- Starting each class period off the right way is key to the success of any lesson plan.
- There is no one way to start a class.
- There are plenty of options – find what fits your style and your students’ needs.
Educators focus so much on effective lesson planning, posting targets, differentiating for students, and communicating with parents. But let’s be real, all this only works if you start the right way!
To tell you the truth, I have had many heated discussions around this topic. Whether it’s an institute day introducing a “brand new” strategy for the classroom – which always seems to look like an old song and dance with a new title – or having a discussion with Chad and Tiff about what makes for an ideal classroom, this topic of “how to begin a class” is difficult to ignore. My question for you is: what does starting your class better mean for you?
While student teaching, I remember learning it was essential to motivate students to begin working right away. There is no time to waste – clock is ticking!
Get each student seated – Check!
Keep them busy – Check!
Dive into new content – Check!
The start of your class period is just as much for management as it is to set the culture of your classroom. Click To TweetBELLRINGER
Bell ringers are wonderful to use to begin your class! And the set up can be very manageable for busy teachers.
STEP 1 : Find 30 minutes each Sunday to set up your bell ringers for the week. Consider what your students may be learning about during the upcoming week. A bell ringer could be used to preview a new idea, summarize an idea already mastered, or take a quick poll on your students’ feelings on a topic. Choose whichever fits your fancy! (and give yourself permission to change it up)
STEP 2 : Determine your method! What do you want your students to do to show they have completed the bell ringer?
A bell ringer could be organized 100 different ways! Some teachers love to use a weekly bell ringer page – pick one up on Monday and fill it out each day to begin class! Or, change it up – ask students to report their answer on a post it or simply share their idea with the person next to them.
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One of my favorites was to give each student a small piece of paper with a problem on it. After completing the question, I asked them to sort their sheet into three buckets :
RED – I am not confident with my answer
YELLOW – I am feeling Okay with my answer, but unsure on some of the steps
GREEN – I got this!
STEP 3 : Teach your students the procedures. Consider the following common questions:
What is expected when I walk into the classroom?
Is this for a grade?
What is the purpose behind our bell ringer?
Where do I put my bell ringer?
How do we transition from the bell ringer to other classroom activities?
While I know thousands of teachers use this bell ringer strategy successfully, it’s not for everyone. I distinctly remember the day I hit my breaking point while trying to implement this process. Frustrated, I thought, “This could not be how classes would start for the rest of my career.” So I made a decision to try something else.
One day, I did not display a bell ringer on the board for the students to complete. This was completely unexplored territory for my students (and for me).
The class bell rang and I parked myself in the back of the room on a tall stool. With 30 pairs of eyes on me, I asked them a very honest question, “What do you want the room to be like when you walk in?”
Students were quiet. As I persisted to ask them to be honest, our discussion spiraled into students voicing their frustration. Common phrases such as, “I always feel rushed,” “It makes me so anxious,” or “bell ringers take away from our work time” echoed in the classroom. I even had a student, Payten, tell me she only liked me during the second part of class. At the beginning of the hour, I was mean and unapproachable.
SET YOUR SPACE
As a class, we agreed to try a “Slow Start.” Each day, I would display a visual of what their learning space should look like for our mini lesson. Students agreed to match their learning space to the board to show they were ready to learn.
The remaining minutes before the bell, we dubbed “Student Time.” Students could reflect on their goals and get mentally ready to be an engaged learner. For many students, this meant finishing a conversation with a peer, sending a quick text message to a parent about a canceled practice, or sitting quietly and taking a moment for themselves.
Then, when the bell rang, we would begin.
STUDENTS BEGINNING CLASS
While the Slow Start was working, there was a missing element. I wanted the students to begin taking ownership over the beginning of our class – just as I was encouraging them to take ownership over other pieces of my classroom.
So, when the bell rang, a group of students would start the class with a call and repeat. The funny phrase was then echoed by students and myself.
Some of the phrases were taken off Pinterest …
“Holy Moly – Guacamole!”
“To Infinity – And Beyond!”
While others where inside jokes from the classroom…
“Where is my Pencil? – Kevin!”
“Who’s the best? – Me Me Me Me Me!”
“What’s that sound? – They are coming!”
“Fo Real? – Really Really!”
Did this process result in a laugh? Well, yes. Quite often it did. But that’s how I wanted my classroom to begin. With a unified laugh and focus on learning! This act was a transfer of ownership from “Student Time” to “Teacher Time.”
CONCLUSION
When it comes to identifying your best way to get started, the reality is – not every strategy is for every classroom. So, be you! The start of your class period is just as much for management as it is to set the culture of your classroom! So, what ever you choose, structure & routine is key. Make sure you communicate the “why” to your students. Then, reflect after a few weeks!
If you keep these few things in mind while making a decision, you’ll be golden either way.
About Rae Hughart
Rae Hughart is a Middle Level Math and Writing Educator in Illinois and the Director of Training and Development for Progressive Mastery Learning, LLC. In 2017, Rae was honored with the Illinois State University Outstanding Young Alumni Award – inducting her into the University Hall of Fame.
