Time Fillers
4 Min Read • Time Management
Have you ever finished your lesson, looked at the clock, and realized you still have about 5-10 minutes before the bell rings? This is not uncommon, but it is so important to be prepared so that we don’t fall back on something ineffective for those extra minutes…like “start working on your homework.” There are many time filler we can implement, everything from simple quizzes to arts integrated checking for understanding.
Quiz
A quick and easy time filler is simply a quiz. As content experts, it is easy for us to come up with a couple checking for understanding questions on the fly that students can answer and turn in on their way out. Also, just using the word quiz puts students in a different mindset and all of a sudden makes the work feel more valuable. Download this quick-view cheat sheet of the Bloom’s Taxonomy verbs and tape it to the notebook or clipboard you use during class as a reference for 5 minute quizzes.
Bloom’s Verbs
Cornell Note Strategies
The essence of the Cornell Note system goes beyond that of a format, and can be a great time filler. Have students exchange notes and look for things they missed. Give student specific requests for revising their notes: highlight something important, create a question for something you don’t understand, or underline key words for the topic. You can even ask them to use their notes to design questions for a quiz. Cornell strategies are a great time filler that will help reinforce the lesson.
Focused Notes
Any chance to build on the students’ social media experiences is a great way to create engaging time filler. Have students design an image with a caption that recaps the lesson. You can take this further by having students pass around their instagram image for others to comment. You can print out multiple copies of the instagram sheet, or just one for each student and have them house it in a plastic sleeve that way students can write on it with an expo marker which can be easily erased and reused multiple times.
Instagram Post
Creating tweets is also a great time filler that forces students to synthesize information into 140 characters. Just like the instagram, students can keep these in their notebook in plastic sleeves so they can be reused, or it can be blown up to poster size and placed on the classroom door. Students can then make their tweets on post it notes and stick them on the poster on the way out. You can even create a twitter wall where each student has their own personalized feed and fellow classmates can make comments on the various twitter feeds. Again, as content experts it is easy for us to come up with a checking for understanding question for students to respond to.
Twitter Feed
Vine
Similar to tweeting, the vine is a chance for students to synthesize the lesson into a 6 second video. This can be done in groups or individually, and based on the policies of your school, students can record the vines on their phones or perform them for the class. Be specific in your directions and provide parameters.
Tableau
Tableaus are a great way to synthesize a lesson nonverbally. A tableau is a still picture that captures the essence of a topic. Split students into groups and give each group a question that will check their understanding of the lesson. Each group must then design one or multiple still pictures that answers the question.
SnowBall
Snowball is fun but will get a little loud. Have students write a question regarding the lesson on a piece of paper and then ball up the paper. Throw the snowballs all over the room, then students take turns presenting the question of the snowball they pick up. Answering can be done as a class, or students can write the answer on the snowball and hand into you on the way out.
These are just a few of the many ways we can fill those extra few minutes at the end of class. If you have any fun time filler you use let us know below or send me and email typhani@artsintegration.com so we can share!
Piquès & Pirouettès
-Typh
