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Classroom Management

Classroom ManagementFitbitTeacher HacksTime Management

Time Management: Using Your Fitbit in the Classroom

by Jennie Webb July 25, 2018

Part of classroom management is time management– ensuring that your students have the time they need to learn and complete tasks without wasting time. Over the past couple of years, I have been using this #teacherhack to keep my class running smoothly.

Set Silent Alarms. The best thing I did was set silent alarms for 2 minutes before the bell rings at the end of each class. You know that it doesn’t matter what you do- if the bell rings, the students are done with your class. By setting a timer, you are making sure that your students hear your final instructions and you are giving them time to clean up and put away materials and papers. We want our students to be organized, right? So, we need to give them a little bit of time to put that homework paper in the right place in their binder if we want them to find it later. You know you’ve seen it: students rushing out a classroom door, leaving behind a mess or important papers that they need, all while the teacher yells, “Don’t forget…!” Giving students just a little time and enforcing that they use it wisely not only helps us, but it helps our students be more organized and better time managers themselves.

The best thing I love about silent alarms is that they are silent. If you set an alarm that students can hear, you may as well have rung the bell. They will be conditioned to pack up and talk as soon as they hear it. With a silent alarm, you are made aware of how much time is left, but you can still have your students working or listening until you are ready for them to stop. I’ve had my silent alarm go off right as a student was making a great point to her classmates. Of course I let her continue. There was so too learning happening! Using an audible alarm would have interrupted the moment and, even if I told the class to keep listening, the learning would have stopped and the student would have been disrespected.

Here’s what I do. When the alarm goes off, I tell the students any final instructions or reminders  and then ask them to get their things together. During this time, they know they can return their calculator, hole-punch their papers, sharpen their pencil, turn in anything, pack up their books, or return any other items that they used or borrowed. My rule for them is that once they have gotten their items together, they need to sit back down. This allows me to see that all materials are returned and there are no papers “accidentally” left on the ground. It also keeps students from simply using these extra minutes to just get up and talk instead of taking care of business. Another rule I have is that students can’t leave the room until I dismiss them. If everything is where it should be, I’ll tell students that they may go when the bell rings. However, if there is something out of place, I will ask them to clean it up or find whatever’s missing before they can leave. It doesn’t take long for students to realize that they can’t get away with wasting the time I give them.

I currently have a Fitbit Versa, so I am able to set alarms and timers on the watch itself. I used to use alarms with a Fitbit Alta. You can find out how to set silent alarms by clicking here.

Use timers. Time can definitely get away from you in the classroom if you let it. You can also use your Fitbit to set timers throughout class. I do a lot of group work and rotations in my classroom, so using timers is helpful to keep me and my students from wasting too much time. Although sometimes a visual timer is good to keep students aware of how much time they have, a timer they can’t see if often better for smaller chunks of time. I’ve found that when students are rotating around in stations, I can’t get a feel for how long they need unless I use a timer. If I don’t time them, I’m inconsistent with how long I give them and sometimes they end up not getting finished while other times they have been finished, waiting, for several minutes. Just like with the silent timers, you’re the only one who knows when time is up, so if you see students need more time, you can always let them keep working and adjust the next timer accordingly. You can time students during bell-ringers (5 minutes), think time (2 minutes), turn and talk time (2 minutes), group work (10 minutes), transitions (1 minute), clean up time (1 minute), independent work (15 minutes), and more. The more aware of time you are, the less distractions can steal your precious class time from you.

If you’ve got other tips for time management in the classroom, leave a comment and let me know.

July 25, 2018 0 comment
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CalculatorsClassroom ManagementMath Resources

How to Manage Your Calculators

by Jennie Webb July 18, 2018

In the new school year, everything is shiny and bright. The floors glisten with a fresh coat of wax and the marker bins are full of bright colors. Everything is in its place.

By the end of the year, you consider it a win if the first dry-erase marker you try works.

Markers get used, pencils break, and paper gets tossed. But one thing that you won’t get a new supply of year after year is calculators. Without proper management, calculators often get lost, marked on, or broken. You and your school most likely can’t afford to replace them, so here a few tips to help you still have all of your calculators at the end of the year.

  1. Number each calculator. Clearly label each calculator. Permanent marker is best (because who can resist peeling or scratching off a sticker?) You might want to put your name or team name on them too.
  2. Have a consistent storage method. Decide where calculators will be stored. It could be their boxes, a calculator caddy or pocket chart, a shoe organizer, or some other location. I use a pocket chart from Amazon that I got for $15. It came with cards, but I printed the numbers on colored paper to brighten it up. Whatever storage method you choose, just make sure it is numbered.
  3. Use a sign-up sheet. Make copies of a sign-up sheet (one for each class you have). I usually use colored paper and put them on a clipboard that is accessible to students during class. Have students sign up for a calculator number and tell them that they will use that same number all year long. I let my students pick any number they want because they will remember it better. But if they forget it, they can always look back at the sign-up sheet.
  4. Give Expectations. Give students clear expectations about how to get their calculators each class, how to use them, and how to return them. For example, I explain to my students they will take a “one-way street” at the beginning of class and pick them up before going to their seat. I tell them to know where their calculator is at all times so it won’t be knocked off their desk. I make sure they know not to write on it and report to me if it’s missing or something is wrong with it. It is important that they also know to return them in the correct place at the end of every class. I set a silent timer 2 minutes before class ends to make sure they have time to properly put everything away. I ask them to not put up calculators for friends because that’s when they tend to end up in the wrong spot. Whatever you want them to do, tell them!
  5. Enforce expectations. Enforce what you say! I don’t let the class leave until every calculator is put back. I remind them of my expectations as needed and they quickly learn that it is just part of our classroom routine. I’m not sure how many times I had to say early on, “We’re still waiting on calculator number…” A little pressure from classmates helps. If something is wrong with a calculator, I track down the student who had it the class before and ask them about it. When students know it is important to you, they will treat materials more respectfully.

Bonus Tip: Keep a stash of little alcohol wipes to clean and disinfect your calculators throughout the year.

What other tips do you have to share? Leave a comment and let me know!

I hope this helps your classroom! Check out more Back-To-School ideas from my friends!

Set High Expectations on Day One

Day 1- Get them Engaged

How to Create Meaningful Anchor Charts to Decorate your Classroom with a Purpose

20 Things To Do Before the New School Year

Managing Lab Supplies

Wake up! Thinking Outside the Box on Day One

An Interior Designer’s Guide to Classroom Design

Tips for Setting Up your Math Classroom

July 18, 2018 4 comments
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About Me

About Me

Hi! I'm Jennie. I live in Kentucky with my husband and two daughters. I have been teaching middle school math for 15 years. I love helping other math teachers by sharing ideas and resources!

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