5 Small Classroom Changes for Big Rewards (Opinion)

I've been publishing a multiyear series on small teaching moves educators can make in the classroom, and today's post is the first in a continuation of that series that will extend through this school year.

'Optimal Experiences'

Mathematics Tasks for the Thinking Classroom Grades K-5

One of the smallest changes that should be more common is providing "just in time" versus "just in case" differentiation. Whenever I am facilitating a Building Thinking Classrooms class or workshop, I remind myself that creating access (lowering the floor) or extending (raising the ceiling) need to happen when the groups/students need it, not when I "think" they need it.

For example, in a traditional mathematics classroom, students would be given a certain allotment of time for each question, and everyone would move to the next question together as a group. This can create issues as some students will be bored, others frustrated, and very few students are then working at the correct level. In contrast, my students/participants start with a task or question in random groups (which provides further support), and the task is accessible for everyone to start, and each extension is given to the groups individually to work through when they are ready to have it.

With this mindset, I have been able to provide a significantly richer and deeper experience for my students/participants where they are appropriately challenged throughout the duration of the task. I have seen far fewer students bored and/or frustrated because they are engaged in the optimal experience, as described by psychologist and educator Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi .

A "small teaching move" that is not as common as it should be that results in increased student engagement and learning is to speak to every student by name every single day. This is a simple action that any teacher at any grade level could incorporate-regardless of resources available in their district. The best part? The only prep required is learning your students' names!

As a secondary English teacher, it is easiest for me to tackle this task during passing time and bell work, or warm-up at the beginning of class. My current school requires that I stand at my door during the second half of our passing time, but even at schools where I wasn't required, I found this was a great opportunity to engage with my students. Remember, though, it is important to address them by name at some point in your conversation! I usually greet them by name so I know I have used it at least once. Unfortunately, I do not get to every student during this time, sometimes conversations distract me from seeing others, and sometimes I get pulled inside the room to help a student with something.

During bell work, I will walk around to monitor their work and give feedback or have mini-conversations if students are finished and, again, I use their name at least once during this time. When reviewing bell work I will make sure I first call on any students I haven't had a chance to engage with yet and give them feedback or ask a brief question so it is more than just me saying their name to answer a question.

Speaking to every student, by name, every single day has made an impact in the engagement and learning within my classroom. My students know that I know who they are, that I care about who they are, and in turn it makes them care about being in class. Once they care, you've got 'em! The engagement, the participation, and, most importantly, the learning will increase exponentially.

I started this small, easy habit because I simply wanted to connect with my students and wanted to make sure I connected with all of them. It is easy to use names when you are disciplining or calling out a behavior you don't like, but it is just as important to me to use names to build connections and increase positive relationships. I definitely didn't want one student thinking I favored them because I spoke to them more or used their name when I didn't speak to or use others' names.

What solidified this decision for me was feedback I received from a senior I had in one of my classes about five years ago. At the end of every class, I give a survey asking for feedback about the class, and the last question is always: "Is there anything else you want me to know?" This student's answer still brings me to tears when I think about it, and it will be forever ingrained in my brain: "Thank you for talking to each of us daily, and for being the only person in my life to use my name when I wasn't getting yelled at. It meant more than you know!" It never even crossed my mind that some of my students didn't get to hear their own names outside of being in trouble. And for a senior to tell me this ... I just think about what her education experience must've been like, what her home life must've been like, and I am glad at least for an hour a day, she felt seen, heard, and included.

Think about it, when was the last time you heard your name? How did it make you feel? When was the last time you heard your name in a loving way? How did make you feel? I think as educators we all know that building relationships is crucial to building engagement and fostering student learning, but we might not always recognize small actions we can take to help build those relationships. I challenge you to start this small, no-prep teaching move in your classroom and I promise you will notice a difference!

'Student Voice Needs to Be Maximized'

Cindy Garcia is an elementary educator with 18 years of experience. Cindy currently serves as a districtwide instructional specialist for elementary mathematics in the Pasadena school district in Texas. Cindy previously served as campus mathematics coach and bilingual 3rd grade teacher in the district. Twitter/X handle: have the opportunity to visit numerous classrooms every school year. The small teaching move that I always recommend is for teachers to provide multiple opportunities for students to engage in SWiRL on a daily basis.

SWiRL is an acronym that represents the four language domains, speaking, writing, reading, and listening. The "i" stands for interacting because students need to work and learn from different students. Student voice needs to be maximized in order for students to take ownership of their learning. Planning for discourse will prompt students to use the grade-level academic vocabulary they have learned to explain their thinking and reason through their work.

When students are having an academic conversation, they are building their confidence because they are practicing talking about and applying what they have learned. They are getting positive feedback from their teacher and peers when they share a correct answer or solution process.

This can also serve as a formative-assessment opportunity for the teacher. The teacher can provide immediate feedback for students to self-correct or a scaffold the students need if they don't quite get it yet. When some students are speaking, that means that other students are listening. This provides students the time to learn from peer models. They have somebody other than the teacher they can listen to to hear how the language can sound. Working with a peer model can also lower their affective filter and build their confidence because they are working with a smaller group of students.

It is important for students to have as many opportunities to read as possible in order to internalize vocabulary and increase their reading fluency. If students are not able to read a long piece of text on their own, it can be chunked by the teacher. Smaller pieces of text can be choral read or read aloud as a class. Echo reading, in which the teacher reads a portion and the class repeats what was read, can be helpful in getting students familiar with an appropriate reading pace and expression.

Writing in the classroom can range from recording a short paragraph to a few words. Again, the goal is for students to practice using the vocabulary and language they have learned. When planning for instruction, I encourage teachers to think about how they can SWiRL the tasks selected.

Early 'Exit Tickets'

In my two decades in education, I've discovered two teaching strategies that are not only simple but also highly effective. What's remarkable is that these strategies are universally well-received by teachers, even when introduced by administrators. Let's delve straight into them.

STRATEGY ONE – Maximizing the End of Class Time

Exit tickets have long been a staple in classrooms, but their effectiveness often falls short. Typically, students submit their exit tickets, the teacher reviews them, and class ends. However, this approach lacks meaningful follow-up and data analysis. For meaningful follow-up and data analysis to occur, much work needs to take place by the teacher in-between classroom meetings.

That's why I propose a simple adjustment: Move the exit ticket activity up five to seven minutes before the end of class. By doing so, teachers gain valuable real-time data to inform their instructional decisions. They can promptly address student misconceptions, provide targeted support, and adjust homework assignments based on individual needs.

This small change reinvigorates the final moments of each class, transforming them into opportunities for immediate intervention and differentiation. The best part, no additional outside-of-classroom work for teachers.

STRATEGY TWO – Utilizing Idle Classroom Time for Effective Communication

Despite our best efforts, maintaining bell-to-bell instruction isn't always feasible. Teachers often find themselves with a few minutes to spare at the end of a lesson, unsure of how to maximize this time productively.

Here's a simple solution: Leverage students' access to technology to facilitate communication with parents. In the final minutes of class, instruct students to check their grades online and compose an email to their parents, copying you on the message. In the email, students should report their current grade, effort level, and any areas of difficulty they're experiencing.

This approach achieves multiple objectives. It improves parent communication by providing them with regular updates on their child's progress. Since parents are more likely to open emails from their own children, the message's readership is significantly higher. Additionally, it empowers students to take ownership of their learning and fosters accountability.

Additionally, by receiving self-reports directly from students, teachers gain valuable insights into areas of concern and can address them proactively. This also can occasionally open lines of communication that were otherwise blocked or nonexistent between school and home.

In conclusion, these two strategies offer simple yet powerful ways to maximize instructional time and do so by making teachers' lives easier. By implementing these approaches, educators can make the most of every minute in the classroom and strengthen their partnerships with families.

Thanks to Maegan, Amanda, Cindy, and PJ for contributing their thoughts!

Today's post answered this question:

What is a "small teaching move" that you think is not as common as it should be? A "small teaching move" in this context is an action that would require very little prep, can easily be made into a routine or habit, and is likely to result in increased student engagement and learning.

Consider contributing a question to be answered in a future post. You can send one to me at . When you send it in, let me know if I can use your real name if it's selected or if you'd prefer remaining anonymous and have a pseudonym in mind.

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