M4 U3 Activity 1: Transitions
Project Description
Overview The time students spend in the classroom is limited and, therefore, extremely valuable. Teachers must strive to make the best use of instructional and learning time by developing, planning, teaching, and practicing procedures for all activities in the classroom. This includes the entry routine, transitions within the classroom, and the exit routine. Transitions must be practiced until students can do them automatically. This is true in both the physical and online learning environments. Performance outcomes
Candidates collaborate to develop transitions in order to make optimal use of learning time.
Candidates demonstrate consideration and careful planning for students with special needs, learning difficulties, and language barriers.
What will you do?
Work in small groups based on these grade bands: (PreK-2), (3-5), (6-8), and (9-12). Choose a grade band that you teach or are planning to teach.
Identify all situations within the classroom for which you should develop a transition. These include, but are not limited to, the following:
Transitions between activities (moving stations, to the carpet, to technology, etc.)
Bathroom transitions (Asking permission, leaving the classroom, returning, etc.)
Classroom visitor transition
Clean-up transition
Computer/Tablet transition
Discuss with your group the type of transitions that will occur in an online class. Brainstorm ways you can keep the online class engaging, live, and interactive through appropriate changes in student activities.
Identify specific strategies you will use to support students with special needs, learning difficulties and language barriers.
With your group, create a list of transitions for the grade band with specific strategies for students with special needs, learning difficulties, and language barriers.
Go back to your Learning Environment Plan and individually complete the section on ‘Transitions’. Use age-appropriate transitions that would work best for students in the grade levels you teach or plan to teach.
(The above information was cited from the TEACH-NOW Teacher Preparation Certificate Program)
My Work
Transitions: Plan your transitions with a step-by-step process in the table below, and model with students within the first weeks of school. Review and practice these transitions with students after extended breaks, midyear, and anytime you add a new student to your class. Include specific instructions you would use with students with special needs and English language learners.
1. Entering the classroom
Steps:
1.Greetings: I will say hello to each student by name when they enter the classroom.
2. Transitions: Big size- Students go back to their seats in the team directly.
Small size- Students will sit down and make a circle.
3. Morning meeting (circle time):
a. Let students do an emotion check-in and let students choose or share their feelings.
b. Read out the “Good job notes” from yesterday, and praise students’ effort or improvement.
4. Q&A Review and Activate Prior Knowledge: I will summarize the previous lesson and ask questions.
5. Today’s agenda or procedure: I will let students know what we are going to do today.
6. Lead-in discussion to begin the learning topic: I will ask three questions that will activate their prior knowledge and engage the students in the lesson to come.
Special Needs
I will offer the agenda or procedure with pictures on it, and teach content 1-2 days in advance to let them preview and check if there are any questions or problems.
I will provide visual pictures to show them where to sit.
More personal reminders (making eye contact, or saying their name before providing the reminder).
English Language Learners:
Provide both English and picture or even their mother language on Today’s agenda or procedure.
Ask students to summarise information or the result of a task to make sure they know what to do and the exception.
When students don’t follow the routine/procedure:
I will follow the routine of how to get attention or feedback in the classroom.
I will demonstrate the correct way and revise my way of teaching to make sure it is suitable for students’ understanding.
I will follow the routine of how to handle emotions or inappropriate behaviour.
If all the steps are still not working, I will report to their homeroom teacher, school, and parents for more support.
2. Exiting the Class
Steps:
Review: I will briefly describe the key points of today, and prepare an oral test to check if students understood the lesson.
Assignment: I will remind students of the due date .
Exit ticket: I will prepare an evaluation sheet to ask students which part they enjoyed the most, or if the lesson was either difficult or easy for them. For example, Rose-Bud-Thorn worksheet
Tidy up and goodbye: After tidying up, everyone says “Good bye classmate, teacher and good bye everyone ” in Chinese.
Special Needs /English Language Learners:
Offer a virtual checklist in both languages.
I will arrange a stable private meeting to support them if they have further questions.
Create a connection with their parents. For example, class newsletter or phone app (Seesaw, ClassDojo ).
When students don’t follow the routine/procedure:
Same as in the Entering the classroom.
3. Individual to group
Steps:
Choose team members: One by one, students give themselves a number. For example, if there are 4 teams, then student one will be number 1, student 2 is number 2, and so on. When done, the teams will be formed randomly and fairly.
Transitions: I will set a timer, students need to meet their groups in time.
Choose team leader: The leader will make sure everyone is involved and on task during the activity. For each activity, a different student will be given the leader’s role.
Special Needs / English Language Learners:
Transition tools, or transition grabbers, are a proven method of improving transition times. For example, Verbal signals, musical cues, bells or horns, timing devices, or whistles.
Equally distribute and let special needs and ELL students choose their favorite team.
visual instructions
When students don’t follow the routine/procedure:
Set clear expectations and establish routine procedures for transitioning.
Set the timer to record the time of transition in front of students and tell them how long it took them to transition and set an initial goal for beating that time.
Let students discuss how the transition went, talk about what was done well, and address any areas to be improved further.
Transitions for the Online Classroom:
1. Entering the Google classroom
Steps:
1. Before the class start I will prepare a link on chat for students to join and play if they arrive early.
2. Morning meeting:
(1)Ask students to post a GIF image that shows how they are feeling that particular morning (e.g., tired, happy, excited, bored… - it can usually lead to funny ice breakers), and ask each student individually how they are doing, which gives a chance to make sure there are no unexpected technical issues (e.g., mics not working)
(2)Read out the “Good job notes” from yesterday, and praise students’ effort or improvement.
(3)Let students repeat the class Norms.
3. Q&A Review and Activate Prior Knowledge: I will summarize the previous lesson and ask questions.
4. Today’s agenda or procedure: I will let students know what we are going to do today.
Special Needs / English Language Learners:
I will offer the visual agenda or procedure 1-2 days in advance on google classroom for them to preview.
Ask students to summarize information before or after a task to make sure they know what to do and what they cannot do.
Share a visual checklist of instructions for them to click.
Use transition tools to remind time’s up. For example, musical cues, and the sound of bells or horns.
When students don’t follow the routine/procedure:
Ask students if they need any support through personal chat, text, or after class.
Let students discuss how it went, talk about what was done well, and address any areas to be improved further.
If all the steps are still not working, I will report to their homeroom teacher, school, and parents for more support.
2. Individual work to breakout rooms
Steps:
Check all instructions carefully and double-check to make sure students know what they will be doing.
Write the instructions or share a document with students which can still be accessed once they are in their rooms.
Demo or model the activity with one student to the whole class before moving into groups.
Make expectations clear and tell students that you will be moving through their groups periodically to check up on how they are doing.
Give students the chance to ask any questions before opening the rooms.
Special Needs / English Language Learners:
1. Use transition tools to remind time’s up. For example, musical cues, and the sound of bells or horns.
2. Share a visual checklist of instructions for them to click.
When students don’t follow the routine/procedure:
1. Ask students if they need any support through personal chat, text, or after class.
2. Let students discuss how it went, talk about what was done well, and address any areas to be improved further.
3. Reminding and asking them to mirror the class rules or norms.
If all the steps are still not working, I will report to their homeroom teacher, school, and parents for more support.
3. Breakout rooms to individual work
Steps:
Pay attention to time warnings.
Return to the main room when prompted.
Keep the video on/mic off in the main room.
Instruct all students to keep their webcams on but their mics off.
Special Needs / English Language Learners:
Use transition tools to remind time’s up. For example, musical cues, and the sound of bells or horns.
Share a check or task list with a visual picture for them to click.
When students don’t follow the routine/procedure:
Ask students if they need any support through personal chat, text, or after class.
Let students discuss how it went, talk about what was done well, and address any areas to be improved further.
Reminding and asking them to mirror the class rules or norms.
If all the steps are still not working, I will report to their homeroom teacher, school, and parents for more support.
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