Teachers use visual aids as a means of communicating to students. Visual learners especially need this type of support in their learning experiences. Visual aids, such as chalkboards, SmartBoards, maps and overheads, convey messages that children can actually see. For children who cannot read, or are just beginning to, visual aids provide a reference that is not available otherwise.
Young students often need stimulation beyond lecture-style teaching. Enhance their learning and peak their interest with hands-on methods. For science class, let students plant seeds and observe their growth. For English, give students the materials to create their own picture books. Use manipulatives during math to represent factors or equations.
Teachers sometimes struggle with finding the right assessment tools for their classroom. Assessment in third grade is important to ensure that students are on-track to move on to the more difficult demands of the next grade level. Worksheets measure student success very accurately by giving a quantitative score of their progress. Take qualitative notes to describe behavioral and social strengths and areas of necessary growth. Create portfolios that document students' progress throughout the school year. Use these tools to make both formative and summative assessments of students.
An organized classroom creates a welcoming environment for students and makes the classroom run efficiently. Provide students with one folder they take home each day, which contains homework, graded assignments and information for parents. All other assignments should remain in their classroom folders. Keep all classroom supplies on one shelf and establish a system for borrowing them. Post a daily schedule at the front of the room for both the teacher and students to see. Keep teacher tools in a rolling cart that can easily be moved around the classroom.
Textbooks outline plans for the school year. Use a daily calendar to write out lessons for each subject or class period. Search online for sample lessons related to your lesson subject. Keep a binder of lessons used throughout previous years and reference these when creating new lesson plans.