is teaching chess fun?

I recently was offered a job where I teach children in an after school elementary program. I would like to know if teaching chess for young children is actually fun for the instructor. I hear from other forums that this can be difficult work.

Anything is difficult if you don't enjoy it. I taught Soccer for 27 years, to players, coaches. olympic players. It was never difficult.

I taught Bowling for fifty years and is was a breeze and fun.

I have taught Chess to kids since 1970, adults and four of my children. It was never difficult. I ran tournaments and most at no pay. Because I love teaching chess.

If you think it will be difficult, it will be. If you can't laugh, teach with a smile you will fail. Don't ask those that don't teach and have fun it's a pleasure.

Make what you are going to teach FUN and CREATIVE. Prepare yourself. Don't teach over their heads. Sometime you can learn from the kids.

Denver said it best.

Teaching younger children can be difficult as their thought process may not be on par or their ability to sit still long enough to complete those thoughts may simply not be there. However, there is no more rewarding experience than starting to see the students you are instructing make the moves that you have been attempting to drill into their tiny little heads.

When I was age 15 the Decatur Illinois School District hired me to go to all the playgrounds and teach and play with the kids.  It was a dream job and I got paid the same as the teachers at the playgrounds/parks.  I used a motor scooter to travel from one playground to another. At each location there were 10-12 kids lined up for me to do a simul.

I'm a full time chess instructor and coach specializing in teaching children. I have to say that when I first starting teaching kids, I had the same question! I work with over 400 children in 11 different schools and I love it! You have the chance to do something positive and improve your own game as well. However, you have to have a great deal of patience and be able to walk a fine line between being fun and maintaining classroom discipline (being strict). Here are some tips:

Set the tone of classroom discipline on day one. There are three rules I have: When I'm going over the lesson, all eyes must be on me. If you have a question or comment, raise your hand. Do not talk during the lesson unless you're asking a question or making a comment (after raising your hand).

Make sure you're explaining things to a child, making the explanations simple and clear. Often (especially with stronger players who teach chess), the instructor will present complex positional games with explanations that go way over the child's skill level.

Make the lessons fun. I love chess and am fortunate enough to have made a full time career out of teaching/coaching it. However, if any lecture is boring I feel like I'm having to watch paint dry. Create an entertaining story around the game. My games take place in exotic locations and involve an interesting cast of characters such as the legendary "Blind Swordsman of Osaka who cuts his opponents down on the chessboard.

Play to your strengths. If you're a sports lover, use sports analogies in your lessons. Have fun yourself.

Use short games at first, say 20-25 moves until checkmate. Children have a shorter attention span and trying to present a 56 move game is often too much for their attention spans to handle. Message me if you need any lesson plans etc.

it is really tough but worth.. i am doin it 11 years