teaching large classes with pizzaz

“Do Now” Activity• Read the handout “Directions”

• Choose the one you think is the most important.

Teaching Large Classes

with PIZZAZ

Rae RobertsSenior English Language Fellow

What are the issues?1) In groups, make a list of what is

difficult about classroom managementYou have 8 min.

2) Move to another group’s list. Discuss suggestions for the other group. You have 7 minutes.

3) Explain your suggestions to the other group. You have 5 min per group.

What are the issues?• Not enough

–class time–student practice time

• speaking, listening, • reading, writing

–resources• Classroom management

redesign

Classroom managementHow to have more class time?

Start on time– do the mathHow many classes per year? 157 (3 trimesters)Take the 157 x 5 min =785 min785/60 (min) =13 hours10 min = 26 hours or 13 full classes

Attendance/Late arrivals

DO NOW activitiesStudent-lead activities:

Write day and date on boardWrite homework on the board

–Take attendance–Collecting homework–Movement into groups–Student lead song-lyrics on poster

–game boards/activity box/reading

Do now activitiesTeacher Provided activities -Thinking question related to today’s or a past lesson.

–Listening to music in English–Watching a short video in English

–Completing a task in the book–Speaking activity–Vocabulary review puzzles

http://www.puzzlemaker.com

http://bogglesworldesl.com/esl_games.htm

http://bogglesworldesl.com

Wor

d

docu

men

t

Contribute to the calm

Eliminating confusionClass routines and rules

Warmer reviews/quizzes/movement

Clear directions—WHY?Comprehension check directions

At or below level

“Do Now” Activity

• In your group- divide the reading handout “Directions”

• EACH person decides which ONE of their assigned directions is most important

Classroom management

How to have more class time?Eliminating confusion

Class routines and rules warmer reviews/quizzes/movement

Clear directions

Not enough? How to get more???• Student speaking practice- Do the

Math• How many minutes do you usually

use small groups (3-4 persons) in ONE class period? (120 min?)

• (Divide the minutes by 4) • Example: 16 min./4 =• How many minutes do you use pairs? (Divides the minutes by 2) example: 10 min/2 =

4

5

• Let’s do the math.• How much time does 1 student

have?• Add the small group minutes to

the pair minutes.

How many minutes is one class?• Now-subtract the number of

minutes for groups and pairs: 120-(16+10)= 94

120?

9

How much time do YOU have to practice your English in the class?

• EACH student has 9 minutes of oral practice.

• YOU have 94 minutes of oral practice!

•Yikes!

Lesson Plan audit• How can you make your activities

more student driven?– Think/pair/share– Pairs/groups—must produce a product– Information gap activities

How much time do teachers usually wait after asking a question?

How to get more student reading time ???• “Reading box” lending library• Reading clubs• Student created reading posters• Fast finishers activities or do now

activities.• Reader’s daily 1 minute report• Reader’s journals/list

How to get more student writing time ???• Do now activities• 1 sentence/paragraph

recommendations• Student driven newspaper• Peer reviewers• Student driven rubrics• Poetry contest• Posters

How to get more resources?

• Kids National Geographic (Kids.nationalgeographic.com) • Teen Ink (teenink.com)• Randall’s listening lab• (Esl-lab.com)• Ask students for recommendations/

– reading or website contributions

http://www.eslfast.com/supereasy/index.htm

http://www.kids.nationalgeographic.com/kids

teenink.com

http://www.teenink.com

http://esl-lab.com/

• Your ideas and suggestions?

Teaching Large Classes

with PIZZAZ

Rae RobertsSenior English Language Fellow

roberts_rae@yahoo.com