Author Topic: Double Lessons (80 mins) (Read 1323 times)

emeraldabroad87 · « **on:** March 28, 2017, 05:46:21 PM »

I've been thrown in at the deep end with both mixed grades and double lessons with no break in between. There wasn't any training on how to overcome this type of situation and there are not many resources available so I thought this thread may come in useful for those in the same boat.

It's been a lot of trial and error for me, which is still going on but I'll endeavour to share my successful lessons with you guys which will hopefully come in handy for some.

This lesson was for Grade 3 & 4 with low level English. I taught them the vocab in the first 40 mins and then the key expressions in the second.

Lowfoam · « **Reply #1 on:** March 29, 2017, 11:52:41 AM »

A tip for me is I make it a lot easier. I take it this is an afterschool class?

I'd recommend puttig a small break in between classes. Just a quick 5 minutes. It gives them enough time to decompress and get up to go to the bathroom and drink some water and everything. It's really helped me out, too.

That way I can break it into two sections and help them transition from Part I to Part II of the class.

I'm in the same boat as you. I had no idea what to do for my afterschool 3-4th grade kids in an 80 minute block class. Luckily I had a semester do plan it!

My teachers tried to tell me no break, but I was like well they need it because if I don't give them just five minutes they will run out and disappear for ten to go hide in the bathrooms on the pretense that they need to use them!

emeraldabroad87 · « **Reply #2 on:** March 29, 2017, 12:10:50 PM »

Quote from: Lowfoam on March 29, 2017, 11:52:41 AM

A tip for me is I make it a lot easier. I take it this is an afterschool class?

I'd recommend puttig a small break in between classes. Just a quick 5 minutes. It gives them enough time to decompress and get up to go to the bathroom and drink some water and everything. It's really helped me out, too.

That way I can break it into two sections and help them transition from Part I to Part II of the class.

I'm in the same boat as you. I had no idea what to do for my afterschool 3-4th grade kids in an 80 minute block class. Luckily I had a semester do plan it!

My teachers tried to tell me no break, but I was like well they need it because if I don't give them just five minutes they will run out and disappear for ten to go hide in the bathrooms on the pretense that they need to use them!

Yes, it's afterschool. I've been told they can't have a break as the school bus waits for them already but I think 5 minutes is a good idea. I also have 4x 3rd graders an 1x 4th grader that have to leave halfway through so makes planning games, etc a bit of a nightmare!

If you have any other pointers I'd be more than grateful!

What?What? · « **Reply #3 on:** March 29, 2017, 12:26:08 PM »

I also have 80 minute lessons, and we have an informal 10 minute break to go to the loo and pay go fish or listen to some music. I generally try and divide my lesson up into small sections:

5 minute ice breaker (human knot, hangman, kids dance video or the likes)
5 minute review
10 minutes on vocab and expressions
10 minute read and writing activity (practice)
10 minute listening and speaking activity (practice)
Break 10 minutes

30 minute Production craft/ task (e.g. food - make a menu; emotions - make go fish emotion cards; make a puppet show, role play etc)

The task section helps a lot.

emeraldabroad87 · « **Reply #4 on:** March 29, 2017, 03:45:41 PM »

Quote from: What?What? on March 29, 2017, 12:26:08 PM

I also have 80 minute lessons, and we have an informal 10 minute break to go to the loo and pay go fish or listen to some music. I generally try and divide my lesson up into small sections:

5 minute ice breaker (human knot, hangman, kids dance video or the likes)
5 minute review
10 minutes on vocab and expressions
10 minute read and writing activity (practice)
10 minute listening and speaking activity (practice)
Break 10 minutes

30 minute Production craft/ task (e.g. food - make a menu; emotions - make go fish emotion cards; make a puppet show, role play etc)

The task section helps a lot.

Thanks so much! I'll give this structure a go and see how it works with my classes.

gprinziv · « **Reply #5 on:** March 29, 2017, 06:17:41 PM »

@What?What?

Thanks for the input. I have 80 min 3/4 and 5/6 classes at one of my schools and I'm honestly struggling because they're not after-class affairs. For the 3/4 I dedicate a good 20-30 minutes to phonics, but the 5/6 just got merged this week and I was at a loss as to how I'd teach the class.

What?What? · « **Reply #6 on:** March 29, 2017, 06:56:45 PM »

Only a pleasure. I learned by trial and error and this structure might work for you, it might not. My advice, just keep trying different things until it starts flowing, I just know that my attention span is the same as my kids, so I have to try and switch things up a bit to stay awake.

kriztee · « **Reply #7 on:** March 30, 2017, 03:39:15 PM »

I had some 80 minute afterschool classes last year and I also found it easier to use the last 40 minutes or a big game or activity. What I did was tink of the 80 minute class like 40 minute classes so then it was 2 weeks spent on a certain topic. First 40 introducing and going listening games. After that I had then do an activity. Third 40 minute section was for reading. The last 40 was split for 20 minutes writing and 20 mins doing a bomb game.

I understand that it's a mixed class and some of the kids leave half way through, but you can make it easier on the kids and yourself if you take the last part of the 80 minutes to let them do something that's more creative for them. Something that won't screw up your lessons if half the kids haven't learned it. E.g. a unit on family, they could learn the words and sentences and play quick game in the beginning, then for the second half let them draw their family, practice talking with a friend then introduce the family. Let them go crazy and even invent a new character with a random family. The kids who leave won't have missed too much but then the kids there for the whole time aren't dying from a long lesson and you're not dying either.

emeraldabroad87 · « **Reply #8 on:** April 18, 2017, 07:42:17 PM »

Quote from: What?What? on March 29, 2017, 12:26:08 PM

I also have 80 minute lessons, and we have an informal 10 minute break to go to the loo and pay go fish or listen to some music. I generally try and divide my lesson up into small sections:

5 minute ice breaker (human knot, hangman, kids dance video or the likes)
5 minute review
10 minutes on vocab and expressions
10 minute read and writing activity (practice)
10 minute listening and speaking activity (practice)
Break 10 minutes

30 minute Production craft/ task (e.g. food - make a menu; emotions - make go fish emotion cards; make a puppet show, role play etc)

The task section helps a lot.

Hi What?What?,

Just wanted to say thanks again as this structure is working really well in my lessons and the kids who leave halfway through are still picking everything up.

Thank you!

ashwalton · « **Reply #9 on:** April 19, 2017, 11:51:12 AM »

I have been doing 80 min long afternoon classes for months now. When I first started I had no idea what I was doing and it took alot of trial and error to get down the perfect routine for me and my students. I have found that a set schedule with lots of small sections helps best for me.

1: Greeting (How are you? How's the weather? etc...) 3-5 min
2: Review last weeks lesson 5 min
3: Verb Time (Every week I teach my students 5 new verbs, we write them down in past, present, and future tense then I give them sample sentences and have them make their own. This way they are getting pratice with making their own sentences and expanding their vocabulary) (I started with verbs but next semester I'm planning on doing nouns with them) 10 min
4: Break the Code (this is an intro activity where they have to break a secret code I have taught them to learn what todays topic and vocabulary are) 10 min
5: Practice Dialog (My class is a conversation class so I make up a dialog with changeable sections, then we read through the template first all together. I assign students parts and have the different fills in on the board. They take turns reading through it with the fill in I give them until all of them have read it about 3 times) (I only have 5 students so it doesnt take that long) 10 mins
6: 10 min break
7: A game (usually a bomb game) reviewing what we learned today with a few questions from previous weeks thrown in for fun 20 min
8: Puzze Activity (I created a puzzle craft for them, I put together a big puzzle at home, something they would like, right now I have a One Piece one for my boys and a BTS one for my girls, I flip the puzzle to the back side and break it into small sections. In each section I write the key expressions and new verbs. They get a small section every week and they have to put it together looking at the back where I have written on it, pictures on the TV so they know how its suppose to look. After its together they can flip it to see the picture side and then add it to the previous weeks which I keep on a table in the back. After 12 weeks they have fully put the puzzle together.) 10 min
9: Time for them to leave, but to exit my classroom they have answer a question from me. I tell them a verb and a tense and they have to tell me its correct form (ex. To think past tense: thought)

Hope this helps any teachers out their struggling with how in the world to enterain a small handful of students all alone for 80 mins!

What?What? · « **Reply #10 on:** April 25, 2017, 04:20:20 PM »

Quote from: emeraldabroad87 on April 18, 2017, 07:42:17 PM

Quote from: What?What? on March 29, 2017, 12:26:08 PM
I also have 80 minute lessons, and we have an informal 10 minute break to go to the loo and pay go fish or listen to some music. I generally try and divide my lesson up into small sections:

5 minute ice breaker (human knot, hangman, kids dance video or the likes)
5 minute review
10 minutes on vocab and expressions
10 minute read and writing activity (practice)
10 minute listening and speaking activity (practice)
Break 10 minutes

30 minute Production craft/ task (e.g. food - make a menu; emotions - make go fish emotion cards; make a puppet show, role play etc)

The task section helps a lot.

Hi What?What?,

Just wanted to say thanks again as this structure is working really well in my lessons and the kids who leave halfway through are still picking everything up.

Thank you!

Oh I am so glad to hear that.

Author Topic: Double Lessons (80 mins) (Read 1323 times)

emeraldabroad87

Double Lessons (80 mins)

Lowfoam

Re: Double Lessons (80 mins)

emeraldabroad87

Re: Double Lessons (80 mins)

What?What?

Re: Double Lessons (80 mins)

emeraldabroad87

Re: Double Lessons (80 mins)

gprinziv

Re: Double Lessons (80 mins)

What?What?

Re: Double Lessons (80 mins)

kriztee

Re: Double Lessons (80 mins)

emeraldabroad87

Re: Double Lessons (80 mins)

ashwalton

Re: Double Lessons (80 mins)

What?What?

Re: Double Lessons (80 mins)

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