In-Between Times

By | November 13, 2012

Planning lessons is important for your students.  In-between times, the transitions, need to be planned as well. That’s the time when you can ‘lose’ some students to dis-behavior.

When are the transition times?

* arrival, departure from the classroom

* beginning and end of small groups

* lining up for leaving/returning to the room

* clean-up times

What works?

* set clear expectations from day one and stay consistent until the last day of the school year

* practice those expectations as needed, especially at the first of the year and after vacations and extended classroom breaks

* know where you want the students to end up and tell them how you want them to get there (use well thought-out traffic patterns)

* keep the transitions calm– don’t fill their moving time with a lot of directions and conversation

* praise  the class (verbally) when they make transitions quickly and quietly

* begin next activity quickly after giving the students a brief time to settle in (count down of 5 to zero is usually enough)

If you keep their need for carrying around materials and supplies to a minimum, the transitions will be more efficient. Tubs make a great way to control needed materials and can be organized before they are needed.

When students need a chance to move around, share that break-from-working activity after they make their transition, never during. Older students may not need any break time time beyond moving to their next activity. Younger students may need a directed break such as:

* stretches or yoga moves

* singing a fun action song like “Head, Shoulders, Knees and Toes”

* action game  like  ‘Simon Says’

Settle them back to the activity by another countdown from 5.