New Suggested Daily Classroom Routine (2012)

1. SSR of the current  class novel – 10 min.
2. 1st half of PQA, a story, or a reading class, depending on what day of the week it is – 15 min. See Suggested Weekly Schedule (2012) for more on how the week is scheduled.
3. Break, call roll, texting time – 5 min.
4. 2nd half of PQA, the story, or the reading class – 15 min.

That’s already 45 minutes, with the processing of the artist’s work, the quiz, and the newly added metagcognition piece not even included in the above schedule. Those take this amount of time:

1. Artist – 5 min.
2. Quick Quiz – 5 min.
3. Metacognition Exit Discussion (using the metacognition poster – 5 min.) – optional
4. Dictee thrown in at any time – 15 min.
5. Another thing to throw in at the end of class, if you have time, is a mini-dictee. That is where you take any sentence from class and have the kids write it in dictee form on the back of the scantron sheet they just took the quiz on. This is a filler if you need to make it to the end of class after the quiz.

The only thing to do in a 45 min. class is to cut down the 15 minute CI activities down to 10 each and try to cram in the other stuff, which need all be done on any given day depending on what is happening. It is the only option. This is where the 90 block has the great advantage – the above stuff can really only all be done in a block class.

Notes:

1. Ten minutes of SSR. I use the Calming Music in each FVR period. It  has a deeply calming effect on the children and actually changes the often frenetic mood we have to wrestle with in regular CI classes.
2. The time that follows the SSR is the time when I should not, cannot afford, absolutely must avoid, English. I am not talking here about the very little bursts of English that SUPPORT the CI. Those are rare and even they should be avoided. I am talking about what can almost be called the calamity of allowing ourselves to just slide off into English for whatever reason, and there are many. This is my big resolution for the year.
3. What about texting? I call roll half way through class. It is a complete stopping of class, the phones come out, I hang out and talk in English with the kids, correcting certain behaviors. This little 3-5 minute period is absolutely necessary according to all brain break research. The threshold of 20 minutes must be respected.
4. The above schedule respects the focusing needs of the kids and our own needs to relax. I’m not joking about the simplicity piece for this year. Thanks to jGR, Three and Done and the Jobs for Kids, the simplicity is in full force now and there has been for me a major revolution in my sense of balance as a teacher. It is unbelievable and I love the feeling of calm that stays with me throughout the day.