04/29/09

As a first year teacher, I am still learning some tricks that help with class management and ways to help lengthen the time I have to teach by shortening the other mundane tasks. In 6th grade, one of those tasks is passing out papers. I used to pass them out by row which took some time because I didn't always have them in row order. Obviously, you simply tell the students to pass all papers forward and once they are forward, then you pass them down the front row without mixing your papers with the other row's papers. This sort of thing is easy. However, what seemed difficult to me is getting them to pass their papers forward in a timely fashion. I don't know what it was, but when the speed drills were done it seemed to take too long to get the papers passed up. It also took some time before I could get them to pass up graded homework after they were done looking at it.

So, one day I watched as they passed up their papers and gave candy to the fastest row. I then told them that you never know when I will have candy. I won't have it every day, but some days I will and if you are the fastest row, then you will get a treat. The second day I tried this, I noticed that once Sabina had finished her speed drill, she turned around before the time was up and was waiting for Freud. As soon as he finished his speed drill, she grabbed it and waited for me to call the time and then fired them forward. I get all the speed drills much faster than before, however they are a little wrinkled up because of the fury. The students also tell each other to hurry up and you can see that some are pushing for their row to be the fastest.

This has been going on for a few months now and today, Mike, who sits in the front of one of the rows, wanted to be the first. I don't think his row had won before, but today was a new day. As soon as I called the time, he jumped out of his seat, ran to the back of his row and snapped the speed drill out of Rose Glendine's hand. He then proceeded forward as he snatched each succeeding person's paper until he was back to his seat with a big grin of achievement. He won and the whole class erupted in laughter. This is one of the many reasons I love teaching 6th grade math.