almost first graders, it’s really hard for us to then backtrack and go back to beginning of the year kindergartners. It is difficult because they’re really acting like preschoolers. That’s where they are developmentally. So we need to meet them where they are or we will have problems. If we try to get them to sit on the rug for too long, they will have misbehaviors. They will wiggle. They will chit-chat. They will do all these things because they are basically preschoolers. If we ask them to work on an activity for too long and don’t have a backup activity or a what can they do when they’re done, there will be misbehaviors. And it’s not because they are, quote, bad kids. It’s because we are asking them to do something that they’re not developmentally ready for. It is our job at the beginning of the year to help them build their stamina. And so we need to be prepared for that with our lessons and activities that we’ve planned by having them be short to the point and having lots of backup activities if we need them. Every group is different. Every group of kids are different. Every kid is different in your class. So we need to also have options for kids that are in different developmental spots. And we want to be observing them right when we start to get to know them to see who’s getting extra help, who’s going to need extra things to do because they’re going to finish early, who’s going to need reminders to maybe try a little harder or to color a little bit more, things like that.
[9:41] Not being ready for the kids developmentally is a huge problem with beginning of the year kindergarten. And so the thing that can help us have an easier beginning of the year is being ready for them developmentally, being ready for them as preschoolers, and then helping them build their stamina
[9:58] for learning and for problem solving and all of that. The mistake number three that you could make is neglecting to build relationships.
[10:10] Everyone should be building relationships with their students. We want to help build relationships within the students, between each other, and we want to build relationships with them to us. When they feel safe and comfortable, then they will feel okay to learn. It’s not until they feel safe and comfortable that they will be able to really learn. And the other thing is, when you get into difficult moments with classroom management, with misbehaviors, Having that relationship with individual students is key. You want to know what you can talk about with them to change the subject, what’s something that they are very interested in that will help engage them. If they’re stuck on their writing, what is it that’s going to get them excited to write? So it helps to know their interests. It helps to know what will help them when they’re upset. It helps to know what might trigger them and make them upset, right? So you could maybe help to avoid that or ease that a little bit.
[11:05] Now, this takes time. You’re not going to just know the kids right away in the beginning of the year, but it means that when you are doing these beginning of the year activities and the kids are eating snack together, this is a great time for you to sit and chat with them and get to know them. When you’re doing your morning meeting activities, pay attention to who likes what and who has things in common so you can help build relationships with each other. Like, oh, remember you said you liked Legos? You know what? So did Bob. Bob loved Legos. Let’s go ask Bob if he wants to play with you. Right? And helping to build those connections with each other is huge at the beginning of the year. But it can be easy for us to be like, okay, they’re eating snack. I got to get a million things done. But that’s a great chance to start building relationships with the kids. Having one conversation at the snack table, just showing that you’re interested in them, I’m showing them that you want to get to know them helps to build those relationships. And you’ll need to cash in on that later on if there’s any issues with behavior, right? That is an important foundation.
[12:10] Mistake number four is neglecting parent communication. The most important thing that you can do is start the year off on the right foot with your parents, with the families in your class. And I think it’s really important to have that first communication be a positive one. I try and call all of my families the first day of school. When it was not kindergarten, I did it after the first week. And it’s very quick. And I just say, hey, I just wanted to let you know that we had a great day today. They felt comfortable in the class. They were doing the activities with everyone. You can always reach out if you have questions. And 19 times out of 20, it’s very quick. Parents are just so happy to hear from you, so relieved because they’ve been thinking about it all day. They’re worried about it all day, about how kindergarten is going, especially if it’s their first child. They just are so happy to hear that it went well. But later on, if there are issues…
[13:04] You’ve set the foundation of, I’m going to call you when there’s good and bad. I’m not just going to call when there’s bad. I’m going to call when I have good things to say. I want to set up a working relationship with you. We want to work on this together. I have your child’s best interest at heart. I care about them. Making that very quick phone call sets the tone for all of that. And the other thing you can do to help with the relationship with the families is, especially at the beginning of the year, over-communicate a little bit, especially in kindergarten. We want to share more information than we think even the parents might need because they’re getting communication from all over the place. They’re going to have a million questions, especially if it’s their first child going to that school. And so the more information that you give, the less emails you’re going to get with questions, with concerns, with wanting to have meetings, with wanting to know, well, why didn’t you tell me this? Or why didn’t I know this? It just, the more proactive you can be, the better for your sake. Trust me.
[14:03] And the final mistake that any teacher can make in the first month of kindergarten is overlooking their own self-care. First month of kindergarten, really, I’ve said it before, it’s not fun. It’s my least favorite, least favorite time to be a kindergarten teacher. It is like herding cats. You are talking all day, every day, because you’re pointing out all of the things that they’re doing for the routines and expectations, and you’re just not stopping and they all need your help all the time and they are preschoolers.
[14:34] You have the schedule of a first grade classroom, second grade classroom, even a fifth grade classroom, and you have to meet the academic demands, but they’re not ready for it yet. I mean, the first month, it’s just the worst. It’s just the worst. So the worst thing that you can do as a teacher is overlook your own self-care at this moment. You will have a very long to-do list. It is the start of school. You’re going to be constantly thinking of new curriculum things that you have to do, new lessons that you have to think of, new activities that you have to plan. You need to build in time for your own self-care. Take a walk after school, plan a bubble bath, say, I’m going to watch this show when I get home, no one can bother me. Whatever it is that is your self-care, go out for ice cream after school, whatever it is, you need to build in time for that. And you need to be a little bit selfish, I think, during the first month of kindergarten because it can be draining. And for me, oftentimes it’s actually saying no to plans that first month because I know I’m going to need time for me. I know I’m going to need time to bed you on the couch watching TV. And so I say no to a lot of things and I blame them like, you know what? The first month of kindergarten is just really exhausting. So I’m going to say no to that activity. I’m going to say no to that invitation. And that’s okay. And you know what? People really get it. They’re like, oh yeah, first month of school, tough. First month of kindergarten, ooh, I really get it. I mean, they don’t get it, but they say they do, which is nice. So the five things to avoid doing the first month of kindergarten, just as a recap.
[16:04] One, rushing through routines and expectations, two, not adjusting your own expectations of the kids to where they are developmentally, three, neglecting to build relationships with the students, four, neglecting parent communication, and five, overlooking your own self-care. If you can do all of that, then you’ll be setting not only yourself up for success, successful, but your class and your whole year ahead of you will be set up for success and it’ll make you feel much, much better.
[16:34] If you are looking for exactly what to do in the first month of school, I would encourage you to check out my first month of school kindergarten survival kit. It’s a bundle that has literally everything I do in my first month of teaching kindergarten, so you don’t have to think about a single thing. And our quote of the day, boy, six-year-old, said to me, oh, I have so much to do today. I want to watch Netflix when I get home, and I have to do my belt test, and I have to get my hair cut. Oh, I feel it. It’s just so much to do when we get home after when we’re back at the start of school. So make plans like this boy did. He’s scheduled watching Netflix. Make time for you and schedule some self-care time as well. For me, that’s watching Netflix. Anyway, let me know which part you’re definitely going to make sure to do this year at the beginning of school year. Send me a DM on Instagram. Share this with a friend that’s starting their first year teaching kindergarten or that’s starting their first month of kindergarten. And thanks for listening.
[17:35] Music.
[17:40] Thanks so much for listening to the Kindergarten Cafe podcast. Be sure to check out the show notes for more information and resources, or just head straight to kindergartencafe.org for all the goodies. If you liked this episode, the best ways to show your support are to subscribe, leave a review or send it to a friend i’ll be back next week with even more kindergarten tips see you then.