Do you do partners with your students?
Partners really help eliminate a lot of nonacademic and also help the kids to take more ownership of their time. For example, instead of having one person answer, you could have everyone turn and tell your partner the answer.
I also have a strict rule in my class that we help our partner all the time. You will often hear me say “Did you ask your partner” at the beginning of the year. Eventually they figure out that partners can help them a lot quicker than I can! This helps keep kids on task long and I love it because I don’t have to answer a question that student SHOULD already know the answer to!
So in my class we use Peanut Butter and Jelly partners, just because that is what I was required to do for so long and what I am used to. There are however lots of other fun names for partners and guess what I did… I made them for you for FREE! These symbols can be taped to tables (or where ever) or strung around string to wear when you are doing the majority of your partnering. I always taped them because we did this ALL day!
Head on over for some great partner labels to use. You can tape them to tables or chairs or where ever. I have also see people put them on strings and wear them, but I do partners all day so that would not work for me!
I love these ideas.