If you are teaching in small groups or classes with different grades or abilities and feeling stressed out, you got to read this!
There’s no shame in searching for some tips for conducting lessons and getting every help you can. You deserve to enjoy teaching!
Imagine one day you can breeze through the lesson that has been giving you pain. Implement these 3 simple strategies and lessen the burdens on your shoulders today!
Note: even if you are not teaching small groups but a large class, these tips may also help you.
Background Story
If you have read my previous blog post on The Top 3 Strategies For Teaching Math In Small Groups Or Classes, you will have an impression that the small groups I meant were a class of 2 to 6 students. Sometimes I will need to teach students of different grades and abilities in 1 class.
However, it may come to you as a surprise that the lesson I had trouble with was a class of eight and nine years old. Their age gap wasn’t as big as those I have in other classes. But it was that particular class of 4 students that I was stressed up with. (I salute teachers who face these kiddos every day.)
What was so funny was, I didn’t realize how stressed up I was until my body told me so. Of course, I felt worn out, but that was normal after a demanding class. I thought it was just a draining lesson and that was it. But apparently, it was having more effects on me than I thought.
Every time, after that lesson, my stomach started to feel bloat. I’m like this ↓
At first, I thought it is due to the fast-food I ate before the lesson. But when it happened even when I didn’t eat fast food, I started to reflect.
I suddenly realized it was my body reacting to the stress!
And I realized it was time to do something about it.
Here are the 3 strategies that I used in my classes.
1) Plan
Plan for more work that can be done individually and independently. These will help when students finish their work earlier than expected.
Once you plan for some backup plans, it saves you the stress of thinking and preparing materials on the spot. Just assign them with the extra work and you will not be stressed because you know that your attention is not needed somewhere else.
Plan for activities your students can do independently while you get a breather. It could be a simple group game that your students already know the rules, or it could be Boom Cards practice or a game that uses the self-checking features.
2) Prepare
Prepare Mentally
Rehearse how you want your lesson to go in your mind. Tick all the checks in your brain as you go through the plan you have for the lesson. Focus and think of positive thoughts of how the lesson will go.
If you are into manifestation or meditation, use them! You need all the help and what harm could it bring you if you do it the right way?
You need to be aware that you can’t and wouldn’t be stressed up. Treat yourself like a stressful child and give yourself some grace.
Prepare Physically
- Have you gone to the washroom?
- Drink some water?
- Have a bottle or cup full of water/tea nearby?
- Constantly remind yourself to take a deep breath and be calm.
Prepare Materials
This is the most important thing that you need to prepare. Because if you didn’t prepare this, you will be super stressed out!
So ask yourself this:
- Have you printed out all the worksheets that you are going to use?
- Open up any websites that you planned to use later?
- Prepared other resources that are to be used in class?
Once I prepare all the materials, I will put the materials on the desks of the students before the lesson.
(I’m so glad I did that before having lunch. Cause I have students coming in 15 minutes earlier when I’m still having lunch! I’m less stressed knowing they have something to do while I’m finishing up.)
Do prepare more materials than needed. If possible, have the materials for 2 lessons at all times. This way you know they can proceed if they are faster in progress.
Alternatively, you can prepare games that can be done independently or in pairs for early finishers.
Related Post: 10 Interesting Online Multiplication Games That My Students Found Fun
3) Reflect
After the lesson, you need to take some time to reflect on how you can make life easier for yourself. You need to understand teachers’ well-being is very important and it will eventually influence the lessons if teachers are not in good health.
Here are some reflection questions for teacher to start with:
Conclusion
Plan, prepare, and reflect are the 3 easy and simple ways to reduce stress when teaching in small groups. Do constantly remember that it is not the end of the world and give yourself some grace.
After implementing these strategies, I hope you have more confidence, and conducting those lessons gets easier. If you have experiences with a tough class, do share with me your tips by commenting or dropping me a message.
Grab the free ebook below for more tips on teaching a small class.
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