Three Easy Ways to Maximize Instructional Time

In my time in the classroom I've seen the teachers often spend so much time teaching routines and structures thereby neglecting the content. In this blog entry, I'll talk about how to leave routines the same, to free up time for teaching the content. 1. Teach the same game with different content. There are many games floating around that are all the same basic principle. Teach it, then change up the content it teaches. For example, in this October Freebie, there is a Spin n' Jump game. You can have this be an activity at a station all year, with different content. The Spin n' Jump game could be about 3D Shapes, sight words, vocabulary terms with non-linguistic representations...you name it! The game is the same, but you'd be reinforcing different content based on what you're learning that week.

Likewise, with this Roll n' Graph game, found in the same freebie, you can use the same format, and change up the content in the game. I've used roll n' graph games for anything from sight words to number words to vocabulary terms...the possibilities are endless!

2. Anchor charts galore: you should not just post anchor charts, but refer to them often. Place them in a spot where students can refer to them. When they ask you a question, point them to the anchor chart. Praise the student publicly that refers to the anchor chart before asking you the question. Soon, all students will develop the independence that comes from looking for the information themselves. This frees up time for you to be a facilitator during a lesson, instead of the person they go to for help when they encounter a problem.

3. Have a predictable day. Every day your students should know that when they come in from recess they get their CGI notebook, and that after that they start their math lesson. Building these predictable patterns in your day minimizes confusion and transition times because you don't have to tell your students what's next. They already know that when you call their table, they will put their notebook in their cubby and go to the carpet for whole group instruction.

Teacherof20 is a stay at home mom, and past K-1st teacher and reading specialist. She enjoys making clipart for her TpT store and helping other teach, ready to go products that challenge students! You can also follow her on facebook for seasonal freebies!

Comments

End of the Year Activities

Top 5 things to do to keep your class engaged the last month of school Here are some things to keep your students motivated and engaged in class the last few weeks of school. It can be hard to keep their attention when they've checked out for summer break (even though we're only in April!!). Here are some tools you can use to help students feel motivated to finish out the year strong! 1. Balloon pop motivation Set up balloons at the top of the whiteboard (where kids can’t reach) and the last few minutes of class pop one a day (if they've had a good day). Inside have incentives, such as no shoes the last 10 minutes of class, have a dance party, have free time with blocks and board games, etc. If the class doesn't have a good day that day they don't get to pop a balloon! 2. Games, games, games Have students bring in their favorite board game to play with classmates at a designated time of the day. If you need to cover academics during this time, board...

How to Implement Words Their Way in Your Classroom

How do you implement Words Their Way into a classroom? It is very simple. The first step is to give students the initial assessment: it is basically a spelling test. After you have given the spelling test, you use the score sheet to score student’s answers. The score sheet looks like this: The column that your students miss the most (the ones I’ve circled) is the one where you being instruction. The column they fall under will determine what WTW book you will use. The books are: Letter Name-Alphabetic, Within Word Pattern, Syllables and Affixes, and Derrivational Relations. I have broken down the classroom instruction so that each day we are doing an activity with our Words Their Way sorts. Here is what my groups look like in the second grade classroom I’m mentoring. I’ve changed the names of the students for confidentiality purposes: Short vowels: John, Sam, Jane, Sally, Audrey Digraphs and Blends: Arron, Greg, Katie Long vowels: Mary, Marlene, Josh, Nicole, Christi...

Strategies to Teach Cause and Effect for Elementary Grades

Meet Stephanie, the teacher behind School House Rap with over 20 years of experience and enjoys creating picture book companions. She's a picture book fanatic and loves using them to teach her elementary and middle school students. In fact, she's been known to break out with a spontaneous rap in the classroom, using picture book characters as her inspiration. Don’t worry; she won’t quit her day job. Understanding cause and effect is a critical skill in children learning to process the world around them. From recognizing that pushing a toy will make it move to understand that studying for a test can result in higher grades, grasping the concept of cause and effect forms the basis for problem-solving, critical thinking, and scientific reasoning. But how can elementary school teachers make this abstract concept more tangible for their young students? Let’s explore some engaging strategies to teach cause and effect to elementary students, making the learning...

Teacherof20

Search This Blog