Here is a great teacher sponge activity know as Silent Math.

This activity requires students to answer math questions with nonverbal finger signals.

Students are taught the nonverbal signals for adding (crossed pointer fingers), subtracting (horizontal pointerfinger), multiplying (forearms crossed in an X), and dividing (one hand horizontal and the pointer and thumb from the other hand placed above and below as dots).

The teacher gives the class a problem (i.e. 3 + 5) using the nonverbal signlas, then nods for the class to signal their nonverbal answer back. Students are to place nonverbal signals close to their chest to prevent cheating.

Silent Math can also be done with upper grade levels…The teacher can simply ask a multi-step problem such as 10 x 10 x 7 ÷ 5 ÷ 10 - 8. The teacher just needs to make sure the final answer is 10 or less in order to be able to signal the correct answer.

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Recently I have discussed how student “downtime” or “dead time” during a lesson might lead to classroom management issues and how teachers should have pre-planned activities ready to go for when this happens.  In a recent post I mentioned “cool down” activities that are independent, student-led activities.

However, teachers should also have a number of teacher-led “sponge” activities ready to go on a moments notice.  Sponge activities are great for those days when a teacher’s lesson falls short of using the entire class period leaving the teacher with potential classroom management issues.  However, sponge activities can also be used while standing in line, waiting for dismissal, or whenever the need to eliminate downtime arises.

Again, these are different then the “cool down” activities as these are teacher led…

Here are a couple of examples…

1. Categories
This is a sponge activity in which the students have to guess what “category” the teacher is referring to.  For example, a teacher may say, “Roosevelt, Lincoln, Washington…” and the students are supposed to guess the “category”…which is obviously…Presidents of the United States.

This can be done with any subject area and any grade level.  Here is another example…”2, 8, 4, 10″…(category…even numbers)

2. You Can Have…But You Can’t Have…
This sponge activity is similar to “Categories”, but in this activity the teacher provides an example and a non-example of a concept and the students try to guess the concept.

For example, “You can have Tampa, but you can’t have Florida”…”You can have San Francisco, but you can’t have California” (concept is…city, but not its state)

Remember, effective sponge activities are short, require little or no materials, are easy and fun. 

Sponge activities give teachers an opportunity to reinforce previously learned material and most importantly, decrease the likelihood of classroom management problems.

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Yesterday, during our department meeting I was discussing with other teachers the importance of using a timing device in the classroom.

A classroom timer (egg timer, stop watch etc.) can be an extremely effective classroom management tool…in fact, I made a post on my forum how this is the single most important tool I use a teacher. You can read about it here: http://teaching-tips-machine.com/forum/index.php?topic=19.0

Basically, I put my students “on-the-clock” for every task.  I tell them exactly how much time they have to complete the task, I then check for understanding, and then set the timer.

What happens when the timer goes off is simply amazing…the students stop what they are doing and listen for the next set of directions…without me having to say a word…it is fantastic.

Every teacher I know that has implemented this simple teaching strategy just loves it…that’s right every teacher…I have yet to meet a teacher who has tried using a timing device in their class and not been thrilled with the results.

You can pick up a cheap timer at radio shack or amazon.com or you can use an online timer and show it on your computer screen or project it using an lcd projector.

I did a quick Google search for “classroom timer” and here are a couple of the online timers I found:

http://www.vickiblackwell.com/timer.html

http://edtech.kennesaw.edu/intech/javatimer/javatimer.html

http://ideas.sctboces.org/programs/timer/

Whatever you choose, I strongly recommend that teachers use some type of timing device to effectively manage their class.

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To gain an arsenal of effective teaching strategies that you can start applying to your very next class read eTeach: A Teacher Resource for Learning the Strategies of Master Teachers @ www.TeachingTeacher.com/ 

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As I mentioned in a recent post, student downtime can create a classroom management nightmare for teachers.

It is inevitable that some students will finish an activity before other students. So what types of activities should teachers have prepared for when this happens?

I suggest having a number of “cool-down” activities that are ready to go on a moments notice.

What’s a “cool-down” activity?

It is similar to a “warm-up” activity, but since it is on the back end I call it a “cool-down” activity instead.

Cool-downs are usually short tasks (only a few minutes) that the students can accomplish on their own without the need of teacher assistance.

Teachers can use these cool-down activities over and over again regardless of what chapter, concepts, or vocabulary they are currently teaching.

Here are some examples of cool-down activities:
1. Write down three questions about ______________.
2. Brainstorm and create a list on everything you know about _____________ .
3. Look up the word ______. Write the definition in your own words.
4. Scan chapter _____ for all terms in bold print. Put the terms into two columns…terms you know and terms you do not know.
5. Describe at least one way that learning about ___________ can help you in the future.

Of course, a teacher’s cool-down activities would have to be adjusted depending on grade level. Younger grades may simply have students put selected words in alphabetical order, or create specific counting patterns, while older grades may get much more in depth by having students answer critical thinking questions.

Regardless of grade level, I suggest having a number of different cool-down activities permanently written on a transparency so each one can be easily displayed on a moments notice.

A teacher may even want to keep a few up on the board and let the students choose which one they want to do.

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What do you do when you are faced with student downtime?
Come discuss this at the Teaching Tips Machine Forum @
www.TeachingTipsMachine.com/forum
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How to Answer the Most Important Teacher Interview Question
by Adam Waxler

As someone who has sat on countless teacher interview committees I can honestly say that I am still surprised at how many potential teachers get the “classroom management” question wrong.

The truth is…how you answer the “classroom management” question can be the difference between getting that perfect teaching job or not.

Without a doubt, at some point in your teacher interview you will be asked some type of classroom management question. Such as, “How do you handle classroom management issues?”

This is an extremely important question.

However, like I said, this is where many potential teachers fail the interview.

Here are some tips…

First of all, make sure you clearly express that classroom management is not about rewards and punishments, but rather it is about keeping your students actively involved in all of your lessons…that you are a proactive teacher as opposed to a reactive teacher.

Make sure to explain to your potential employer that the best “classroom management plan” is a strong “instructional plan”. In other words, you do not rely on elaborate systems of rewards and punishments to address classroom management issues, but instead you find it much more effective to be proactive.

Next, at this point in your answer, it is very effective to explain the major reasons “why” classroom management issues arise and “how” you plan on addressing those classroom management issues.

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If you’re looking for more information on how and why classroom management issues arise make sure to sign up for my free classroom management e-course here: http://www.classroom-management-tips.com/

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Just to give you an idea, I might say something like this…

“Classroom management issues arise for 2 main reasons: 1) boredom; 2) confusion. Addressing both of these issues starts from the second the students enter the classroom. By keeping students actively involved throughout the lesson the students will not get bored…”

Of course, it is imperative that you specifically explain how you are going to do this. You must show your interviewers that you are not all theory, but that you actually apply what you say to the classroom. Therefore, your answer must be as specific as possible with actual examples from actual lessons.

For example, I would explain how I use teaching strategies such as the “all-write” and the “pair & share” to increase class participation from 10% to 100%.

And, I would also “walk” my potential employer through an actual lesson that exemplified how to pull-off a cooperative learning activity, such as a “cooperative jigsaw”, without any classroom management problems.

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If you are unfamiliar with teaching strategies such as the “all-write” and the “pair-share”, I strongly recommend reading my ebook: 52 Teaching Tips @ http://www.52teachingtips.com/

If you are unfamiliar with cooperative jigsaws or are looking for creative group activities I strongly recommend you read my ebook: eTeach: A Teacher Resource for Learning the Strategies of Master Teachers @ http://www.teachingteacher.com/

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All of these activities keep students actively involved and therefore reduce boredom and therefore limit the opportunity for classroom management issues to arise in the first place.

However, that only addresses the “boredom” issue. The other major reason classroom management issues arise has to do with “student confusion”. Therefore, make sure to explain how important it is for teachers to anticipate and clear up any possible confusion about what the students are to do.

Let your interviewer know that you plan to clearly post your daily agenda and objectives to limit student confusion AND that you will certainly discuss both at the beginning of every lesson. (Remember, these things should not be a surprise to your students.) Also, explain how you “check-for-understanding” throughout the lesson by simply having students repeat back your directions.

By letting your interviewers know that you understand why classroom management issues arise and how to address these issues before problems arise you will definitely ace the most important question in the teacher interview.

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If you’re serious about getting a teaching job and want an unfair advantage over the competition then read Your Basic Guide to Acing ANY Teacher Interview @ http://www.TeacherInterviewTips.com/

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