![]() Tell kids they’ve got 2 minutes to get everything put away and be prepared for the next activity. Isn’t it funny how something as simple as cleaning up math manipulatives can take ten minutes if you allow it to drag on? The timer is your best friend. Use a backwards countdown or timer to keep things moving. Many students find this extremely helpful, and over time, they will learn to check the board before asking you to give the directions again. Then you can simply point to the board or poster instead of repeating yourself. Write important information in a special place on the board.Īnytime you mention a page number, a time, or any other detail students are likely to forget, make a note of it in a designated section of your board. Which page? Thank you, go ahead.” I’ve also known teachers who give students a moment of silence to think about the directions and visualize themselves following through. Sometimes I’ll say, “Tell your partner what the directions are for this activity” and hold up 10 fingers, slowly putting my fingers down one at a time until I’m at zero, then I release students to begin the activity. Other times I’ll have students repeat the directions back to me in unison: “I need you to take out your math book and turn to page 67. ![]() There are several ways you can do this, and I like to switch it up to keep kids on their toes. Have students repeat directions back to you. For example: “When you hear the magic word which is? Pepperoni.” Young students will listen intently to everything you say in anticipation of hearing the magic word, and you can let kids take turns choosing the magic word for the week to keep their interest up. Choose a silly word like “pepperoni” or a fun vocabulary word and teach students not to lift a finger until they hear you say it. ![]() This is a wonderful trick for elementary-aged students that I picked up from a co-teacher. Use a magic word so students don’t move or talk until you’re done giving directions. Teacher worktime full#I’ve had to be very mindful about enunciating and making sure I’ve given the full directions very clearly. I realized that I’d often given the first part of a direction to the class, and when the classroom began buzzing with the background noise of students getting materials from their desks and whispering to each other, I assumed they knew what to do and didn’t command the same attention for the remainder of the directions. Eventually, my husband pointed out my habit of trailing off mid-sentence and assuming people know what I’m talking about. There have been many times when I gave directions and heard my students whispering to each other afterward, “What’d she say?” even though I was certain I’d been perfectly clear. It can be exhausting, for sure, so here are some tips to help kids listen to your directions and follow them the first time: ![]() A big part of a teacher’s job is teaching students to listen, follow directions, and be self-directed and independent in their work, and that means LOTS of repetition and reinforcement. ![]() Some of you have probably felt like that since September! And that’s perfectly normal. By this point in the school year, you’re probably having some moments when you feel like you’ll lose your mind if you have to repeat yourself one. ![]()
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