Books and they are always the windows through which the soul peeps out. I have always been an ardent reader through years as I possess a wonderful Library - Shelves with books on Parenting and Child Care, Fiction & Romance, Management, Children's Books, Spiritual, Cooking, Art & Beauty, Health & Fitness, Music, War & Political ...Endless reading and it's always an ocean of knowledge. "Children who formed the habit of reading at Swagat Children Library are never alone" quips a student's mother whose son stepped to Swagat world and is now a business man. Books have remained his constant companion while travelling too, she says.

Reading workshop every Saturday is a routine at Swagat Children Library . During this time, students are reading self-selected books independently. However, guided, they choose the books from library and it is important to make sure that the same is “just right” level based selection.  While students are reading their books, I am conferring with individual students, conducting guided reading groups or strategy lessons, facilitating project ideas, etc. For this reason, it is important that I have clear routines and procedures in place to keep my independent readers on task and truly engaged in their reading.

Keeping Book logs is encouraged where students must record ALL Books they read throughout the year in their Reader’s Log. This reflect on their own reading habits, set monthly reading goals, and also helps to assess their reading progress.

Well, my fix routines of reading books landed me up to amazon books and I started reviewing all books that I have read and can recommend to others. You can find my Amazon Reviews Page on Kidsfreesouls and for now, here is the new page of Kid Book Recommendations.

Every week, I plan to present a book recommendation+review and apart from kid books, I also plan to add books from other categories too. Slow but steady, its always winning a race. If you are a teacher or a parent, help kids to make Reviews Project and encourage them to read books/stories and write reviews to add to the project. An example is Shrill's Blog with Story Board. Even send across to kidsfreesouls to place on Kids Reviews Blog (coming soon). 

 

- ilaxi patel
Editor, Kidsfreesouls.com
Author of Guardian of Angels: A practical guide to Joyful Parenting

Managing a good classroom is always the pride of a teacher. If ever a good class turns nasty, the reason could be mis-managing the class children! It often happens that the mainstream schooling comes with discipline - the rules and regulations. Yet, the class is with roars and uproars when the teacher fails to maintain the silence. Children often giggle and find the freedom to find pleasures in small little things. Their imagination soar to heights especially when they have to attend busy sessions of study in classroom. A spark triggers from a child and the fire catches with the whole lot which we all know, becomes unmanageable.

For an extra curricular English cum Library class that I run, it turned to be more disciplined with sort of casual attendance, fun and yet much more productive, constructive and informative class sessions. Call it an English Language & overall Development class, the students registered for a weekly session round the year. Rules had to be framed for regular attendance, dues charged for tearing the library books and even punishment given in a creative way. A total reference class where children entered came with references and enrolled for the year. A figure reached 80 students per session with varied ages from 5 to 15 years. Managing the good class was a challenge. More, achieve the desired result from the students.

Well, how could we do it? Back to memory lane, my experience can chart the simple management of self - as a Teacher, it needed a lot of planning and worksheets. As a parent or a teacher, maybe these tips might help to manage children. Call it an Instructional strategy or a Practical strategy, the grown up children of Swagat still look back to remember the wonderful days spent at Swagat. Their memories call in for reunion as I see them commenting in FB. And, I wonder, passage of years have sweeped away the waves from reading to tech age with gadgets - ipods-tv-video games and Internet. Reading is completely on the back seat!

Managing bigger classrooms is not an easy task as often parents blame the teachers. Vice versa. Teachers find parents responsible for spoiling the child. Today's children are more stressed and more unmanageable than yester years.

Kidsfreesouls tips might help some way:

Tips to Manage a good classroom: (parents can follow too)

1. Compulsory reading for 30 minutes (minimum 20). No talking, no flicking eyes, no getting up for anything - not even for asking a hard word. When all are reading including you, its herd mentality. Result: Hyper child settles for a routine habit of reading. For Schools, it could be one class esp. for reading with exchange of read reviews.

2. Engage them with active participation. Once the reading is over, ask, ask and ask - Pick individual child especially one you don't find concentrating and tell him to narrate a story. Go easy and encourage others to speak in-between which normally teachers don't allow.  The best will speak without letting down the ones who can't narrate.

3. Laugh, chat and engage them in activities they like. 'You're bored' attitude has to shake off. Let them draw, color, write in scrap book or even talk to each other. Debates are too much fun and learning too. There is always a creative approach that works wonders.

4. Writing instructions on the board and make them copy. Often it ends up that slow learners learn to concentrate and write faster. Pointing on the board takes less time than repeating and even paying attention to children.

5. Stop Comparisons. Often teachers and parents make mistakes and knowingly-unknowingly, compare a child with another. If you ever need to compare, explain to the child where he lacks than the other and where he need to improve. Vice versa. However, do not be abusive in approach.  Children are often found to be interacting, 'Teacher told me you're good in narrating but teacher told me, my hand writing is good'

6. Learn to stop saying No. A big No is rebel. Children never like to listen this word when they have set up their minds. Divert them with wits and use word power. 'Sure, we'll play the games next time and if you want to play the games today, next session is sure got to be serious reading.' And, follow this.

7. Stop the Power game. Children often abhor 'power' and the slightest mistake you make to show your power, you are in to face fierce ego and arrogance. However, to discipline children, you need to apply tactics. Power struggles often end up united children against you.

8. Don't lose patience. Patience is the key to win hearts. Take a deep breadth, calm down and attend nasty kids. Say nice and be nice - you have nice smiles coming back to you. This will help to explain your say.

9. Be easy. Do not force as it never brings any results. Take time and eventually, your goal is seen through as to what you want the child to achieve.

10. Let music flow free in classroom. Teach a dance step or two. Children love happy singing and merry dancing - ever and always.

11. Enjoy story sessions. Tell stories. Listen to their stories. You can share their travel experiences, how they liked the picnic and summer tours or how they enjoyed dining out on a sunday. They even love to tell their game or tv cartoon watching experiences. Sharing is caring and coming closer.

10. Let there be faith. Let there be confession writing. Let there be resolutions writing. Let there be 'Thank You' note writing - These simple things stir the children and fill their emotional minds with love and gratitude.

I learnt my mistakes and learnt it hard way sometimes. When children rebelled, when they created havoc with their screams and especially when they ran all around the library class and played 'fire in the mountain' - it sure was 'fire in the library' but its smiles as they were happy and had the best of the childhood I can give to them:-)

Do share your classroom experiences so that I can still improve on the ones where I lag behind. The reference class do have a steady flow of few children that still keep coming to Swagat every week.

Past article - How to Discipline Kids | Brat Kids!

Search Web | Kidsfreesouls:
Search for keywords 'managing a good classroom' 'managing classroom behavior' 'managing classroom conflicts' 'classroom discipline tactics and resources'  'news for kids' 'news for classrooms' newspaper for kids' 'kids newspaper in india' 'kids newspaper'  'in kidsfreesouls Search