Making the Most of Classroom Time

1. Making the Most of Classroom Time

2. 180 days • 6 hours per day • Total time: 1,080 hours But how many hours are actually productive?

3. Just 435 hours of Productive Learning Time!

4. Wise use of time will maximize opportunities for learning and minimize opportunities for disruption! Yes! • What can we do as teachers to increase students’ productive learning time within the constraints of a conventional 6-hour school day?

5. Maintain activity flow • Minimize transition time • Hold students accountable • Manage “pullouts” • They maximize time for learning and • Help establish and maintain classroom order Strategies

6. Maintain activity flow • Avoid flip-flopping • Avoid “stimulus-bound events” • Avoid overdwelling and fragmentation Maintain Activity Flow

7. Prepare students for upcoming transitions • Establish clear routines • Have clear beginnings and endings: Bring first activity to a halt, announce the transition, monitor the transition, make sure everyone is attentive, begin second activity Minimize transition time

8. Communicate assignments clearly • Monitor students’ progress Hold students accountable

9. Coordinate with special services to schedule pullouts so they are not too disruptive • Create a schedule when various students are present and when the whole class is together. • Establish a policy and procedures for having students who are pulled out complete work they missed. Manage Pullouts

10. Tips for Teaching Transitions

11. Entering and leaving the classroom Putting materials away Moving from group to independent work Think about the transitions that occur during the period, such as…

12. Teach the expected transition behavior! Provide positive reinforcement • Model correct & incorrect examples • Opportunities for practice • Provide feedback • Reteach if needed • Give specific phrase of special privileges • Use tangible rewards if necessary • Scan the room • Walk around the room • Interact with students; provide reminders Actively supervise the transition

13. Teacher: One, two, three, eyes on me! Student: One, two, eyes on you! “Tootsie roll, lollipop, we were talking, now we stop!” Assign students numbers Have sign-in sheets by learning centers Say directions orally and on board Have class schedule posted Have homework written

14. Model your record keeping after the report card you use • Give students responsibility of keeping their own records • Correct in-class work while students are doing it or immediately after as a group • Collect in-class worksheets & redistribute randomly for grading (if they use numbers) • Give periodic quizzes instead of grading every homework assignment • Give shorter quizzes! • Appoint students a special “buddy” Handling Paperwork

15. Time is ticking! This is such a great picture… We’re wasting time!! We hope we didn’t waste your time!!!