September 3rd  

World’s Best Teacher


Helping out…whether you are helping someone or something…is one of the most rewarding and satisfying things you can do! You don’t have to change the world or move mountains to make a difference.

Simple things like walking your neighbor’s dog or helping around the house is enough to show everyone how much you care. This month’s Helping Out Challenge is to become the “World’s Best Teacher.” What? A teacher? Absolutely! Let me explain… By this time in your life, you’ve learned a few things. You are an “old pro” at the alphabet. You are an expert counter. You know your stuff when it comes to shapes, colors, and what opposites are. And, you probably are becoming a good, little reader!

Why not put all that knowledge to use and become the World’s Best Teacher to a younger brother, sister, cousin, or friend! Children everywhere have been playing school for generations. It is a lot of fun and very rewarding for everyone involved!

Here are some of the basics to help you "get your school on"…

To be the World’s Best Teacher, you are going to need some kids to teach. Or, at the very least, one kid to teach. Think about all of the younger kids you know who would be excited to learn new things from you. Make a “classroom list” and then pick a day and time to start school.

Next, invite your “students” to come to your classroom. Your classroom can be set up in any room in the house with the exception of the bathroom…because that would just be a strange place to play school.

Gather notebooks or paper, pencils, crayons or washable markers, and some of your favorite books from when you were younger. These materials can be used in your classroom to teach your students.

Unless your student or students live in your house, ask your parent or caregiver to help you invite kids to your school.

After you have invited students to attend your school, it’s time to come up with a “lesson plan” or what you are going to teach your students and when. One example of a lesson plan would be like this…

  • First Lesson of the Day…Learning the Alphabet
  • Second Lesson of the Day…Learning How to Count
  • Third Lesson of the Day…Learning About Colors
  • Snack Time & Play Time!
  • Fourth Lesson of the Day…Learning All About Shapes
  • Fifth Lesson of the Day…Learning About Cats (or one of your favorite animals)
  • Sixth Lesson of the Day…Learning Simple Words Like “Cat, Rat, Fat, and Sat”
  • End of the Day Story or Song

Your lesson plans do not need to stop there.  If you have a special skill or just learned something new yourself, share it with your students.  Little kids love to learn new things…especially from older kids like you!

Also, if it is possible, ask your parent or caregiver if you can take your students on a “field trip” to the local library or museum where even more lessons can be found.  If that isn’t an option, the backyard makes a great field trip too! You can talk about everything from the leaves on the trees, the grass on the ground, or the clouds in the sky.  You are only limited by your imagination!

Above all, keep your “school” fun for your little students. Ask them a lot of questions about what they are learning and what they would like to know more about.

Playing school is a fun activity that can become part of your life.  Invite your students to come back to school once a week or once a month.  It gives you an opportunity to share more of your knowledge.  Before you know it, you will be the World’s Best Teacher!

A Note to Parents:

You can encourage your children to play school anywhere you are.  It doesn’t have to be just at home.  You can pack a special “school” backpack and keep it in the car.  When you have places to go, long car rides, or you just want to go and visit friends or family, it gives kids something to do besides play with toys, video games, or fight with each other in the backseat because someone looked at someone else.  Good things to put in the “school” backpack include a small dry erase board with dry erase markers, flash cards, small books, paper, and washable markers.  Be sure there is enough for all the kids in the car to have their own.  It is so amazing how well kids get along when the hierarchy between them is silently established.