A Simple Solution for Those Extra 5 Minutes

Why Every Teacher Needs a Toolbox of 5-Minute Classroom Games

Every teacher knows those little pockets of time. You finish a lesson faster than expected. There are seven minutes until lunch. Everyone is packed up, but the buses aren't there yet.

It's not enough time to start something new, but it's WAY too much time to let 25 kids sit around waiting.

That's why I'm a big believer in having a toolbox of quick classroom games ready to go.

The 5-Minute Toolbox

The best five-minute games require almost nothing—no copies, no supplies, and no complicated directions. Once students know the games, you can pull one out whenever you need it.

The trick is having several to choose from. Kids may love a game, but play it every time you have five extra minutes and the magic wears off pretty quickly.

Instead, build a collection. Then when you suddenly have six minutes to fill, you're not trying to invent something on the spot. You simply pick a game and go.

Five Minutes Can Do a Lot

I don't think every minute of the school day needs to be academic. Sometimes kids need to move. Sometimes they need to laugh. And sometimes you just need something that will keep everyone together and reasonably sane until it's time to head to specials.

A good five-minute game can get kids moving, listening, thinking creatively, working together, or practicing self-control—all without feeling like another lesson.

That's a pretty good return on five minutes.

Teach the Games Before You Need Them

Here's the key: don't wait until you have five awkward minutes to explain a complicated new game.

Introduce a few games ahead of time and play them together. Once students know the routines, starting one should take about 30 seconds. If you need three minutes to explain a five-minute activity, it isn't really a five-minute activity.

It also helps to have different kinds of games available. A class that has been sitting for a long time may need movement. A group that's already wound up probably needs something more structured. Having choices lets you ask, "Which game do we need right now?" instead of "What on earth am I going to do with them for the next five minutes?"

Keep Your Toolbox Simple

You don't need another elaborate classroom management system. Keep your games somewhere you can actually see and use them—on cards, on a ring, in a small container, or even on a list inside a cabinet door.

The point is to make those unexpected minutes easier, not create one more thing to manage.

Those odd little chunks of the school day aren't going away. Five minutes is enough time to reset the room, laugh together, get moving, practice a skill, or simply have a little fun before moving on.

You just need something ready.

I've collected my favorite quick activities in 5-Minute Classroom Games, designed for brain breaks, transitions, early finishers, and all those inevitable moments when you look at the clock and realize you have five minutes to fill.

Grab a game, play, and move on.

What Do I Say? Simple Teacher Language That Gets Kids to Listen

You know exactly what you want a student to do. You want him to stop interrupting. You want her to listen to the directions. You want them to quit talking while you're talking.

And then you open your mouth and say WAY too much.

I know I did.

The longer I taught, the more I realized that some of my most effective classroom management wasn't really about a system. It was about the words I used. Or, more accurately, the words I didn't use.

Here's a simple example. You've just given directions. Alec wasn't listening. You could repeat everything, remind him that he should have been listening, and tell him to get started.

Or you could say:

"Who can tell Alec what the next step is?"

Done. Alec gets the information he needs. Another student does the talking. You keep teaching.

Here's another. Lexi is talking to the kids at her table while you're giving directions. Instead of stopping everything to correct her:

"Lexi, ask your table group to tune into me."

Now Lexi isn't simply being corrected. She's responsible for helping solve the problem.

Say Less. Let Kids Do More.

The best teacher language tends to be short, calm, and hard to argue with. Whenever possible, it also puts the responsibility back where it belongs, with the student.

And how you say it matters. Say it kindly, confidently, and with a genuine smile. Calm doesn't mean cold.

The tricky part is having those words ready in the moment. A kid argues. Someone interrupts. A student refuses to get started. You've repeated the same direction three times. Suddenly you're standing there thinking:

What do I say NOW?

Experienced teachers build a mental library of language they can pull from in those moments. That's exactly what I wanted to capture.

Want to Try It?

I created a FREE two-page resource, Before You Say Another Word: 5 Simple Ways to Say Less and Lead More. It gives you five common classroom situations, what to do, and the exact words to try.

Download the FREE resource here.

And if you find yourself wishing you had language ready for more of those moments, that's why I created What Do I Say? Teacher Language for Everyday Classroom Challenges.

It takes the same idea further with 10 common classroom situations, words that work, why they work, common traps to avoid, and coaching notes to help you build your own mental library of language.

Take a look at What Do I Say? Volume 1.

Sometimes better classroom management starts with saying less.

And knowing exactly what to say.

How We Practice Our Veterans Day Performance Without Losing Instructional Time

 This is the third post in my series about putting together a simple Veterans Day class performance for parents. I've already shared why I think a Veterans Day presentation is worth doing and how I assign speaking parts to individual students. Now everyone has a part. It's time to practice.

Who has time to run a drama camp? Not you - and not me. One reason I like doing a simple Veterans Day program with elementary students is that we can get ready in small chunks. A few minutes here and there does the trick.

First, Send the Speaking Parts Home

Once I've assigned the parts, each student gets an individual practice card. We read through the lines at school, and then I send them home with one request: practice saying this out loud. By the time a child has performed their line for Mom, Dad, Grandma, the dog and possibly an unwilling neighbor taking out the trash, they're much more comfortable saying it at school. Many memorize it along the way, but that's a bonus, not the expectation.

Practice in Tiny Pieces

I don't start with full run-throughs of our Veterans Day script. For the first few days, we squeeze practice into little openings in the day. I have kids read their line to two different people before lunch, during a transition or during carpool, and eventually everyone reads it to me.

I'm listening for the basics: Can I hear you? Are you reading too fast to understand? Do you know how to pronounce the words?

Figure Out Where Everyone Goes

Once the kids are comfortable with their lines, we figure out where everyone will stand. I put each student in a spot. This is when I discover which two kids absolutely cannot stand next to each other without poking, whispering or making each other laugh. I separate them now. It saves unnecessary crabbing later.

Next, we practice getting into those spots quickly. Once they can do that, we add the movement: Who steps forward to speak? When do they move? Where do they go when they're finished?

If everyone knows where to be and when to move, the whole thing suddenly looks surprisingly organized.

Give Them a Safety Net

Memorization isn't the goal. I tell students to keep their individual practice card with them even if they know their line, and I use the large prompting cards during rehearsals and the performance. If someone freezes—and you know someone will—they look at me. I'll be holding their line, and we keep going. No teacher whispering across the room while 23 others wait.

Keep the Whole-Class Rehearsals Short

As we get closer to our Veterans Day presentation, we put everything together. We run it. I pick one or two things to fix. We try those again. Then we're done.

Elementary students reach a point where another rehearsal doesn't make things better. They begin to shut down, or perform their line in a strange theatrical voice they've decided the occasion requires. And... there's the sign that we've practiced enough for the day!

Prepared Is Good Enough

I'm not trying to produce a Broadway show. I want students to understand what they're saying, speak loudly enough for our families to hear them, and work together as a group. That's prepared enough for me.

The individual practice cards and large prompting cards I use for this process are included with my Veterans Day Class Performance Script, along with the 24 student speaking parts and line-assignment sheet.

Veterans Day Script: Class Performance, Assembly & School Program

Next in the series: How I set up our Veterans Day performance for parents—from where everyone stands to the little details that make performance day run smoothly.

How I Use Reader’s Theater for Fluency (Step-by-Step Classroom Routine)

Fluency practice was dragging. Kids were bored. I was bored. 

And pulling small groups all day? Yeah, not happening. 

Something needed to change. 

I needed something that:

• didn’t feel like extra work

• kept kids engaged

• actually improved how they read

Using Reader's Theater to improve fluency isn't complicated. That’s the whole point.

You can try this tomorrow without changing your schedule.

I put students in groups of 4. Everyone has a role and no one is allowed to disappear. I hand out the script, assign parts and move along.

Here's the gig. We read it three times.

First read:
Choppy. Fast. Some mumbling. Some guessing. Perfect.

Second read:
Better pacing. A little confidence. You’ll hear it starting to click.

Third read:
Now they’re performing. Voices change. Timing improves. This is the part where even your reluctant readers start to care

Looks too simple? Nope. It's fluency practice without a fight.

My kiddos are:

• tracking text because they have a job
• listening so they don’t miss their turn
• rereading without complaining
• adjusting how they sound (without a lecture from me)

What Happened? 

• Engagement went up
• Repeated reading started happening automatically
• My lower readers stayed in it instead of checking out

But here’s the one that matters: Kids ask to read it again. And they ask that I make a Reader's Theater Booklet for student use 'cuz they love it.

Print, hand out and go!

How to Do this Tomorrow: Don’t overthink it.

• Groups of 4
• Pass out a script
• Assign roles quickly
• Read it 2–3 times
• Let them share if you have time

That’s it. The structure does the heavy lifting.

This is exactly what I hand my students—nothing extra, no prep.

The scripts are set up so:

• every student has a role
• parts are balanced
• fluency support is built in

If fluency feels like one more thing on your plate, this is the one that actually sticks.

Same goal.
Different approach.
Way better results.

And once your kids know the routine, it pretty much runs itself.

DIY Privacy Headphones

I found a treasure pile in the hallway! There was a box labeled DONATE filled with old headphones.  You know the ones that plug into a junction box for a listening center - from, like, 15 years ago. You know the ones with the enormous jacks and the thick curly cords that are constantly tangled? You know the ones with sturdy plastic and comfy, padded ear covers?
I plucked them from the box, clipped the cords and voila, privacy headphones! No explanation needed. Kids love them and use them regularly. My only wish? I had one for each kid...
During Read to Self.
During a test.
During writing.
To get away from a classmate.
Saved from the landfill, and totally free,  privacy headphones are now a fixture in my room!

5 Ways to Organize Your Teaching on Pinterest

I have a Pinterest account and eagerly pin new, cool things I come across….. but seriously my boards are a mess. Sure, I can find that Colosseum Tour for Kids video link, my favorite tri-corner hat tutorial or the yummy ice cream in a bag recipe when needed. But – hold on - it’s going to take several minutes.

My colleague Bristlecone Backpack is young. She grew up using technology and therefore approaches her account in a totally different way. Check out her Pinterest boards. So pretty…so organized… so easy to find stuff. I’m an old dog. She’s teaching me some new tricks.  I’d like to pass along “Do this, Not That” advice to designing functional teaching-related Pinterest boards.

Do this: Create a board targeted for a specific unit – Not that: create a board for a broad skill

Place pins on the board where you know you’ll use them. It keeps you focused and reduces the total number of boards you work with. We teach the Core Knowledge curriculum so she organizes her boards by domain. Look at her Astronomy board. Point of use. It works.

Do this: Be picky – Not that: Pin indiscriminately because you think “ that looks good”

Check out the links you are considering. This means actually click the link! Does the link work?  Is the idea appropriate for your grade level? Are there photos of the end product? Is the website easy to navigate? Is using the idea or resource something you’d actually do? If you say no to any of the above, pass it over. It creates clutter. Boo on clutter.

Do this: Use the secret boards – Not that: Uh… Don’t use the secret boards…

Bristlecone Backpack told me she collects hairstyle inspiration, memes and recipe ideas like the rest of us. But YOU can’t see it. (She has equally impressive secret boards keeping her private life private.) Her public Pinterest profile is professional and makes it easy for others to use (like me!).

Do this: Unpin stuff you don’t like or use – Not that: Leave it all there, just in case….

Take a few moments to unpin the stuff that you would not use again. It’s slightly clunky, but hover on the pin and click on the pencil symbol. On that page press delete. Don’t keep the junk.

Do this: Bookmark the Pinterest board you are currently using on your school computer – Not that: email yourself links you think you’ll use to your school email (from home).

I would never would pull up my current Pinterest boards on my school computer because of the above referenced jumbled mess. However, if your Pinterest board is school-worthy, bookmark it!  If Pinterest is blocked at your school, talk to your network administrator. Show the Pinterest boards you want to have at your fingertips.

I’d love to hear best Pinterest practices for YOUR boards! Share the love below!

Reward Coupons for Big Kids - Adapted for Younger Kids

Although I currently work with younger kids, I can't give up all of the fun, free incentives Reward Coupons for Big Kids offer. With a couple of tweaks I've been able to make many of the Reward Coupons for Big Kids work with my current younger group. 
One coupon is in really big demand right now. It is Read to a Kindie. Students select a book and at a mutually agreed upon time with the kindergarten teacher, my students go and read to them. Can a teacher get any happier than watching a young student clamor  to read to someone? Frankly, I smile just a little bit wider when my student is a struggling reader! "Retro fitting" this free reward for younger kids isn't hard. Here are some tips.
1. We have a mini economy going in my room and I open my 'store' every two weeks. I post the Read to a Kindie coupon on the whiteboard, write a price next to it, interested kids sign up and then pay.
2. I can say to a fifth grader, "Go to the library choose a book you think a kindergartener will like and will take you n less than 8 minutes." That doesn't work with the younger crowd. I help out by selecting several books for them to choose from, keeping in mind my students' reading level.
3. I make the kids practice in class. A lot. Younger kids need coaching on voice volume, how to hold the book and fluency. We talk about what to expect when reading with kindies and how to handle it when they aren't perfect angels. An older child can roll with it when a kindie calls out or gets up to get a drink in the middle of a book. A younger kid does best when actively told what to expect.
4. Most Big Kids can take on reading to a whole class right away, but for younger kids audience size matters. At the beginning of the year I make sure my students are reading one on one with a kindie. If they make a mistake, a kindie won't notice and my students feel safe. By the end of the year they can handle small groups.
5. I require my students to share their experience with the class when they return. Without exception, they are enthusiastic and tell some funny stories about what a kindie did or said. This in turn inspires others to choose this Reward Coupon in the future.

Why does this Reward Coupon works so well with a younger crowd?  There is built in success. A kindie is excited for an older student to come read to them. My younger students are instant celebrities in the hallway! They are confident going in. They know the book. They've been prepped on what kindie might do. Rather than be thrown off by a kids behavior or comment they enjoy the process a lot.

Many of the other Reward Coupons for Big Kids are easily adaptable for younger kids too! Give them a try!