Episode 206: TIPS! What can you do in 10 minutes that'll make a real difference in your classroom?

Okay, let's talk about this. What can you do in 10 minutes that'll make a real difference in your classroom?

And we only have 10 minutes to answer this question, just to keep it real.

It's the double 10 minute conundrum. Go Robin. This is tough.

okay. Yeah. Well, I think having some type of schedule in the classroom so kids know what they're going to do. So if you have 10 minutes to focus on something, they know that's coming and you can get right into it. You don't spend 10 minutes getting them prepared for the...

So how about we say make a plan? You can make a plan in 10 minutes and that's gonna have a profound effect on your classroom.

Make a plan. Yes.

I've got one for you. I've got one for you. The use of pictures. Anyone comes to my training knows this use of photographs. in 10 minutes, I reckon what you can do is if you're a whole day, you know the equipment that's needed. the first session is going to take a little bit longer than 10 minutes while your children get used to it. But they come in after break or they come in at whatever session and you've taken a picture of what they need. So for example, if the children need three counters, you've taken a picture of three counters, it's on the board and they know as soon as they walk into the classroom, that's the equipment they need to learn.

If it's science, this is the book. If it's a, I don't know, you a dictionary on your table, right, that's the picture and it's sitting there. Take your lesson 10 minutes at the start of the day. You've got that. It teaches the children, are the tools that you need to learn today. It's your responsibility. You get them, boom.

Not only do they develop that independence and establishes their role, it that you've got time. You're not gonna do it. You're not like, just stop, go to the toilet, have a cup of tea, do whatever, consider the lesson.

The use of pictures for me is a really powerful one.

That's a great one. Yeah, that's a good idea. Yeah. Okay. I'm gonna talk, switch it up a little bit. 10 minutes. Just be quiet and let them do what they're doing for 10 minutes.

Don't interrupt them. Right. I couldn't do it. But, but, but normal people can do it. I know, but you know, you know what mean? Like, just ask a question and then let them, let them give them time. Man, you know, like we've all observed lessons. Like that's the thing that kills me the most. It's like, ah, why did you interrupt them now? You know, because they just let them, let them do it, but not irresponsibly, just let them, you know, do whatever they want, put them on a task and then give them time. Just be quiet. Let them learn.

I've got something less than 10 minutes. This is like one second. It's just a shift in practice. Whenever you're going to say to a class, put your hand up for something, change to put your hand up to talk to your partner. Just do that first. So then you get the whole class of information in one fell swoop and you don't just hear from one person. So it's just a little tiny shift in practice that can make a massive difference in terms of assessment data and also, you know. just generally getting that sense of over to you. Like you guys have just said.

Do think that helps with engagement too? That they feel less pressure like, I have to put my hand up or it's...

Yeah, totally. And we know that there's biases, right? Even if it's an unconscious one, we know that we'll gravitate. And also some children will be able to get the answer faster than others. And so those that, or some children think they got the answer, but they didn't realize they don't have the language. They put their hand up, they try to speak, they realize, don't know how to explain this idea. It's kind of inefficient.

But I think more than anything, it kind of just puts it back and says, hey, here's the role in class, right? You guys are talking to each other. So do that first. You know, if you want to take the answers or whatever at the end, fine.

but give them an opportunity. But it also gives you an opportunity to listen and see where they're at, see where the class is at, rather than one person representing 30, which is a pretty flawed sort of gauge, potentially. So that's one.

So I'm going to build on that. So another thing, take 10 minutes and teach between the desks. Right? So that's a, that's the term that Japanese use, right? Teaching between the desks. It's like just when they're working, just walk around and look at what they're doing and ask them questions and you know, engage with those that need to be engaged with and leave those that are doing fine.

And you know, scaffold the ones that need scaffolding and, you know, but just do that. Like that should just, just take that 10 minutes. Just make sure you do that for 10 minutes, because I think that makes a world of difference as well. Right. And it, and a lot of teachers don't do it. They like to stand at the front, But go see them where, where they are.

10 minutes at the end of the day or at some point when you finish the day. And you can put an egg timer on it. I think that that sort of thing helps. Like knowing that you've got that ring fence 10 minutes just to reflect on the day and maybe pick one thing and think if I could do this a little bit better tomorrow, just a tiny, tiny, marginal, marginal, a little bit better tomorrow. This is the one thing that I'd want to do tomorrow. And just have 10 minutes of reflection time.

Because we often get asked to do that early in our careers and then afterwards that sort of reflection time evaporates as if we're all so good that we don't need to reflect on our practice anymore, which is deeply flawed. So I just reckon 10 minutes that you just, that's dedicated to just stopping, reflecting and just considering, this, could do this just a little bit, this one little tiny aspect. I think I might just consider that tomorrow. That's it.

Yeah, that's that makes a lot of sense. Adam, everyone should do it. I was just going to say, so why not do it for the why not have the students do it? And maybe 10 minutes is a little long in the class, but maybe, you know, it's five minutes of reflection about what happened in the previous day and then five minutes at the end to think about what it is that they really got out of the class or what they'd like to have more of or

I don't know, but have the students do the same type of thing. But it'd have to be maybe not full 10 minutes because you may not have that much time with them. I guess it depends on the class. Yeah.

Everyone should do that. Not just teachers.

But there's ways to do that, right? There's ways to do that without it being like, okay kids, just sit on your hands and think for 10 minutes, right? But you know, like a reflective journal or whatever the case may be, right? Like, what did you learn today or what didn't you like about today? Like ask, sometimes ask different questions. What didn't you like today? You know? Like, and why, right? You know?

Yeah, yeah, right. Yeah, it might help with your reflection by asking the students what they got out of the day or didn't get out of the day or didn't like or really liked to know going forward. Okay, we're going to do it a little differently next time.

The other one, I've got one more, it's on the top of my mind at moment. I could be making this, like the start of this up, but just it's all right though, because even if I am, it still sounds like it's feasible. I think there was some general or someone who talked about making a bed every morning, the importance of making a bed, because it meant that you got something done. I know if it was a general or someone, but we've heard this before. I know that for me, when I had my office, so when I was at a stage of school leadership where I had my own office, and I reckon it can't have taken any more than 10 minutes.

And it's not for everyone I know, but I would every night, I would make sure that before I went home, I tidied my desk. And it just took about 10 minutes and no matter what was going on in the day or no matter what was happening, I tried to make sure that I tidied my desk. So I knew when I came in the morning, it was clean. I'd done it. It was job done and I was ready for the next day. So I don't know what even a 10 minutes is, you don't have to tidy your desk or something. But for me, that was like just something.

It sort of meant maybe it was the end of the day as well. I've done this. So no matter how the day went, whether it was a disaster or a good one, this was still just part of something that I did and I got done. And then the following morning I knew I was kind of ready for the next day. So whatever that looks like for whoever.

Yeah, that's a great idea. I'm going to add to that. I heard a podcast, a guy went in to use a restroom. I'm trying to figure out how to describe that.

Another gentleman was coming out and he washed his hands and he and then he cleaned up. He wiped the whole countertop off in the sink and the guy said, what are you doing? This is a public restroom. And he said, you know, it's good to leave things better than they were when then he found them. And that guy said, you know, that stuck with me forever. And I've always kept that in mind. And I've always tried to leave things a little bit better than how they had been left. cleaning your desk at the end of the day and maybe just doing something like you said, to prep for the next day or just leaving it something a little bit better.