32. If You Say It, Write It!

Many students need to see the information in order to process it.

33. Consciously Structuring Assignments for Success

Teachers can sabotage students’ success by creating and formatting assignments in a way that makes it difficult for all students to perform the tasks to the best of their ability. Ask yourself these questions as you do your planning:

• Is the assignment reasonable for my students to do?
• Have I allowed enough time for them to complete the work? Cindy Gay suggests that we do the assignment ourselves, double that time, and add 5%. That’s how long most students will need.
• Have I allowed enough white space between questions so that the assignment seems more accessible?
• Have I given them enough room to respond to questions?
• Have I put all parts of a task on the same side of the paper so students don’t have to “carry” information in their head from one page to another? For example, are places to be located on a map listed on the same side as the map?
• Is the text clear and dark, not faded and hard to read?
• Have I given a “likely-to-get-done” due date rather than making the work due after a weekend or long vacation?
• Have I three-hole punched all work I expect them to put in their binders?

34. Daily and Weekly Routines

Routines give structure to what you do, create a comfort base for students who may have little or no other structure in their lives, and cut your planning time by giving you “set” activities to plug in when you make your daily and weekly plans.

Daily Routine

Consider your teaching situation and grade level. Aim to provide structure, but don’t sacrifice your creativity and spontaneity. Here is an example from a high school language arts class:

My daily routine

 _______________________________________________________________________________

 _______________________________________________________________________________

 _______________________________________________________________________________

Weekly Routine

Having consistent activities that are part of several days is very helpful, especially when you plan for a sub! Here is an example of activities always included in the plans for a high school English class:

My weekly routine

 _______________________________________________________________________________

 _______________________________________________________________________________

 _______________________________________________________________________________

 _______________________________________________________________________________

 _______________________________________________________________________________

35. Weekly/Quarterly Calendars

Make an overhead of the calendar for a quarter (or trimester) so you and the students can see where you are in time. This is terrific for students, but just as important for you so you have a clear idea of how many weeks/days there are until vacations or grading deadlines, etc. It works best to make the first part of the quarter on one sheet and the second part of the quarter on another. Make it a Monday routine (or the first day of the school week) and use the overhead for the following activities:

• Cross off the week that has passed.
• Look at the current week and point out important school/class events within the week.
• Note the number of weeks and/or days until grades, vacation, etc.

36. Sticky-Note Planning—the Greatest Hint Ever!

There is nothing that creates more of a mess than having to erase or make changes in your plan book. Here’s the solution: Split your lesson into “chunks” and write each part on a sticky note! This makes rearranging or changing plans a snap, and you can take those same sticky notes and use them the following year.

37. Pre-Planning for a Sub

Picture this: You wake up in the morning with a terrible case of the flu. Even if you manage to call in for a sub, you still have to think about lesson plans. What to do? Have the sub show a video? Aaargh! Call in desperation to see if one of your colleagues can stop by and pick up plans to take to school? Aaargh again!

Be prepared ahead of time! Always have sub plans for the next day ready and on your desk by the end of the day. Be sure to include copies of all papers a sub would need. No having to drag your desperately ill self to school and write out something for the sub to do and/or stand in the copy machine line and/or pray the machine won’t self-destruct when it’s finally your turn.

Even if you don’t need a sub, you’ll walk in the next day with everything set and ready to go. No panicked standing in line at the copy machine line two minutes before class is supposed to start.

Basic Information for Substitutes for Roberta Ford

Please check the schedule taped to my computer to see if I have middle school lounge duty before school at 7:30 and/or study hall (Mr. Kosten’s room) duty 11:20–12:18.

Any special schedule changes/teachers to notify of my absence

 _______________________________________________________________________________

 _______________________________________________________________________________

Schedule 

I am a traveling grammar teacher. My schedule is posted on the wall by my desk and on my cart. There also is a copy in this folder.

Materials 

On the rolling cart next to my desk you will find a “crate” for today with materials for today’s classes. On the top shelf are hanging folders for each class. These have the plans for the day, the attendance folder, the seating chart, and any papers that are needed. There also is a smaller crate at the end that has blank overhead transparencies. On the bottom of the cart you will find additional materials such as dry erase markers, extra pencils, pens, glue sticks, etc. Crates for other days are either on or under the white shelf here behind my desk.

Starting class 

If students are just entering the room at the beginning of my grammar class, they enter without chatting, take the Do Now for the day, go to their assigned seats, and start work immediately. If they are in the room already, hand out the Do Now and proceed without talking. While they are working, take attendance.

Getting their attention 

I use, “Your attention please in 5-4-3-2-1.” Also make sure they maintain eye contact with you during direct instruction.

Stating the objectives 

The objective is the same for every day for every class I teach: SWBAT (students will be able to) apply their knowledge of grammar in various formats.

“Process” the Do Now 

Follow the directions in my plans.

Follow the plans for the day 

These will be standing up in the hanging folder crate-section for each class.

End of the class 

If students stay in the room, please collect any materials you have distributed and have them pick up the “grummies” (bits of trash) on the floor. If they are leaving to go to another room, please collect any materials you have distributed, tell them to pick up the “grummies” (bits of trash) on the floor, and Pack and Stack (except for any tickets out). When they are quiet, dismiss them.

Expectations 

I expect all my students to demonstrate compliance with the school’s REACH objectives and the key REACH objectives which are listed on a sheet in this folder. There are several students for whom we are using “special considerations.” This information is listed in the attendance folder for each class.