Teaching kids

Probably I will be proposed to teach chess to kids at local school. I am only FIDE 1640 and don't feel like it is a suitable level for teaching somebody. On another hand I am curious and would like to try and do my best with the help of books and software. May be I'll start and then if some kids become too advanced I can find somebody in my chess club to train them further. What do you think?

What materials do you have? Good luck and please keep us informed. Thank you.

Originally posted by iru
Probably I will be proposed to teach chess to kids at local school. I am only FIDE 1640 and don't feel like it is a suitable level for teaching somebody. On another hand I am curious and would like to try and do my best with the help of books and software. May be I'll start and then if some kids become too advanced I can find somebody in my chess club to train them further. What do you think?

Hello Iru,

I want to encourage you to take this up. And don't worry about your grade. First of all most pupils will learn the game there. Then you don't need to be able to beat all of them. If you have a prodigy you still can try to find out if there are things to be developed.

Have fun und success!

Originally posted by ketchuplover
What materials do you have? Good luck and please keep us informed. Thank you.

Primers by Lasker, Capablanka, Fischer, Averbakh. Some more modern books. Databases with elementary tactics. I remember seeing on the web some books on methodology of training kids.
Anyway I don't plan to just follow one manual - will pick from here and there things that I like most.

Yes go for it.You know enough to get them started and using those books will go a long way.
If some kids get good quickly they can help you teach the rest!

If nothing else at least YOU will learn a lot 🙂

A good book to use for ideas is 'How to Beat Your Dad At Chess'. I'd start off with some basic endings so that they know how to finish a game. Playing games with only kings and an incomplete set of pawns can be good as well

Originally posted by iru
Probably I will be proposed to teach chess to kids at local school. I am only FIDE 1640 and don't feel like it is a suitable level for teaching somebody. On another hand I am curious and would like to try and do my best with the help of books and software. May be I'll start and then if some kids become too advanced I can find somebody in my chess club to train them further. What do you think?

I was mid-1400s USCF when I started coaching my son's elementary team when he was in third grade. I've been a paid coach for several years now, offer private lessons in my area, and have coached state champions. My son is 21 and my rating is over 1900 USCF. The team that I've coached since 2000 had its best result at our state championship in 2004 when I was ~1550.

NY Public Schools has high standards, and they want their coaches above 1650. Chess Emporium in Phoenix hires professional coaches at 1600 and above. If you are 1640 USCF, you are certainly qualified.

Originally posted by Wulebgr
I was mid-1400s USCF when I started coaching my son's elementary team when he was in third grade. I've been a paid coach for several years now, offer private lessons in my area, and have coached state champions. My son is 21 and my rating is over 1900 USCF. The team that I've coached since 2000 had its best result at our state championship in 2004 when I was ...[text shortened]... es professional coaches at 1600 and above. If you are 1640 USCF, you are certainly qualified.

Its also worth mentiong that the role of the coach is not entirely chess-related. There's etiquette, team strategy, sportsmanship, etc.

One example - When my 8-man high school chess team went to the state team championship our first year, the coach and I (I was team captain) had our hands full just handling the nerves of our younger team members, at least one of which had never been on an overnight trip without a relative. I don't think our coach ever imagined that one of his key duties would be making a run to the drugstore for Kaopectate or staying up with a lonely kid at midnight.

i organise chess competitions at the school i work in and er dont look at my rating lol

Originally posted by iru
Probably I will be proposed to teach chess to kids at local school. I am only FIDE 1640 and don't feel like it is a suitable level for teaching somebody. On another hand I am curious and would like to try and do my best with the help of books and software. May be I'll start and then if some kids become too advanced I can find somebody in my chess club to train them further. What do you think?

One day they might get so advanced that they get around to teaching you...! My son often teaches me and he's started teaching another one of his old coaches who many moons ago used to teach him.

www.teacher4u.info

Be sure to teach kids and non kids not to present famous games as their own for analysis on the interwebs. Thank you.

I'm a really crappy player, but I started to 'give back to my community'. Not sure if this is useful, but I wrote a bit about my experiences:

http://www.aurorachessclub.ca/?p=902

Good luck! It's fulfilling!

Originally posted by iru
Probably I will be proposed to teach chess to kids at local school. I am only FIDE 1640 and don't feel like it is a suitable level for teaching somebody. On another hand I am curious and would like to try and do my best with the help of books and software. May be I'll start and then if some kids become too advanced I can find somebody in my chess club to train them further. What do you think?

I suggest a metal ruler across the knuckles when they play bad moves, that'll learn 'em. 🙂

And never let your low grade (if you have one) or playing strngth put you off.

I was once reminded of this quote:

GMs are so far removed in playing strength from [lower] classed players
that their advice is often misguided. For the same reason that
a university mathematics professor will probably not be able to
teach addition as well as a first grade teacher, a GM will probably
not be able to teach the basics of chess as effectively as a
pedagogically inclined player who is much weaker. – Michael de la Maza.

I replied I did not know what 'pedagogically' means.
Does it mean I have a limp?

Originally posted by greenpawn34
And never let your low grade (if you have one) or playing strngth put you off.

I was once reminded of this quote:

GMs are so far removed in playing strength from [lower] classed players
that their advice is often misguided. For the same reason that
a university mathematics professor will probably not be able to
teach addition as well as a fir ...[text shortened]... la Maza.

I replied I did not know what 'pedagogically' means.
Does it mean I have a limp?

Surprisingly, M. de la Maza is correct on this point more or less. However, elsewhere in his rhetoric he carries his "insight" far beyond all reason and makes recommendations for training for class players that had led many to spend countess hours on tactics without significant improvement.

The more important point in this thread, however, is that 1640 USCF means the player understands the sort of fundamentals one needs for teaching beginners. Such a player will not teach incorrect board or place placement, obscure ancient discarded rules, en passant with knights, the importance of developing your rooks early via 1.h4 2.Rh3, or any of a host of other sorts of nonsense.

When I run into beginners who are afraid to castle because their teacher explained that it was a mistake that increases the vulnerability of the king, I know their teacher was not a B Class tournament player.