6th grade - making subject transitions go smoother?

Question

what are some good ideas to make transitions from one subject to another, or coming in from break (or whatever) and getting ready to start the lesson go much easier? (because it's so late in the school year, i'm holding back on implementing PAT, so any other suggestions will be appreciated)

Answer 1

Put your schedule on a chart in class. What you are teaching and when... this can be done in a visual way or with words.
Then 4 minutes prior to a switch, let the students know that a change is coming. Tell them to come to a stopping point. Have them write in their agenda what they just completed. Reward a group of children who are ready to start the next subject at the correct time. In a jr. high/ middle school the bell rings and the children have a few minutes to get to their next class, perhaps you can implement your own bell schedule within your class and start getting them ready for the next year's format.

Good luck

Answer 2

I frequently turn transitions into a game. I will tell my students, "We are about to have a transition. I wonder which group will be the first to be ready for the new subject." Then I will recognize the winning group (I frequently play "teams" in my room, where teams win points for their group, and the winning team receives some recognition at the end of the day.) I also challenge my students by saying things like, "Yesterday, it took 5 minutes to make the transition from reading to math. I bet you can do it faster today. Let's see if we can shorten our transition time." I have a designated person who holds my classroom keys for the day (I have them on a lanyard, and the student who has that job wears the keys around their neck for the entire day.) While that student is unlocking the door, I will tell them what I want them to do when they enter the room, and will challenge them to do it quickly. Finally, when students waste a significant amount of time making a transition, I frequently take that time back from them by cutting short some fun activity we have planned for later. I warn them as we enter the transition that we have for example, a Valentine's Day party planned for tomorrow, and if they take longer than 2 minutes to make the transition that any extra minutes will be subtracted from the amount of time for the party. Then I do it. I have the students finish the assignment prior to allowing them to start any fun activity, so if they waste time they could have been finishing the assignment, then they lose time from other things. I have taken my students a few minutes late for lunch, special activities, even from our scheduled restroom time. A few minutes feels like an eternity to my young students (I teach fourth grade) and they hate having to wait for their enjoyable activity because they wasted time at the beginning of the lesson.

Answer 3

what your favorite subject?Think about your favorite subject in all the rest of the classes then everything will go faster.If that does not work just think about something you love a lot. That always works for me.