Since I have named my blog Recipes From the Classroom, I thought I would write a procedural piece to represent how most lessons run on a daily basis.

Goal

To provide a lesson to educate the students and meet the set grade expectations.

Materials

Lesson plan,whiteboard, whiteboard markers, paper, laptops, pencils, erasers, coffee, LCD projector, computer, Smart Board, kitchen sink, hands-on materials,textbooks, brains, an understanding of what the students know and next steps, 10 million other things are possible, but the most important material is patience.

Method

Step 1. Share the expectations for the lesson. This can be done in many different ways, but it is always a good idea to let the students know what you are focusing on.

Step 2. Begin the lesson with questions, or “ The Hook” to get their attention.

Step 3. Share information.  This can be done in many different ways. It does not have to be teacher directed.

Step 4. Provide some follow up work.

Step 5. Circulate or provide further assistance.

Step 6. If everything has been accomplished in your lesson you are one of the few lucky teachers. Just kidding.

Results

Review the work completed to consider how successful your lesson was.  There may be some students who need additional support. Congratulations! That is a wonderful lesson.

This seems pretty straight forward, right?  You have the lesson, you teach the lesson, and the students take the information and process it according to their needs. Right?  Easy peasy, lemon squeezy. What has not been factored into this lovely procedure is life itself. Life brings interruptions, bodily functions, emotions, social media, outside influences amongst other things.  Some of these things are really easy to manage while others can be quite frustrating, annoying and the reason teachers need two months to recover. ( Anecdote, some teachers work during those two months…preparing for the new school year)

One school located in Scarborough, had a phone system throughout the school. Teachers could call the office, other teachers and with the secret phone number to make an announcement for the entire school community. Ooooooh, doesn’t that sound exciting,? At several staff meetings we requested the office to limit the number of interruptions via phone calls to classes, but our message was not well received. As a result, a number of my lessons with my grade 1 and 2 class ended up looking like the Lucille Ball and the chocolate factory video. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NkQ58I53mjk

Wish Me Luck Lesson

Goal Pray that the phone does not ring so that I can educate the students and meet the set grade expectations.

Materials Make sure you use everything listed above, plus all the patience you can possibly muster.

Method

Step 1 Gain students attention using a variety of strategies that are fun and active.  Students are finally settled, Begin to tell them what we are going to do. The phone rings. (Ring, ring)

Step 2 Walk to the phone,….mutter, mutter, mutter  like Yosemite Sam, but remember to answer politely, “ Please let Johnny know that he has to go home with his brother.” answer politely even though I’m thinking that they could have shared this message at morning recess.   Some students are now rolling around on the carpet. Tom and Caitlynn( made up names) are now hitting each other and someone has written on the wall with a marker) talk to these students about what has happened and ask them to go sit at their desks for a time out.  Deal with the marker on the wall after the lesson. Walk back to the carpet area.

Step 1 Gain students attention using a variety of strategies that are fun and active.  Students are finally settled. Begin to tell them what we are going to do. Start to read a story related to the topic. The phone rings. ( Ring, Ring, Ring, Ring)

Step 2 Walk to the phone, answer politely, “ Could you please send Talia and Sasha to the office?” Reply politely, try to keep my face calm as some children are watching me. Other children are wrestling on the floor. Someone is now at the door.  It is a grade 8 student with a note from another teacher. Take the note, read it, respond to the note, hand it back to the student. Walk back to the carpet area.

Step 1 Gain students attention using a variety of strategies that are fun and active.  Students are finally settled. Begin to tell them what we are going to do. Start to read a story related to the topic. Students are listening and laughing about the book.  Animate voice to make it really interesting. A student puts up their hand and asks if they can go to the washroom. Nod to let them know that is fine. Continue to the read the story.

Step 2 Ask the students questions related to the story.  Some students put up their hand to answer. Choose a student. This student does not answer the question, he says,” Johnny just put up his middle finger at me.  Johnny says, “I did not!” You calmly tell them that it is not polite and make a note to talk with both students later. You repeat the question. This time a student answers and shares a personal story that does not really relate to the question.  Someone knocks at the door. The door monitor (student )goes to the door to answer. The phone rings. Ring, ring, ring, Ring, ring, ring… You have decided you are not answering the phone. Johnny puts his hand up. “ Are you going to answer the phone?” You sigh and state, “ I think it can probably wait.” Ring, Ring, Ring, Ring. You make a mental note to teach a student, although they are young to answer the phone and take messages. Yeah, I’m not so sure that will work with grade 1 and 2 aged students. The phone finally stops ringing. Oh yeah, who is at the door?  Hi, Ms. all the grade 1 students have to go to the library to see the dental technician. They leave.

Step 1 Grade 2 students look at you and say, “Can we play on the computers? The phone rings. Ring, Ring, Ring, Ring… What is your response?  “ That sounds like a wonderful idea.” Suddenly, there is a school wide announcement being made by an intelligent student who has figured out the secret code to make a school wide announcement. Everyone, including you in a sly quiet manner, are laughing about the fact that a student has said, “ School is cancelled.” over the P.A.

Step 2,3,4,5 Try again tomorrow.

Results

Go home after work and eat chocolates to pay homage to Lucille Ball, exercise, and search the internet to find out how to mute the phone.

In the 21st century, there are more distractions: cell phones,parents calling,parents who manage to bypass the principal and want a full interview during class dismissal, walkie talkies, and many other wonderful events that happen throughout the school day. Phew!  I really can not believe that I did this job for 31 years. I have to go, the phone is ringing 🙂