Starting Off Right!
Experienced teachers have likely employed “seat-work” strategies right at the beginning of the class or lesson. I have heard these techniques being referred to as “sponge” activities or “Bell work.” Regardless of what they are called, when planned well, these activities can get the lesson off on the right foot by helping to quiet the class, focus the students, and ground the lesson.
Some tips for these activities:
• Have the activity ready to roll, either on a handout pre-placed on the student’s desk or on the board.
• The activities should be an individual quiet task. This is not a time for group work or “turn/talk” time. Instruct and train students that this work should be done silently without any questions.
• Give a specific and short time limit for completion, say a minute or two.
• The seat work should be a review related to a learning recently done or as an “anticipatory set” to that lesson.
• The seat work should be very specific such as “write the 4 reasons why__________, solve the 5 problems below, list the main characters in_______.”
• Utilize these few quiet minutes to set the tone for the lesson, take attendance, check that homework was done, and/or check in on some specific student needs.
• Make sure to incorporate the activity completed by reviewing the assignment, checking for understanding, or by using it within the lesson.
