MELT AND POUR SOAP-FISH IN THE BAG what is the easiest way to do it with over 30 children at a time?

Answer 1

I would send home a letter asking if any parents would like to volunteer to help for that activity. I did that as a second grade teacher, and there were usually a handful of parents that were always willing to come in and help. The parents like being included in the classroom every now and then, and the kids like it too....not to mention, it's free help!

If that doesn't work, maybe you can ask teachers from older grade levels if you could borrow a few of their students for the activity.

Answer 2

When doing any activity children, I think it depends on a few factors.

1. How many adults do you have?
2. How old are the children?
3. How long is the expected activity supposed to take?

I'm not sure exactly what the activity is, but I've found that it's easier to deal with a much smaller group if one stage needs adult involvement. Try dividing the group up into stations, and giving worksheets or practice activities to the groups not completing the main activity. Then rotate the groups with some sort of noise on a schedule. This is much easier if the children are older, or if you have multiple adults to supervise.

I do this a lot in my high school ELD classes, where I have a class of 25-35 and only 12 copies of one of the books. After the first few times, the kids get the schedule and moving down and the class runs pretty smoothly. Of course it works much better when I have my bilingual college aides there to assist and prod the non teacher directed students to complete their work.