One of my biggest pet peeves as a teacher is when students come into class and hangout instead of begin their work or when they start packing up their backpack before class is over. I have a solution that has been making a huge difference in my classroom and want to share it with you.
All of my students must keep a Composition notebook, which we call “Cuaderno de Pensamientos.” It is a requirement on my contract at the beginning of the year. Everyday when students come in my room, I have the “Hazlo ahora” on the board. Students must come in and immediately start working on answering that question in their notebook. During the last 3-5 minutes of class, I have the “Pensamientos” on the board. Which is another question for students to answer in their notebooks. With this, students are always occupied the first 5 minutes of class and the last 5 minutes of class – those tricky times when students tend to be most antsy and off-task.
There are quite a few benefits to using the Cuaderno de Pensamientos. First of all, my students are now in a routine. The moment they walk in my room, they know they need to get their journal out and begin working. The last few minutes of class, we are able to wrap up the lesson because students have come to expect a closure to the lesson. I hold my students accountable with random notebook checks. Once a marking period, I will check their notebook to make sure they have the correct number of entries and are completing all the answers in Spanish. I do not check for grammar/spelling, as this is simply a way to get into Spanish mode and share your thoughts. One more awesome benefit – administration loves it! When they come in and see students working bell to bell, they are thrilled, and so am I!
Here are some ideas to get you started when you introduce the Cuaderno de Pensamientos into your classroom.
Hazlo ahora:
– Grammar capsule – you noticed many mistakes on their assignment from last class, here’s the chance to address them as a class
– Brainstorming – get them warmed up for the lesson (here’s why brainstorming is so important)
– Pre-assessment – a check for understanding before you begin the lesson
– Analyze a rubric – before an assignment, have students see how they will be graded, have them
reflect on what they know they do well, what can they improve upon
Pensamientos
Pensamientos
– Reflections on how the lesson went for them – use an emoji, write their feelings, rate on a scale
from 1-10
– What is one new thing you learned today?
– What is one question you still have?
– How do you feel your presentation/test was? What can you do better next time?
I’ve noticed a big difference with students staying on task by this simple addition to my lessons. What are your strategies for keeping students working from bell to bell?
One Response
I like this idea! I know, I know, brain breaks and all that but I'm into bell-to-bell student engagement. I provide brain breaks by varying the activities and sprinkling in high-engagement activities. Thanks for the post!