Get Them Involved!
I have to say, one of my biggest strengths as a teacher has been my pessimism. This has helped me to avoid multitudes of trouble. Whenever I'm planning a lesson, the first things that come to my mind are the ways things can go wrong, and then I set out to fix them before they go bad. Of course, I don't always think of everything, but for the most part, I've had some pretty successful activities in my classroom.I'm always trying to think of ways to make sure EVERYONE is participating. I have to admit, I have some fantastic actors in my classroom. They seem to be listening with rapt attention to every word I say, but when it comes to putting the pencil to the paper...they don't have a clue. I've come up with a couple of ways to encourage my Oscar winners to to quit acting and actually participate:
Start the lawnmower...
Well, that's just one of them.... Each student has a piece of paper and pencil. I come up with the question and tell the students to write down their answer, keep it covered and stand up when they are through answering the question. Right away I notice my little actors looking around and trying to figure out how they can be someone who's standing up. After enough time for most of the students to answer, I call time and tell everyone to switch papers (or just show their paper to their neighbor) and then I work out the question on the board. Anyone who got the answer wrong sits down and those who remain standing do some kind of task. These might be hop 5 times, spin around 3 times, do your best touchdown dance, impersonate a water sprinkler, the latest dance move or start the lawnmower (it's a pull lawn mower and they have to do the sound effects). This is usually enough incentive to get some of my kids to pay attention so they know what they need to do in order to be able to participate.Check 2, Help 1...
This one is my favorite. I came up with it a few years ago and have worked out the kinks so that it works wonders now (and my kids LOVE it). It gives them a chance to talk with their friends, show what they know, and move around the room. Here's how it works:
I post a question and the kids work it out. When they have the answer written on their paper they stand up and keep their answer covered. I usually wait for about 3 students to stand then I choose one and check their work. If it's wrong I just say, "No" and they sit down and try again. I go check another student. If it's correct, I say, "Check 2, help 1" then step back and watch.
I post a question and the kids work it out. When they have the answer written on their paper they stand up and keep their answer covered. I usually wait for about 3 students to stand then I choose one and check their work. If it's wrong I just say, "No" and they sit down and try again. I go check another student. If it's correct, I say, "Check 2, help 1" then step back and watch.
By this time, more students have started to stand up. The student who I just checked goes to 2 other students(one at a time) who are standing and CHECKS their work (they can only say, "Yes" or "No" and then they move on. No explaining.) They then find someone who is still working on the question (sitting) and they HELP them get to the correct answer.
As students who are standing get their work checked, they go out and check more students. This quickly gets everyone's work checked. After checking, they're spreading out helping kids who need help. All without me.
After each student has checked 2 and helped 1, they go back to their seat and sit down facing backwards (so they aren't confused with those who are sitting because they need help). If there aren't enough students left to be check or helped, the student just sits down facing backwards.
Many times I don't wait until everyone has the correct answer. I just call, "Time", everyone goes back to their seat or turns and faces the front and I quickly go over the question then post a new one.
Things I've had to stress:
We have a long talk on what "help" means...I tell them to be a teacher. I then remind them that most of the time when they need help, I don't tell them what to do, but I am mostly asking questions to lead them to the right answer. I also make it illegal for the "helping" student to write on the "helpees" paper.
Students may only interact with THREE people then they sit down.
If someone is already being checked or helped no one else can check or help them.
If someone is sitting, they cannot send the student who came to "help" them away. They may, however, say, "I don't need help." and continue working. The student who came to "help" must stay at the desk until the sitting student is finished working, then he looks over his work and tells him whether he's right or wrong. If he's right, that student gets up and starts checking. If he's wrong, the 2 students work it out together until he's right and can go check other student's work.
If the student I checked (first student) checks 2 people and both of them are wrong, everyone has to wait while he finds someone who is sitting and "helps" him to get to the correct answer. That student then goes and checks 2 and helps one.
I tell my kids that as soon as I say, "Time", they are to stop what they are doing, sit down facing the front and get quiet or we will stop the activity. (I also tell them that if I see that they are playing and not doing things correctly this will also stop the activity). It only takes one time each year of me stopping in the middle of "Check 2 Help 1" and going straight to "Here's a worksheet since you aren't following directions". After that, they police each other and the activity runs extremely smoothly.
Those are a couple of my favorites in my bag of tricks. I'll be posting more soon.
As students who are standing get their work checked, they go out and check more students. This quickly gets everyone's work checked. After checking, they're spreading out helping kids who need help. All without me.
After each student has checked 2 and helped 1, they go back to their seat and sit down facing backwards (so they aren't confused with those who are sitting because they need help). If there aren't enough students left to be check or helped, the student just sits down facing backwards.
Many times I don't wait until everyone has the correct answer. I just call, "Time", everyone goes back to their seat or turns and faces the front and I quickly go over the question then post a new one.
Things I've had to stress:
We have a long talk on what "help" means...I tell them to be a teacher. I then remind them that most of the time when they need help, I don't tell them what to do, but I am mostly asking questions to lead them to the right answer. I also make it illegal for the "helping" student to write on the "helpees" paper.
Students may only interact with THREE people then they sit down.
If someone is already being checked or helped no one else can check or help them.
If someone is sitting, they cannot send the student who came to "help" them away. They may, however, say, "I don't need help." and continue working. The student who came to "help" must stay at the desk until the sitting student is finished working, then he looks over his work and tells him whether he's right or wrong. If he's right, that student gets up and starts checking. If he's wrong, the 2 students work it out together until he's right and can go check other student's work.
If the student I checked (first student) checks 2 people and both of them are wrong, everyone has to wait while he finds someone who is sitting and "helps" him to get to the correct answer. That student then goes and checks 2 and helps one.
I tell my kids that as soon as I say, "Time", they are to stop what they are doing, sit down facing the front and get quiet or we will stop the activity. (I also tell them that if I see that they are playing and not doing things correctly this will also stop the activity). It only takes one time each year of me stopping in the middle of "Check 2 Help 1" and going straight to "Here's a worksheet since you aren't following directions". After that, they police each other and the activity runs extremely smoothly.
Those are a couple of my favorites in my bag of tricks. I'll be posting more soon.
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