Monday morning rolls around, and Noah arrives, as always, excited and ready to tell me about his latest discovery , a video or series he watched the day before. Noah is one of those kids who talk so fast that I sometimes can’t keep up. He always seems to be in a hurry about something. But that day was different. He arrived calmer, his voice was soft, and above all, he made an effort to speak more slowly. It caught my attention so much that I asked him:
— “Noah, are you okay?”
— “Yes, teacher,” he replied, “but yesterday I promised my dad I would do things more slowly, speak more slowly, and think before I say something. Yesterday we watched a YouTube video about a turtle and a rabbit…”
Noah explained that in the video, both animals, the turtle, and the rabbit, were on a track competing to see who would reach the finish line first. “Guess who won, teacher?” he asked excitedly.
— “If we watched the same video, it was the turtle,” I replied.
— “Yes!” exclaimed Noah, forgetting his promise to speak slowly. He started talking so fast that if I hadn’t seen the video before, I wouldn’t have understood a thing.
I asked him to share the story with his classmates and explain what he had learned. Noah, very focused, said, “I learned two things. One is to go slower and focus on what I’m doing. And two, to be more patient.”
I was surprised by his reflection, so I asked, “What do you think we can do to be more focused and patient?”
— “My dad told me that to stay focused, I just have to think about what I want to do and stick to it until I finish, without getting distracted. And to be patient… well, he didn’t tell me how, but I think it’s about going slower, like the turtle.”
Patience in the Classroom: A Challenge for Everyone
Teaching something as abstract as patience isn’t easy. Sometimes, even we teachers find ourselves struggling to be patient, with the clock always ticking and a thousand things to do. In the classroom, we try to model calmness, but outside of it, the pace changes.
Still, I’ve noticed that many of my students are increasingly anxious and impatient. Not all of them, but many want everything to be quick: to be first, to receive a reward, to finish their tasks immediately, and often they struggle with:
- Waiting for their turn to speak.
- Listening to the complete instructions.
- Finishing a reading while truly understanding it.
- Waiting for a response from the teacher or a classmate.
- Completing tasks step by step.
- Participating in group activities.
- Waiting in line.
- Taking time to think before responding.
- Keeping up with the class’s pace.
- Waiting for feedback on an assignment.
Patience, however, is an essential skill we must foster, not only for academic success but also for emotional development. Here are some practical tips you can implement in your classroom:
Strategies to Foster Patience in the Classroom
- Establish waiting times for speaking: Kids often struggle to wait their turn to speak, but with time and the right reinforcement, they learn to listen and be heard. Role-playing and visual examples can help make this active listening habit part of their daily routine.
- Practice breathing and calming exercises: Mindful breathing is a powerful tool for children, especially in their early years. Spending 5 to 10 minutes a day breathing deeply and being present can help them relax and improve their focus. It also teaches them to stay in the moment and manage frustration.
- Provide positive reinforcement when they show patience: Whenever a child demonstrates patience, be sure to acknowledge it. Recognizing these moments publicly reinforces the importance of this skill and motivates others to mimic the behavior.
- Use games that require turns and waiting: Board games or group activities are great for teaching patience. Games like ‘Lotería,’ ‘Jenga,’ or ‘Uno’ help children understand that waiting their turn is not only part of the game but also part of life.
- Implement reflection time before responding: Introduce the concept of “think before you respond.” A moment of reflection can be crucial to avoid hasty answers and allow children to think more clearly.
- Teach them to break tasks into small steps: When a task seems overwhelming, breaking it down into smaller steps can make the process more manageable and less stressful. This technique teaches patience by focusing on progress rather than just the end result.
- Read books or stories that talk about patience: There are many wonderful books that convey the value of patience. From classic stories like “The Tortoise and the Hare” to modern books that explore how patience can make a difference, reading is an excellent way to teach this value.
- Use a clock or visual timer to show waiting time: Children might feel like 5 minutes is an eternity. A visual timer helps them understand the passage of time and develop patience practically.
- Create awareness about impatience: Help your students identify when they feel impatient, why they feel that way, and what they can do to relax. Self-regulation is key to overcoming impatience.
Advanced Strategies to Help Students
When a student is clearly impatient, there are additional strategies that have been helpful for me in helping them step out of that state. For example:
- Teach them visualization techniques: They can imagine a peaceful place or a moment when they feel calm. This helps them relax in high-anxiety situations.
- Encourage the use of mantras or keywords: Sometimes, a simple word like “calm” or “patience” can serve as a reminder to slow down and relax.
- Think positively: When things don’t happen quickly, try telling yourself positive things like, “It’s okay, I can wait,” or “I’ll do everything I can, even if it takes time.” Positive thoughts can help you feel happier and model this behavior for your students.
- Understand others’ feelings: Sometimes, people don’t do things as quickly as they’d like. Foster empathy in the classroom by helping students understand how their peers feel and why they might need more time. Waiting becomes more bearable when we understand others.
- Learn from mistakes: Making mistakes is okay; it’s how we learn. Encourage students to reflect on what they can learn from situations that don’t turn out as they hoped. This will not only help them develop patience but also see the value in the learning process.
- Imagine positive outcomes: When they’re waiting for something, ask them to imagine how wonderful it will be when it finally happens. Thinking about how happy they’ll feel will help them maintain a positive attitude and cultivate patience while waiting.
With patience, both teachers and students can learn to navigate the fast-paced world and find moments of calm and reflection within the classroom.
This topic can be a challenge for many, which is why I’ve created practical resources that you can use in your class to foster this essential value.
- Patience PowerPoint Presentation and Decor Turtle Theme SEL
- Patience Activity Turtle Theme Social Emotional Learning
- Patience Craft Turtle Theme Social Emotional Learning & Writing Activity
I invite you to check them out and try implementing them with your students. You’ll see how conscious knowledge transforms the environment, making your classroom a more peaceful, pleasant, and compassionate space.
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