Encourage Success with Consistency

 

Do your students know what to expect when they walk into your classroom? Providing a consistent classroom schedule is an essential component of student success. Although this isn’t possible every day throughout the school year, providing your class with an easy-to-follow daily routine is beneficial on many fronts: first, pupils know what to expect when they walk in your door. Second, it provides your class with a sense of urgency and little time is wasted. And lastly, it provides a sense of predictability and safety, especially for kids who might not have a stable home environment.

 

Here is a brief outline of a classroom management system that works well for me. 

1. Step One: The Please Do Now

I start every class with the same tool: a PDN (please do now). Often this tool is called a Do Now, or a Bell-Ringer, but whatever you call it, use one every day. Whether you use it to introduce new material, revisit an objective from the days before, or spiral past material, it sets a tone of urgency. When students enter the room, no instructional time is wasted. They have between three and five minutes (depending on the depth of the PDN) to complete the activity.

2. Step Two: The Hook 

After reviewing the opening activity, engage your class with a hook. You can use a short video clip, an interesting fact or figure, or a photo. Whatever you choose, it should interest your learners in the day’s lesson.

3. Step Three: The Meat

Now that you have their attention, present the meat of the lesson. This will look different depending on what type of classroom you’re in, but try to pair direct instruction with both partner and independent practice. Direct instruction allows the teacher to model a process like annotating the text or completing an algebra problem, and this modeling should give them the tools to try without your guidance. Then, jump into some structured practice. I like setting aside time for working in pairs before learners work independently. Why both? Partner work is more engaging, and sometimes kids can explain a process differently than I can. It’s the independent practice, however, that will really tell you where your students are versus where you hope them to be.

4. Step Four: Formative Assessment

As class winds down, don’t forget the most important part of the lesson: a formative assessment. How many times have you wrapped up a lesson amazed at how well your class understood the objectives, only to find out later that they really didn’t? Get a clear picture of their mastery by collecting some data. This could be in the form of an exit card, a clicker quiz, or a short writing assignment. However you choose to do it, this assessment should give you enough information to decide if you accomplished your goals, or if you’ll need to revisit certain objectives in the days that follow. Oftentimes, the assessment piece gets left off of a lesson (due, understandably, to escaping time), but we need to constantly check in with our pupils to ensure we’re not leaving anyone behind before moving onto more rigorous material. 

5. Step Five: Closure

Provide a sense of closure. We’ve all been there; the bell rings, and you’re desperately trying to pass out the night's homework, but how does this provide a sense of closure for your class? It doesn’t. And worst of all, kids might not recognize what they’ve gained from your day’s lesson. An effective closing activity doesn’t need to take up much class time. Consider using one of these ideas for a quick close:

• Conduct a whip-around where each person shares something he learned in class.
• Compile a list of key learning by calling on a handful of students.
• Provide pupils with a sticky note and have them record the Three W’s. (What did we learn? So what? Now what?)
• Revisit your objectives, and have learners identify their current skill level. Are they novices, developing, or experts?
• Conduct a quick review. Prepare five to ten questions before class that you’ll review during the class period. Then, at the end of class, pose these questions. (Questions could focus on important vocabulary, essential dates, steps in a process, etc.)

A Well-Timed Class Runs Smoothly 

Class periods can range from 45 to 75 minutes and all the way up to 90 minutes, so how can you ensure that you hit each step of the lesson? Timers are gold. Whether you use an online timer, or bring one from home, a timer will establish a sense of urgency and keep you on track. Best of all, it limits interruptions and unnecessary questions. I use a timer for every activity; I even limit the time that I’m introducing a topic or explaining directions (which really helps in the middle school setting).

Help your teaching community use time more efficiently by sharing some of your tips and tricks.