See them at the end of the period to find out what don't get about the pack up procedure.īy the end of the week, the entire process will be almost automatic. Starting the next day, jot down the names of any students who attempt to pack up early.
Share a thought or two and then kick 'em loose.īonus: They're going to love any teacher who helps them to be ready to go at the sound of the bell. See them at the end of the period to reinforce your expectations. Jot down the names of students who aren't ready. Make sure you hit the stop button so that the next song in the playlist doesn't begin to play. Be ready and waiting at the front of the room as the song ends. After they've packed up, they are to come to attention so that you can use use the last minute for announcements, reminders, closure activites, etc. Let them know that you will play the song two minutes before the bell to indicate it's time to pack up. Hearing high-energy, recognizable music in the classroom will be a novelty for some of them. Better than a countdown timer being projected onto a screen, the song will be a mental clock playing inside of each head keeping them apprised of how much time is left.Īn added feature is the fact that the end of the song is the cue to come back to attention for the teacher's closing words of wisdom. Students wil quicklyl internalize the music and be able to use the progress of the song to monitor how long they have to be completely packed up. This is especially true at the end of the period when the teacher's voice has become somewhat invisible.Īnd if you're using a song they enjoy, the endorphins being released in their brains will produce a feeling of well being at the end of the period. Music is a more enjoyable cue than the teacher's already over-used voice. It's these types of clearly defined procedures that enable teachers to hold their students accountable while promoting a classroom culture of independence and self-reliance. Conversely, until the song is heard, packing up isn't an option.ĭon't even think about packing up until you hear our song. The song will be a clear, unmistakeable cue to begin the pack up procedure. However, by playing a song to indicate, "It's now time to pack up," the teacher replaces the uncertainty with a predictable and student-friendly cue. And who can blame them? The transition time between periods is short enough as it is without the student adding to his own burden by not being ready to leave at the sound of the bell. This uncertainty will eventually create an environment in which they begin to pack up earlier and earlier each day. 
Without a consistent cue, students are on their own in determining when to pack up. There are several advantages to using a song. (The Mission Impossible theme song that comes on the CD with the book, Eight Great Ideas, is forty-nine seconds long and works really well for this.) At seminars I've been sharing with secondary teachers the idea of using a short song as a cue to indicate that it's time for students to pack up.
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