Strategies for ...

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Pacing lessons, so that the students maintain focus:

• Not all children have to be involved in all of the main input – the higher attainers could start a task while you are giving the input to the others
• Visualise how lesson will run beforehand to pre-empt difficulties
• Watch your key players to judge their attention span
• Use work breaks (i.e. times tables with a ball, 1 word stories) to give children a ‘reset’
• Create a carousel of activities
• Give advance warning when questioning children – they can ‘phone a friend’ to stop the endless "ummm"
• Get children to listen to the main bit of teaching for their age in minutes, maximum (a useful rule of thumb is ‘their age plus two’)
• Change the way you start the lesson, or the order in which you do activities - give them a surprise – keep them on their toes
• Listen for a change in volume or type of noise to indicate that the children are losing focus
• Use timers on the board
• Move on when three children have completed something
• Use mini plenaries – give ideas from each child to all
• Throw in something random, not related to the lesson
• Give a time target
• Use an internet timer
• If enjoyment is shown, leave them for longer
• First three to finish are given a reward
• Limit teacher talk to the amount of time the students can focus - learn how to 'read' the signs that this is happening
• Incorporate varied tasks
• Use a rotation activity
• Split the lesson up into small activities – mini plenaries, address any misconceptions
• Change lessons around – not one size fits all