Trying to teach in 43 minutes

43 minutes.  How do you teach a curriculum well in 43 minutes?  It is rather like the argument about the length of summer vacations - the first month back is spent re-teaching. The first 5-10 minutes of my 43 is often lost.  We have standards to teach, but daily reminders of how to work in groups comes first!  Reiteration of yesterday's 5-minute lesson comes next.  All of that doesn't count the coming in the class, the turning in of work, the daily procedures that are quick and easy with my 20 sixth graders, long and arduous wtih my 29 fifth graders.

Every day I feel that I spend 5 minutes or so reminding the students of what we did the day before ... 5 of those precious 43 fast-moving minutes!  I try to plan my lessons wisely, attempt to divide my time, 5 minutes for daily language activity, 10 minutes for the grammar lesson, 5 minutes for expanded vocabulary......but then I read the latest advice on writing workshops, and it states that you need, "A minimum of 60 minutes."  So, here I am, a great new teaching technique in front of me, perfect tools to advance my students, but my 10-15 minute writing timeframe is just not going to cut it.  What to do?

As a student teacher I need to follow my co-teacher's lead.  I am fortunate to have a flexible and supportive one!  She is also able to put away the annoying minutiae and concentrate on what's important - clearly a key lesson in this busy teacher world!  If I were to allow myself to stress over trying to fit in the 120 minutes of curriculum into 43 minutes, I would truly go crazy!  Indeed I am learning to determine the most important parts, understanding that my 6-week unit might last 7 weeks, and choosing to omit certain sections, even though I regret it each time I have to make that decision.  Oh for at least an hour, or even two, so that I could truly treat everything with the importance it deserves and allowing my students plenty of practice time to perfect each skill.  Maybe I will have that in my own classroom - I certainly hope so!  

Reality today is 43 minutes.  I am wondering whether a daily concentration on each area rather than 5 minutes of this and 10 minutes of that would be more productive?  I rather think that is how I might approach if I had the option - plus it would force me to really work on excellent grammar lessons should I need to keep students engage for 43 minutes of grammar!

In the meantime I try, I strive, I watch and learn.  I worry about how to impact my students in the most productive way.  How can I use their current writing to integrate grammar and traits? How can I merge academic language into every lesson?  How can I best leverage the short amount of time given?  All vital factors in creating rigorous lessons that will both engage and teach.  

This week will be even more stressful.  Dreaded testing time is upon us.  That means shortened 30 minute lessons every day, with only Homeroom on Wednesday.  That additional loss of 13 minutes each period will reduce options even further.  Loss of classroom time is never positive or productive.  Active concerns that never occurred to me in the past now overwhelm each waking moment. 

I will adapt and adjust.  That's what good teachers do, and this real-world experience is giving me the opportunity to learn to cope with and plan for these eventualities.  yet again, year long student teaching is allowing me practical practice options that I would not have had otherwise.  I am so pleased that I took this challenge on - what a gift it has been!