Independent Student Work Time in My Classroom

When assigning independent student work time in my classroom I am going to keep in mind the following questions which have been adapted from Sprick (2009):

• Can the students complete the task assigned independently?
• Will independent student work time and this amount of time maximize their on-task behavior?
• Did I provide teacher-directed guided practice on the task for 10 -50 percent?
• Have I a clear vision of what student behaviors should look like and sound like during work times? And, have I taught students these expectations?
• What specific system to I have in place that enables students to ask questions and receive support during independent work times?

The last two questions should be considered prior to beginning the school year. Both relate to teacher expectations and the effective implementation of a cohesive classroom management plan. In the next blog post I will outline and describe what student behavior looks and sounds like during independent work periods using a classroom visual I created. This visual would have been created during a teacher-facilitated discussion in which the teacher prompted students to think of this prepared list of behaviors. Following that, I will also post a visual I have created which shows students how they can ask questions/or receive support during independent work periods.