Teaching kids -- UGH!! (...and what I learned from it)

I have a confession to make: I don't like working with little kids.

Don't get me wrong. I love children. I have nieces and nephews and I have friends with kids, and I love them all.

The thing is, when it comes to teaching, I am not a fan of teaching the young ones. Under age 12 or so is no fun for me.

You see, there are things I love about teaching. With children that young, I can't do any of the things that draw me to speaking and teaching in the first place.

I have trained and taught the martial arts for years. A few years ago, I started teaching a class of 7 to 12 year-olds. While I liked all the kids in the class, I hated the act of actually teaching them. End result: I stopped teaching, felt burnt out, and left the martial arts for over a year (this was before I've learned some of the things I teach and write about though :-) )

Fast forward to a couple of weeks ago. I have been doing shows where I work with a group to teach kids valuable lessons such as how to make better decisions and why it's bad to smoke. Most of the audiences for these shows consisted of children in the 5 to 12 year-old range.

Just like five years ago, I found myself not enjoying the shows at all and feeling very unhappy. This time though, I had a much greater understanding of what to do.

I knew I had two choices. I either had to stop doing the shows, or find a way to enjoy them. I decided to put my own theories to the test and force myself to find a way to enjoy these shows.

I started by using my creativity to brainstorm out all the reasons I wasn't enjoying myself. I let my mind flow and created a big list. I then went through the list and picked out the key reasons I wasn't having fun. They were:

1) I kept running out of things to do because each activity kept the kids attention for much briefer periods of time then with older audiences.

2) I like to teach 'theories,' because I believe that that level of understanding is key for real learning. Unfortunately, heavy theory doesn't work well with the youngsters.

3) I felt it was a constant struggle to keep the kids' attention.

4) I was stressing over whether the kids were actually 'getting it.'

Well, this was a great start! Having identified these four key factors, all I needed to do was address them. Once again, I turned on the creative muscles and brainstormed out what I could do for each one. After I had that list, I picked out the techniques and ideas that would address the problems. They were:

1) For each show, I created a list of activities that was about twice as long as I thought I needed, so I would never run out of things to do.

2) I created a list of ways to teach the ideas without getting 'theoretical,' and committed to trying the new approach (i.e. I let go of my traditional teaching style).

3) Rather than trying to keep entertaining the kids, I decided to add in some hands-on interactive activities throughout the show to get them involved and give them a break.

4) I stopped stressing. I committed to the mentality (which I am paraphrasing from Alan Weiss), 'show up, do the best I can, and go home.' I had my plan, I would do the best I could and work that plan, and that's all I could ask of myself.

Lo and behold! The next three shows I did were actually fun! And they were all with kids between 5 and 12 years of age!!

Here are some key lessons from my experience:

1) Address your feelings before it's too late. Years ago I waited too long and got burnt out. Recently, I addressed it earlier and am much happier.

2) Use your creativity to gain an understanding of what's bugging you, and then pick the key factors.

3) Use your creativity to create ways of addressing what's bugging you.

4) Create a plan of what you will do, and commit to working that plan.

5) Make sure you are having fun!!

This article is not specifically about how to teach young ones. Rather, it should serve as a guide for how to use some creativity to add more fun and happiness into your life. Life's too short to stay unhappy!

Avish Parashar has a refreshingly unique approach to speaking and training: identify the fundamentals of success and then give people the tools to implement those fundamentals. Avish's approach can be deceptive; it's fun, funny, interactive, engaging, entertaining, and ridiculously simple. Success isn't complicated, it's simple. So visit the web site to learn more about the "Ridiculously Simple Ideas That Everybody Needs and Nobody Uses."

Learn More: http://www.avishparashar.com

Free Creativity Mini-Course: http://www.avishparashar.com/cre ativity-free-minicourse.html

---

Daily Motivation--Be Kind to Yourself for a Change

"How far you go in life depends on your being... Read More

Your Life Story: Whatcha Gonna Do? Write Your Life Story NOW before Its Too Late!

Imagine this scene: Project yourself into the future. You are... Read More

Have You Said Thank You Today?

'When it comes to life the critical thing is whether... Read More

Changing Lifestyles

We stood in the kitchen talking. I was discussing my... Read More

Book Summary: If Life is a Game, These are the Rules

This #1 New York Times bestseller offers some useful and... Read More

Inertia? 5 Tips to Getting Yourself Moving Again!

Inertia. Even the word sounds like a disease. No, it... Read More

How Poor Are You!

Do you want to know your poverty graph? You are... Read More

Change - The Skill Of Adapting To The Inevitable

Change your thoughts and you change your world. -Norman Vincent... Read More

Taking The Leap

Every four years, February gives us a whole 24 hours... Read More

The IDEAL Problem Solver

The IDEAL Problem Solver is an effective tool you can... Read More

Read All the Books

All of the books that we will ever need to... Read More

Creative Procrastination

Do you ever postpone things, or just forget about them... Read More

Self-care Isnt Being Selfish

When was the last time you truly relaxed? Do you... Read More

Do You Have Staying Power?

"If you are going through hell , keep on going"... Read More

Motivation To Change, Why Is It So Hard?

We encounter constant changes throughout our life; it could be... Read More

How to Stay Motivated

You've read a book that motivates you to action; you've... Read More

Top 5 Reasons Why Youre Not Living Your Dream

1. "I'm too old to make a change." Maybe you're... Read More

If Theres Money in a Dead Mouse...

My 4 year old son was very excited. I had... Read More

The Time to Act

Engaging in genuine discipline requires that you develop the ability... Read More

Words That Inspire - CHOICE

What CHOICE do you want to make?Dictionary* says:the act of... Read More

Life Issues Pt.2 - Against All Odds

Against all odds. I think that should be the motto... Read More

3 Great Ways to Beat Procrastination at Work

As more tasks become automated due to advances in technology... Read More

5 Forgotten Secrets to Beating Procrastination at Home

It's not easy to stay motivated and beat procrastination while... Read More

Motivation: The Power of Opportunity

I think each one of us has had the experience... Read More

Greed and Selfishness: Knowing The Difference And Loving Yourself!

I hear many people discuss how selfishness leads to greed,... Read More

Are Your Dreams A Day Late And A Dollar Short?

One of the greatest challenges facing our ever intensive quest... Read More

The Answer Is The Question ... Asking The Right Questions!

We all have questions about our lives, directions, and destinies.... Read More

5 Motivation Killers and How To Avoid Them

Motivation is an oft-discussed subject, particularly with regards to whether... Read More

Intelligence & Energy

Life and evolution is the dynamics of energy in which... Read More

My Grandmother Never Had a Degree

There were four generations sitting at the kitchen table, smacking... Read More

7 Hot Tips For Self Improvement Part 2

Self Improvement Tip 4 Don't procrastinate! The more you put... Read More

Are You Stuck?

You know the feeling.There's something you want to do. You've... Read More

How to Use Discouragement to Motivate Yourself

Ever feel like giving up? Do you ever feel so... Read More