Time Management
I am new to teaching, but I am concerned about time management. I understand that each class will not flow the same and that not every student will be able to take in the information the same way. How do I balance my time if a majority of the class requires more attention to understand the content?
Cynthia,
Thanks for sharing this strategy with us. It is a good way to keep everyone in the class moving forward.
Gary
Gary Meers, Ed.D.
If I have students responding to a teaching topic at different levels I sometimes break them into groups so that the students that are a bit ahead of others don't get bored. That way I can spend more time with students who may need more help.
If I know that the students that are quickly "getting it" I sometimes have these students help other small groups of students to grasp the concept.
Kyle,
A way to manage time is if you can break the class up into segments of approximately 15 minutes. This means you will present information about a concept for 15 minutes and as you are going through it keep checking for understanding. This way you will see quickly that your students need additional time or that you can move to the next concept. Also by using segments like this you know if you are running behind but only by the 15 minute segment so you can make adjustments as needed. This does not mean you leave a topic completely you are just pausing for reinforcement of the concepts, discussion, Q&A, or some other method of checking for understanding. When you go for 30-45 minutes and then check for understanding you will have so much more to cover if your students are not grasping the needed key points.
Gary
Gary Meers, Ed.D.
