No morning work for me

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Home : 2007 : December : 31

No morning work for me
By tweet

I have taught for a millenium, and maybe that is why I don't do morning work--although years ago I did. I have a chart on the front wall with 7 things to do between coming into the room at 7:45 and the 8:00 bell that signals
the start of the day. The chart includes the following: unpack backpacks, get chair, turn in all notes and homework, sharpen pencils, make sure you have a library book to read for today, go to the bathroom, sit down.

My kids come in at all different times. Most go to breakfast, too. The idea of morning work, or waiting on those who haven't finished bugs me. Some would always

have it to do, and others would NEVER have it, because they walk in at exactly 8:00.

That said, sometimes my kids will get a bit talky, or start roaming too much. I just say, "Are you at no. 7 on the chart?" Then they start scrambling because most realize they have failed to complete some little task like going to the bathroom.

At 8:00 they start what some would call morning work. We do TARGET math, a bulletin board program available only in Texas that is somewhat like Mountain Math. The kids automatically get out their folders and begin working. At 8:05 the tardy bell rings, and we have to stop working for announcements and the pledges, then they go back to TARGET--oh, and ADD math. About 8:20 or so, we check it together, then start the math lesson.