9/9 Using Learning Time Wisely

One thing I have noticed my master teacher doing well is making use of all the time available for learning. First, she makes sure she is there to pick up students in the morning and after recess a few minutes early so they are back in the classroom on-time. She also makes use of all the odd time we have in the schedule between specialists, lunch, and recess by planning short lessons to fit these times. When she had 5 minutes left until lunch, she used it to teach a mini-lesson on what makes a sentence. When she had 10 minutes left at the end of the day when another lesson ran short, she pulled the read-aloud for the next day and read it. At lunch, she reads a chapter book as the kids are eating (kids eat in the classroom). Not only does this help with behavior as she walks around showing the pictures to the kids, it adds another learning time. Over the year, all of these little times will add up to affect the amount of teaching and learning time her students receive.