This time of year can feel
like it drags a little as teachers and students start counting the days until
spring break. Our students seem more distracted, which makes holding their
attention a challenge. This isn’t usually the case with an entire class, (at
least I hope not!) but you could probably name a handful to which this applies!
I recently created “The Remembering Club” for my unfocused students. After
whole group instruction (when my first graders seem most preoccupied), members
of The Remembering Club come up one at a time, to tell me something they just
learned. I record their successful responses on a chart.
Yes, this is straight
recall, but these students need it in order to progress to the higher level
thinking we strive for. We also have quick discussions related to the application
of this information as well as our whole group follow-up assignments. Whenever a
student gets to the end of his/her “row of remembering”, he/she gets a prize. Instead
of playing with shoelaces or looking out the window, my Sidetracked Sam and Sally are now watching me
and whatever I am holding or using to teach. Print your own Remembering Club chart (either
horizontal or vertical) and watch the progress!
