So, I am struggling to keep math whole group instruction short. My first couple of math lessons were long, with lots of eliciting of student thinking, and yet the kids still did poorly on the assessment from the curriculum that follows each lesson, and my CT suggested I shoot for 10 minutes max on whole group instruction.
My new thinking is to start each lesson with a warmup -- something to get the kids thinking about the concept before the group teach starts. I think of it a little like the activation of background knowledge that we talked about in literacy. Then perhaps the group teach could start with kids already focussed on the topic, and it could move a little quicker.
Of course this seems like a no-brainer, but part of the challenge is that the math group lesson is taught when the kids come back from recess, while they eat their snacks. Maybe the warmup activity could be done by table groups, but my class does not have a culture of effective group work... But that's another struggle for another day.
My new thinking is to start each lesson with a warmup -- something to get the kids thinking about the concept before the group teach starts. I think of it a little like the activation of background knowledge that we talked about in literacy. Then perhaps the group teach could start with kids already focussed on the topic, and it could move a little quicker.
Of course this seems like a no-brainer, but part of the challenge is that the math group lesson is taught when the kids come back from recess, while they eat their snacks. Maybe the warmup activity could be done by table groups, but my class does not have a culture of effective group work... But that's another struggle for another day.
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