When I walked into my very own classroom for the very first time, I was wide-eyed with optimism, white-knuckled with determination…and wobbly-kneed with nerves.
With no veteran teacher looking over my shoulder and dozens of new kindergarten students looking up at me with their own mix of excitement and apprehension, I felt the full weight of my responsibility. These kids were counting on me—me!—to teach them foundational skills they’d build on for the next 12 years and beyond.
And reading was at the top of the list.
I wish I could tell you I was a brilliant teacher from the jump. But the truth is, it took some time—and some mistakes—to find my bearings. Today, I want to share three quick tips to help you bypass some of those mistakes so you can decrease your self-doubt and boost your students’ confidence.
1. Skip the Comparison Trap
If your school is anything like mine was, you have some legendary teachers on staff—the award-winners that have parents begging the administration to institute looping. By all means, learn from them. Be inspired by them. But do not compare yourself to them.
Remember: Veteran teachers were once beginners, too! Comparing your starting line to their 12th mile will do a number on your self-confidence. You may wind up in analysis paralysis and feel hesitant to try new things. Worse, you may be tempted to recreate someone else’s classroom instead of addressing your students’ needs.
2. Meet Your Students Where They Are
Teachers in traditional school settings are often expected to work within a specific and relatively rigid curriculum. I don’t want to discount that reality, but I also don’t want to go so far as to call it a “limitation.” Instead, I want to encourage you to find ways to build your students’ reading confidence by fitting your curriculum to your students, not the other way around.
Practically speaking, that means:
- Assess your students’ current skills, so you know what they need to learn next. I wrote these for parents, but they work just as well for teachers: How to Assess the Letter Sounds, How to Assess Blending, How to Assess Reading Ability.
- Teach students one step beyond their current abilities. When kids get quick wins, their confidence skyrockets.
- Implement small-group instruction. If you can swing one-on-one instruction, even better.
3. Involve Your Students’ Parents
The truth is, parents can teach their kids to read far better than any professional educator. I realize that might sting, especially if you took out student loans to get your teaching degree.
But think about it: Parents can spend one-on-one time with their kids. They have a trusting relationship with them. They have a deep knowledge of who their kids are and what interests and motivates them. That means that parents can offer lessons that are much more tailored to their kids than any teacher could provide.
For the sake of every child, adults have to work together.
Confidence Grows One Step at a Time
Kids learn to read step-by-step, and good teachers become incredible teachers one step at a time, too. You’ve got this, and I’m rooting for you!
Watch the full episode of Literacy Matters with Spencer Russell today.
About the Author
| Spencer Russell is a former, award-winning kindergarten and first-grade teacher; founder of Toddlers CAN Read, a groundbreaking approach to literacy education; and Head of Literacy Strategy for Lovevery. His approach is rooted in reading science and focuses on equipping parents to teach their kids to read. Spencer was a SXSW EDU 2024 keynote speaker and has been featured in the TikTok Sparks Good docuseries and on FOX, Parents.com, Family Education, Today’s Parent, and PopSugar Parenting. You can learn more from him on Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube. |  |