A teacher wrote, “Does anyone else get frustrated when asking students to clear their desk before a test ? Students seem to not listen and leave backpacks, pencil bags etc and the process ends up wasting a lot of time. How can I make this transition less painful ?
Transitions are complex but the answer is simple! Use a daily tech guide – it can be a PowerPoint or Slides or your software for your interactive board.
Make a list of the class activities and make a slide for each activity. Use a remote mouse or a clicker or a presentation remote device and stand anywhere in the room during transitions.
Before the slide with the assessment and instructions, play the transition video to catch their attention. Soon they will be scurrying to have their desks cleared before it is played for the third time.
Compete with other class sections to see how few times you can play it before they are ready and put that section and their time on the board, “Period 3 – 3 times” “Period 5 – 2 times”
Over 60 transition vidoes available in Spanish and about 20 available in English, French, German, Italian, Mandarin, Latin. Try them, you’ll be glad you did!
Video Adiós Libros
This is a clever way to calm nerves before an assessment – we usually sing it about 3 times as I hand out the papers. (With the clicker it is easy to start it over as I hand out papers.) It prompts students to clear their desks and to take a pencil.
It also encourages positive self-talk about “bring on the assessment because I’ve prepared.”
Students quickly start singing along to this simple but pretty song:
adiós libros
adiós papeles
mi lapiz está listo
y hola prueba
adiós libros
adiós papeles
me preparé
que venga la prueba
Soon there will be another option with the 15 second song that goes with this slide.
