Teaching Skills 31 How to Inject Pace Into Lessons

Teaching skills 31 – How to inject pace into lessons

Adopting appropriate pace has always been important, especially for high achieving pupils. Many teachers think that the all singing, all dancing lessons where students barely have time to breathe before the next task is thrown at them, is the way forward. They work on the notion that if students are so busy they will not misbehave. But, it’s also true they need time to evaluate and reflect on what has been learned.

The most successful teachers are those who are able to engender a real sense of purpose into proceedings, but who also provide pupils with thinking and reflection time.

How do you do this?

Starts with good planning

 Make pupil learning the main focus for all planning – what do you want them to achieve ( success criteria ) – keep them busy but provide opportunities to think/reflect – provide them with questions, viewpoints talk partners – MAKE IT CLEAR FROM THE OUTSET you will be seeking a response from them.

 Have a starter / entry task – if it makes them get their books/pens/planners out all the better = crisp start – make sure you don’t need an introduction – everybody has to do it – introduce healthy pressure - build into all lessons – get them used to it

 Always have LO on board – big enough for all to see – I’ve seen good word processed ones with sticky backs, students just stick on to book – saves 5 minutes on average by not waiting for slow writers.

 Write homework on board at same time – tell them they must copy into books at some time in lesson – tell them you will check / and sanction if not done.

Initial Phase of lesson

 Always meet and greet – smile - tell them to get started straight away, no small chat, do not get distracted – scan to check compliance.

 Make sure you have all resources on your desk, ICT up and running – if time, put resources on their desks, if not pile and let them collect as they come in – socialize them to collecting all necessary resources – you have more time to scan and check compliance.

 NEVER DEAL WITH INDIVIDUAL STUDENT QUERIES / QUESTIONS during your introduction / LO & SC - wait until everybody has started and is on task – many students are skilled at asking interesting but delaying questions.

 Do not let any other interruption i.e. late students – affect learning time – deal with them later – use gestures to tell them to sit and start – do not ask “Why?” ever if you can help it.

Core Phase of lesson

 Give your instructions – simply and clearly – verbally and visually ( scaffold ) MANY STUDENTS NEED TO SEE AND HEAR INSTRUCTIONS. – Big enough for all to see.  If low ability or challenging group – produce a task checklist - great idea for developing responsibility, fewer interruptions, the pace of lesson increases and your stress levels are reduced. Produce independent learners, they know more than you think.

 Always break the core of the lesson into timed units – USE REAL TIME _ HAVE A CLOCK and most importantly stick to it. Do not come up short,if you say 10 minutes it has to be 10 minutes. Do not be relaxed about this – Give them verbal countdowns – you have 4 minutes etc. – buzzers , music anything to let them know time is passing – Like master chef, “hurry up you’ve only got 2 minutes to get it on the plate”

 Make your expectations and circumstances of learning clear from the start, be consistent, e.g. working in silence , talk partners for 2 minutes – make sure it is two minutes etc. – don’t do silence for long!

 Set tasks they can achieve, but more importantly, they can discuss and share their contributions with peers and share with the class in a plenary.

 Obviously, good circulation and scanning, keeping them on task – if you find somebody who isn’t working etc. – just put the time in the margin of their exercise book/paper/worksheet – meaning you will be coming back to check – you don’t need to say anything.

End phase

 Always run a plenary session – keep it short, focused and pithy – examples are “you have two minutes to write down two facts you have learned this lesson.”

What has this taught you about yourself…

Draw a quick sketch of what you’ve learned to day

Get students to write questions for their peers or you to answer!

Get feedback from selected students after giving them warning they will be required to feedback to the class at the end of the lesson.