5 ideas from my teachers toolkit

Five ideas from my teachers toolkit to put to work in your classroom.

5. Location, location, location — tape two areas on the floor in your classroom and train your children that when you stand in one that you are going to share new/ important information and when you stand in the other you are going to give a re-cap for those who need it.

4. Jigsaw instuctions — have two or three or even four differentiated sheets with a bit of a recap from last lesson and a list of tasks to start doing. Cut them into random shapes, drop them into an envelope and write ‘Go!’ on the envelope. Say nothing else and see how it pans out.

3. Write to pupils individually — over the course of the year, be sure to write a letter to each child in your class. Tell them what you see in them, about the good parts of their character, what their superpower is and why you are proud of them. Give them three copies, one for them to keep, one for their parents and one to share with another adult in school. This is one of the most powerful tools I have in my kit and I use it every week without fail.

2. Tape an activity to the desks — wordsearches, how to draw, anything that they can start on right away. It really doesn’t matter if multiple pupils use the same sheet, what matters is that whilst they do that, you are keeping them in “un-trouble”.

1. Raffle — give out raffle tickets like smarties. In the right seat? Great — raffle ticket. Not talking when someone is trying to distract them? Great — raffle ticket. At the same time target questions to individuals for a preparation free starter. If the pupil can’t answer, open that question to the class, then move on to the next targeted question. Hit them hard and fast with revision questions. Every week/ half term have a draw with a prize that is preferably something they always need — like the contents of a pencil case for example.