Positive Reinforcement, Upskilling and Basic Yoga Makes A Good Teacher - Teacher Joy from R.E.A.L Kids Puchong Jaya

Children are different these days. The chalk, talk & desk method is no longer suitable for kids of this era. I always feel that we need to upgrade ourselves with new skills in our handling with children of different intelligences.

I kept myself updated by attending various trainings and courses such as PTM (Persatuan Tadika Malaysia), church parenting courses and many other intensive courses on how to handle children and communicating with parents of this era. This has boosted my confidence & self-esteem in my profession. 

In my day to day interaction with children, I integrate games, activities, different teaching approaches with positive interactions and not forgetting to be firm in dealing with undesirable behaviours.

In addition to that, I used to teach poorer students in the suburbs, where the needs of the parents were different in comparison to R.E.A.L Kids parents who are well educated & knowledgeable about matters concerning their child’s education. This makes it even more important for me to further my studies in Early Childhood Education to engage with the children & parents better.

I experienced that by using puppets, hand signs, body language and playing music softly while the children are doing their work are various methods to attract the children’s attention and it helps to calm them down as well. Sometimes after gym, swimming or music lessons which got them all hyped up, I would use slow breathing exercises, sit down and cross their legs, close their eyes, hands laid on their laps and count to 10. Even blowing an imaginary balloon is good exercise for their lungs as well as having fun with the activity. 

Two of the most memorable moments for me would be firstly when I successfully completed my diploma in ECE just a year ago. I believe that my perseverance, diligence, experienced lecturers & team mates got me through this journey. The other memorable moment for me would be the joy of being able to lead my 2010 class to achieve a higher standard in their reading skills in BM & Eng as compared to my other classes in the previous years. I received a lot of appreciation and acknowledgements from the parents at the end of the year for my efforts in helping their children.

Using positive reinforcement such as awarding a star or smiley face sticker to reinforce good behaviour and when they attain 5 stars, I will award them with a simple gift like a pencil, eraser etc. Be it for their reading achievements, good behaviour or caring & sharing act.

I strongly believe that every teacher who handles a child should have some form of formal training to help them in developing a holistic child. Otherwise handling children wrongly can have a strong negative impact on the child in the long run.

Sometimes in class I have to put on many hats to impress, entertain or even just to be like one of the kids. Once I have succeeded in gaining their trust & respect, delegating duties to them during snack time, collection of books, handing out art materials, discipline & classroom management becomes easily manageable. I give chance to the weaker ones to perform tasks around the classroom as it builds their confidence and social skills with their friends.

Written by Teacher Joy