Having read the 1st part of this topic you will have got some idea of where we are going with this.
Its all about the children knowing EXACTLY what is expected of them, both in behaviour and for the purposes of this topic in producing work.
As you begin to get to know your new class you will be able to make judgements as to the nature and character of the children in that class. You will be able to see first hand the levels of knowledge, skills and also confidence that each has. This will of course enable you as a Professional to tailor your work and expectations individually – which of course we all do in so many ways (if that sounds a tall order don’t worry…you do it without thinking most of the time – however I will be writing a blog piece on Differentiation later).
Having understood the variety of levels in your class – it is now your job to crank up the expectations and stick with it !
Lets take a look at a few different subjects and see how this goes…
Written work –
- I know this sounds obvious but please make sure you are using the correct books for the age group. Rec – Yr1– blank pages and introducing semi ruled pages (general line spacing is 15mm to 20mm.) Yr1 – Yr2 – definitely 15mm but some using 10mm. Y3 – Y4 – 10mm. Y5 – Y6 – 8mm. If you get this wrong especially in Ks2 then you will have difficulty in presentation as children struggle with lines too narrow for their ability.
- If books you have are not ruled with a margin then get the children to draw one on each page – the width of a ruler makes this easy to do. Margins move the writing away from the edge of the page, give the children a starting point and can be used to write question numbers or even your own comments.
- I always started children off using pencils irrespective of their age – until I was happy with the quality of the work then I made a big deal about “awarding ” pens. (usually this happens from Y4 upwards)
Maths –
- Ks 1 progressively move from T.A written work to individually written work. There is not usually any presentation boundaries until approximately the middle of Y1 when you can start to tighten things up a little.
- By Y2 I would be expecting to see work set out more with some thought going to presentation.
- Lower Ks 1 work in larger squared books when necessary – however by the time we get to Y2 I would be thinking of using cm squares as they are the definitive measure we need to be seeing.
- Ks 2 – use cm squares
- I ALWAYS use H T U / T U / U for calculations from Mid Y1 where appropriate – most definitely from Y2 (place value is very important). I use this all the way through to year 6 with the exception of more skilled children.
- The firm rule is 1 number in each square – and numbers should line up underneath each other….apply this rigorously.
- Let the children know from when they arrive in your class that presentation is important and that we “don’t start a page with the first sum in the middle of it!”
- Maths teaching is just like any other – demonstrate, discuss, play with numbers, get children out to the front to work on problems…etc – all the usual stuff (basically have fun explaining it) – then get things written in their books. Title – important facts, examples and perhaps note how to approach the problem or sum…what to look for . Again its important stuff so we need to know it…..get it written down…..then give some work to reinforce and consolidate what you have been doing.
These are the 2 main areas of the curriculum that you will be dealing with on a day to day basis – so set out your stall and stick with it.
Lets review the main points to keep in mind
- Discuss and show exactly how you want work set out – then apply it. Walk around the class and if its not what you asked then say quite simply “do it again”….if necessary put a pencil line through the unacceptable part.
- Keep your standards high…if you’ve asked for a margin then make sure you get a margin. (you may be generous and allow “this time only”…if a lot of writing has been already done!)
- As you move around the class looking at work be aware of presentation or setting out of work (maths especially) – move to correct if necessary.
Giving time…. – in addition to presentation , neatness and layout there are 2 other problems that teachers face.
- Children do not work quick enough and so slow down the whole class – this can often happen when as a class you are discussing areas of work – possibly topic based . Some children just don’t get things done quickly enough and when you are ready to move the class forward there are 5 or 6 children who “haven’t finished!”. In this case the area of work to be done is prefaced with the statement ” and you have 5 minutes to get this done before we move on”…..as the 5 minutes progresses (and of course you are moving around the class) you are able to say “ok 2 minutes left etc”. At the end of 5 minutes then you ask for pencils down and you move on. When you start doing this you will have several children that have not finished the piece ….” leave a space you will have to do that part at playtime” – and then move on !!
It seems harsh and you may get tears ….ignore them and carry on. Do the same for the next piece and state the time allowed and then move on. Little by little the children will concentrate more and work faster to meet the limits you have set. However do be aware …when you first start to speed things up, childrens writing starts to suffer as they cannot spend their usual time on it. Accept this within limits and gradually they will get back to their usual standard although at a quicker speed.
2. Children don’t do enough work or finish work – this can be in either maths or literacy. Again we are expecting high standards in presentation according to what is required by you. When the work is set you tell the children to what point they are expected to get to – or for perhaps story writing how much they need to have written. As the lesson progresses you can check on progress as you move around the class and tell any children who are not working quick enough and will not make the required level. You can also be informing the class of how much time is left until the lesson ends.
3. What you don’t want is to collect books in and then find some children have not done enough or that it is poorly presented. So 5 minutes before the end of the lesson announce to the children that you are “coming round”. Grab a piece of paper and a pen and walk to look at every childs work. Its a simple statement ” yes ok close your book or no not good enough…playtime (or dinnertime). Having looked at all the books then the monitors can collect them in except those children who are staying in to finish work or re-do! This can be done after every lesson that involves written work.
Wow been a long shift with this post – so apologies for that. I hope you can now see how we set out our expectations and then make sure we get them. keep doing this every day and every lesson and the childrens work will improve to meet your standards. Don’t be afraid to seem harsh and don’t worry about tears (because you will get them).
Note:- – just as a footnote…if you are keeping children in to finish or repeat work you must stay with them in your classroom. You can always ask a colleague to bring you your tea! This reinforces the fact that these are your rules and standards that have to be met. It is also instant justice which is important when dealing with children….a consequence of their actions (or lack of !)
The next level in our armoury is behaviour management…we’ve looked at organisation and setting expectations – the next level is putting in place the systems to back them up.
Have fun and aim high
Charles