Spend as much time as possible organizing your preschool room on every level. Keep teaching supplies separate from the things children will use. Designate a drawer for forms, attendance records and other paperwork. Separate these into labeled file folders. Divide the room into areas for specific learning activities or play experiences. Store books and puzzles together. Keep all blocks in a central "block area." Place art supplies with easels in an art area. Teach the children to put things away when they are finished.
Lesson planning is essential for a smoothly running preschool classroom. Teachers need to plan a week or month in advance in order to gather supplies and find resources like library books to match the weekly themes. Alternate between active and quiet classroom experiences. Plan extra games or activities in case you have extra time.
Lesson planning is important for preschool success, but the ability to throw the whole thing out the window to embrace a teachable moment is just as necessary. Children learn through hands-on experience. At times learning takes longer than expected. Extend projects and games or even take the time to read a story again if the class is learning and showing great interest. Move on to a previously planned activity later in the day, or reschedule it for another time.
Give your class a simple and clear set of behavior rules at the beginning of the preschool year. Write and display these rules and go over them often. Establish consequences for disobeying one of the rules. Give a warning and a reminder of the rule to a child on the first offense. Let the child know that if the behavior continues, he will sit in a "time out" chair for a few minutes away from the class. Always follow through with discipline and mention any problems to parents so you can partner in reinforcing better behavior.
Layer your lessons with the same information presented in many different styles. Children do not all learn the same way. Appeal to as many of the various styles as you can. A lesson about the letter "A" can include brainstorming words that start with "A," printing the letter with apple halves dipped in paint and stamped on paper, and singing songs about the letter "A." Draw the letter on the playground with sidewalk chalk and let youngsters run toy cars along its shape.