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I am a new kindergarten teacher in Germany, since 7 weeks I work in this place and although the kids are active, the big problem has started when cold weather has come, and they can't go to play in the garden.
We have 4 kids in our classroom (and we are two teachers) yeah... a very few apparently paradise, but no!! they are real little evils, especially when I am alone with them:
- They climb everywhere, windows base, espalier, tables, sofas, etc.
- They start shouting as if they have seen thousand monsters.
- They throw strongly every single toy the see in the classroom, sometimes I am afraid they can break something else, or my head! they threw yesterday the Halloween pumpkin we made the previous day.
- They do not want to eat or throw also the cutlery.
- I talk to them and theiy do as if they were deaf.
When they do that I say of course STOP!! TIDY UP!!bla bla bla and their answer is always NOO NOO NO!!! and they become even more naughty.
The second solution is going myself and catch them, putting them away of the mess and explaining them that is wrong, but 3 seconds later the mess continues.
I have to say that I don't like the German system, kids are free to experiment and do whatever they feel like too, and shouting at them is wrong too, so as they can play the whole day whatever they like, for them there's no difference bewteen reading a tale or throwing toys.
I have to say also, that my German is not native and that can make influence, they see I don't speak perfect and I am new, and kids are very clever.
With my workmate they beahve a bit better, but not always, the thing is, I am showing that I am not a good teacher, they always out of control with me and I am considering giving up.
I made my practicum in Spain and we had naughty kids too, but maybe 2/25 and not the 100% we had routines everyday and they learned fast what is fine and what is wrong.In this school sometimes I am surprised when teachers consider something fine, and other times when they say it is wrong.
Help please.
Am I the problem? Is the system? The language barrier?
I started out with 28 of them, all by myself. But in today's world of permissiveness and no rules and you are not allowed to punish them, I wouldn't set foot in a classroom for all the money in the world.
Have you contacted the parents? What do they say about the situation?
What do the other teachers do when they have a naughty kids? What's the school's policy on their behavior?
I can't talk with the parents because I am not directly the head teacher of the classroom, but my workmates don't do it either.
We can't punish the kids for explample without playing in the garden or not doing what they love, no one does it here :S The consecuences are nule.
Usually kids listen to some teachers more than to others, maybe they look more creepy for them or they have more natural authority. But I don't see they do much different things than I do.
Quote:
Originally Posted by photobuff42
What is the consequence for their misbehavior? What is the reward for appropriate behavior? How are you teaching routines and expectations?
The reward for appropiate behaviour is a stamp of good behaviour in a paper on the wall, but it is does not make too much influence on them.
I don't like the system of this school and I bet all around here are the same, if the kid doesn't want to eat, they don't eat (maybe one spoon) if the kid doesn't want to play with the group, they do not play.
I see a big lack of rules and routines.
I have a soft and girlish voice, sometimes I think this is not good to educate kids and atract respect
Does kindergarten in Germany mean the same thing as in the US? In the US, kindergarten is the first year of school (sometimes called "pre-school"). Students sit at a table and learn lessons. They don't play all day. The year before kindergarten is called "nursery school". (Kids are 3 or 4 years old there.) Even there, there are structured activities. Kids learn to follow directions and complete small projects, using glue, colored paper, cardboard, or matchboxes. They do drawing projects, learning to use crayons, watercolors, scissors, and other art materials. They don't play all day. There is also nap time, when they're required to lie down and be quiet. If they can't sleep, they're still expected to rest quietly.
This system you're in sounds like a nightmare! How old are the children? Most 4 and 5 year-old kids should be able to sit quietly and focus their attention on learning skills (alphabet, writing numbers) for 20 minute periods or 1/2 hour. In my kindergarten, we also had French lessons, and we colored in a French language coloring book that had vocabulary words below the pictures we colored. This is what kids should be doing in kindergarten: learning to write letters and numbers, coloring, listening quietly to stories, painting. In fact, I'm told that these days, kids are already learning to read in kindergarten. It's more advanced than it used to be.
Kids also need breaks for playtime. You can organize games for them, whatever the traditional children's games are in Germany. Singing songs as a group works well, too.
Last edited by NewbiePoster; 10-24-2014 at 10:25 PM..
I find this very odd. Germans are known for their orderliness. I would expect this in Berkeley, but Germany?
Very odd.
I went to kindergarten in Berkeley. There was a very well-structured daily routine designed to teach skills in preparation for first grade. The kids were quiet and well-behaved. They had a couple of recess breaks to run around outside and let off steam, as well as organized games in the classroom. Berkeley is really into education. Always has been.
OP, are you sure this is kindergarten, and not simply daycare, like babysitting? It doesn't sound like kindergarten. Kindergarten is school, and the staff there are required to be certified, trained teachers. Do you have a college degree in early childhood education? Does your co-teacher? If not, then this isn't what we call kindergarten, it's daycare. And by the way, normally one doesn't yell instructions at small children. One shows them how to tidy up and put things away. 4 kids shouldn't be difficult for 2 teachers to control. Is this a special school for some kind of developmentally disabled children?
Last edited by NewbiePoster; 10-24-2014 at 10:35 PM..
Does kindergarten in Germany mean the same thing as in the US?
OP, are you sure this is kindergarten, and not simply daycare, like babysitting? It doesn't sound like kindergarten. Kindergarten is school, and the staff there are required to be certified, trained teachers. Do you have a college degree in early childhood education? Does your co-teacher?
I do not think so, US sounds like Spain, children learn how to write, draw, a bit of reading and organized activities all the time, here we just play except some moments we sing or maybe once a week or less we draw and paint.
Kindergartens are from 0 to 6 years old, but it is just free time for kids.
Kindergarten in Germany seem to be different from other countries, I have a college degree in early education but my co- worker doesn't, she has another different degree in social education (integrate immigrants etc) but here it is also accepted, some of my work mates didn't go to university.
But I don't know any Kindergarten or pree-school here with the features like US or Spain.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Everdeen
I find this very odd. Germans are known for their orderliness. I would expect this in Berkeley, but Germany?
Very odd.
I was also surprised but some positive stereotypes are also wrong sometimes and this is one of the cases, this is the most unorganized system I have never seen, I would like to know if in other schools is the same, I guess so...
I am a new kindergarten teacher in Germany, since 7 weeks I work in this place and although the kids are active, the big problem has started when cold weather has come, and they can't go to play in the garden.
We have 4 kids in our classroom (and we are two teachers) yeah... a very few apparently paradise, but no!! they are real little evils, especially when I am alone with them:
- They climb everywhere, windows base, espalier, tables, sofas, etc.
- They start shouting as if they have seen thousand monsters.
- They throw strongly every single toy the see in the classroom, sometimes I am afraid they can break something else, or my head! they threw yesterday the Halloween pumpkin we made the previous day.
- They do not want to eat or throw also the cutlery.
- I talk to them and theiy do as if they were deaf.
When they do that I say of course STOP!! TIDY UP!!bla bla bla and their answer is always NOO NOO NO!!! and they become even more naughty.
The second solution is going myself and catch them, putting them away of the mess and explaining them that is wrong, but 3 seconds later the mess continues.
I have to say that I don't like the German system, kids are free to experiment and do whatever they feel like too, and shouting at them is wrong too, so as they can play the whole day whatever they like, for them there's no difference bewteen reading a tale or throwing toys.
I have to say also, that my German is not native and that can make influence, they see I don't speak perfect and I am new, and kids are very clever.
With my workmate they beahve a bit better, but not always, the thing is, I am showing that I am not a good teacher, they always out of control with me and I am considering giving up.
I made my practicum in Spain and we had naughty kids too, but maybe 2/25 and not the 100% we had routines everyday and they learned fast what is fine and what is wrong.In this school sometimes I am surprised when teachers consider something fine, and other times when they say it is wrong.
Help please.
Am I the problem? Is the system? The language barrier?
If I'd known that about Germany's educational system-
I would have packed up & raised my kids there instead of homeschooling them.
Germany rocks
Btw, coming across to kids you're trying to teach as someone
who does not command respect is your first problem.
They will respect you if you keep your wits about you, & engage them at their level.
My God- we're talking about Kindergartners here...
The easiest level to teach, lol
Have fun with them, play w/ them...then they'll be more open to allowing you to teach.
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