A year-long theme helps you come up with new ideas, and it also gives preschoolers an in-depth understanding of the topic. You may choose a trait, such as honesty or kindness, or choose an animal or foreign country as your theme. Once you've chosen a theme, decorate the classroom with related pictures. Use the theme to teach preschoolers new vocabulary words and ask them to create art projects illustrating the theme. If you don't want to commit to one theme for the entire year, you may also choose a different one each week or each month.
Since preschool may be the first time they are separated from their children, parents will generally be anxious to know how their child is progressing. In the chaos of the drop-off and pick-up times, you may not have a chance to adequately update parents. Stay connected to them by sending weekly emails. For even more personal contact, set up bi-monthly progress meetings. Many parents will also be eager to help out in the classroom. Ask for volunteers to read stories to the class or help with art projects. You'll have an extra set of hands, and parents will be able to see firsthand that their child is doing well.
Bulletin boards can be quickly transformed into whatever you need them to be, and they add plenty of color and interest to your preschool classroom. Hang several boards covered in colorful paper throughout the room. Once decorated with this base paper, you can quickly tack signs onto the boards without needing to add other colorful accents. Bulletin boards can be used to show the daily schedule, pass information on to parents or display student work.
Rather than teaching preschoolers how to behave with the threat of punishment, develop a system that revolves around rewards instead. According to Scholastic, rewards are a much more effective way of teaching children. Create a sense of classroom community by creating a reward jar. Each time you see a child making a good choice, put one marble in the jar. When the jar is filled, throw a party or give the children an extra-long recess. Children will be motivated to use positive behavior, rather than being afraid of punishment.