How I Structured My Class

This may or may not work for you, but it worked extremely well for me my last two years in the classroom.

In the summer of 2020, I just finished 3 years of teaching in a pilot program at a Title I middle school in Central Florida. It was 2 ½ years of teaching in a very intense environment (the last ½ was pandemic). I even had 35-45 students in most of my classes.

The pandemic hit, and somehow I landed a gig training teachers on how to use learning management systems. During the chaos, tragedy, and challenge of the pandemic, I sat in an empty classroom and led four, ninety-minute training sessions every day that summer. For eight weeks straight. I got pretty good at it.

I learned something. The way I structured those trainings is the way I should structure my class. Not exactly, but I learned that in the trainings, I would teach participants a skill, then have them try it out.

I also knew attention spans had been shortening exponentially over the last decade, and the pandemic only increased that.

Here’s how I began structuring my class:

Passing Time ➤ Greet every student with a handshake, high five, and hug. Say their name with a smile and ask how they are doing. Follow up on any games, events, or anything they have shared.

5 minutes ➤ 5 SEO questions in a classic, graded survey on Canvas. This gives students credit for responding but there is no right o wrong answer. Also it’s autograded, and a great way for me to get to know students when I read responses, but I don’t have to read responses.

10 minutes ➤ Typing Practice | Typing Club or NitroType. This is independent working time and gives me the first 15 minutes of class to take attendance, follow up with students on projects, and take a general read of the room. I have access to see how they are doing from the teacher panel on either platform so I’m narrating positive student progress like an announcer at a game. I’m also constantly shouting “2 minutes!” or “5 minutes!”. Even if students are struggling in class, they’ll get some positive affirmation from me during this time.
Replace this with something relevant to your class but independent. In math or business, students can check stocks or play games on Investopedia (stock market simulators). Be creative!

10 minutes ➤ Instruction, Reading, or Learning something new. This could be through students reading, watching a video, or direct instruction. I try to mix up different activities and ways of instructing

10 minutes ➤ Immediately apply what they’ve learned. Take a quiz or create something. Create something is preferred, taking a quiz is easier to evaluate. Mix up both.

10 minutes ➤ Repeat one of the previous two options

That’s 45 minutes. With transition time between activities, that takes up a whole 50 minute class period. I use a timer on the screen as well as a clock. I know this gives some students anxiety, but I tell them the clock and timer is not for them — it’s for me. Keeps me on track. I give students extra time to complete outside of class if they need it.

I received many compliments from students (some didn’t know whey were complimenting me). I heard comments like, “You are amazing at timing”. I always finished class right as the bell was ringing (Teacher hack: I would adjust my 10 minute timers with extra time or less time to fit how many minutes were left in class).

It also kept us working on something for short enough of a period of time that they never got bored with one activity.