The Breakfast Club – #BFC530 – is a 15 minute, 1 question Twitter chat every weekday. We chat in 4 timezones Mon-Fri – 5:30am Eastern, Central, Mountain, and Pacific Times. The mission of BFC is to empower participants to make a difference in education by engaging in consistent reflective practice in a supportive community that inspires and challenges one another.
Good Morning #bfc530
We are lucky that even shorten classes are an hour long. Normal classes 80 mins. My kids are usually in the midst of a project anyway...
We use a 2-hr delay schedule for state testing. Teaching still goes on, but I incorporate more talking and moving because they've sat too long already #bfc530
Shortened classes can be meaningful if we don’t try to stuff in too much. One learning goal, a brief activity, and a reflection. Or the short period can provide time for working on a longer-term project, so that students can get right to work.
#bfc530
Testing days, shortened days, or really any modified schedule days, are the best time to try something new and engaging. I like to do either exploratory learning or some kind of creative assignment that let Ss think outside the box. #BFC530
For one, it breaks up the boring day of testing for them and me. These also tend to be days when a lot of students don't come in, so you have smaller classes letting you be more involved in supporting them. All around win. #bfc530
Good morning everyone. I just have an oral practice session. We talk about the test or anything the Ss want to discuss. My ELs get really stressed before testing sessions. #bfc530
Plan for high interest, engaging mini lessons and activities, include movement and fun, makes the day meaningful and keeps the learning happening! #bfc530
It is extremely hard, especially when you have kids pulled out for IEP needs all day. I like to attempt some activities that I wanted to do, but did not for whatever reason. This year, we listened to a lot of the audio version of Elijah of Buxton during the afternoons. #bfc530
On testing days, I try to use the most hands on activities I can or group work (like a normal day, but I am more conscious of it during testing days) #bfc530
Our whole grade is split into groups and the students use the time to create a presentation "selling" a zoo they created. No other academic classes after tests. Most students appreciate the change of pace after testing #bfc530
Good morning, appreciated teachers!
I assigned a project to wrap up our mythology unit. We made mythology trading cards while watching the Percy Jackson series movies. #bfc530 Gave them a chance to unwind.
You have to let Ss destress. We try to incorporate team building and class building activities. Although you want them to do their best- you don’t want them to become anxious. #bfc530#LoveLiteracyLearning
We always have passion projects going where Ss research and present on something they’re interesting in, so they usually ask to work on those in the little sneaks of time on odd days. #bfc530
I usually focus on tasks that are long-term and choice driven - when students feel that every minute counts, it doesn’t matter how long or short the class periods are #bfc530
One of my fav things about testing is that I have 2 classes for 60 minutes! We get soooo much accomplished! But when we have those days with shorter lessons (every Thurs, pep rally), I typically will plan one activity that hones or increases skills of current learning #bfc530
Sometimes it's for review. Shortened block is good length for @GetKahoot or @quizlet. Sometimes it's to finish up what wasn't finished day before. #bfc530
On a short day it reminds me of my first year teaching, 9 periods 41 mins. I just get in what ever I can. We lose so much real teaching time over the year, just plow ahead ! #bfc530
There are students everywhere... who never liked a certain subject until they got that one special teacher. So it doesn’t matter what your subject is... you have the potential to be that one special teacher. #KidsDeserveIt
My days as test proctor begin today & we are allowing my daughter to take it for the 1st time as well, more to get her an experience of test taking than anything it will tell us about her or her teachers. She is already expressing stress #bfc530
This is a great Q today! Looking forward to hearing what people say since, as an Admin, I’m often the person who changes the daily schedule to accommodate these interruptions. If there are ways to make it better/easier, I’m all ears! 🤗 #BFC530
We normally have 80 minute classes, so when they are shortened to 50 min for testing, there's still plenty of time to be productive. Though I do less writing on test days because their brains are fried #BFC530
#bfc530 ... with the fab littles, plenty of movement breaks, trying to keep the structures already in place for the class always seems to put the littles at ease during any changes in routine for testing, etc
#bfc530 During the strange scheduling that goes on around testing must do things that do not add more stress onto the kids but keeps them moving in the right direction... low key but meaningful learning. We worked on a #steam project.
We normally have 80 minute classes, so when they are shortened to 50 min for testing, there's still plenty of time to be productive. Though I do less writing on test days because their brains are fried #BFC530
We have very little national testing. Used to be grades 8 & 12, but during the summer, after school lets out. Now they took away grade 8 & they're introducing grade 3, 6 and 9. Not popular. Hopefully it will die out #bfc530
We adjust the schedule not only for testing, but for days where we may have an assembly, or snow delay. They are not so rare...and the show must go on! #bfc530
I have the same group of kids all day; so I just rearrange and reprioritize. I always start off early dismissal days by saying “we have this much to do, and this little time so let’s be focused.” #bfc530
This is a great Q today! Looking forward to hearing what people say since, as an Admin, I’m often the person who changes the daily schedule to accommodate these interruptions. If there are ways to make it better/easier, I’m all ears! 🤗 #BFC530
Happy Administrators week too; to you fine administrators on here! Thank you so much for all of your advice and comments from a different perspective! It is so much appreciated! #bfc530
We do absolutely nothing with it. We started the grade 3 test last year, but so far haven't received any results. It's just a money maker for someone #bfc530
#bfc530 Dear Teachers,
Everyone knows you're stressed during testing season ... just try not to lose it on the kids because they're stressed too. Cramming a year's worth of review in the days before the test sounds like a great idea, but could actually cause more stress.
My days as test proctor begin today & we are allowing my daughter to take it for the 1st time as well, more to get her an experience of test taking than anything it will tell us about her or her teachers. She is already expressing stress #bfc530
We do absolutely nothing with it. We started the grade 3 test last year, but so far haven't received any results. It's just a money maker for someone #bfc530
I did review before April break; and haven’t done any since. I am hoping that that eliminated anxiety of the kids; #bfc530. Testing this week and I haven’t formally told them
I wish I could, my friend. My district only has two standardized testing periods - one is a full day test on literacy for grade 10’s in the Spring and the other is two days/semester in grade 9 Math. Much less than others, I know. But I’m still interested in the ideas! #BFC530
She hasnt been able to fall to sleep she says because of it. At t he same time, we dont want her to use "stress" to get out of things she finds unpleasant, so the test will be serving her a different purpose than what was intended for her #bfc530
That looks like so much fun !!! Actually Girl Scouts was a big topic of convo this week. My son is upset he can't go to camp when he was drugbti every mtg and booth sale all year. I sorta can't blame the lil guy for being mad #bfc530
I never thought I'd say this, but I'm feeling lucky that MA tests they way it does: 2 sessions of ELA in March, 2 sessions of Math in May. Each receives 2 1/2 hr block to administer. And then we're done. #bfc530
Shortened classes provide excellent opportunities for creative writing practice in our Writer's Notebooks: write from a picture, a bank of random words, a line from a text we study. Things we might otherwise not make time for become memorable lessons. #bfc530
Its #TeacherAppreciationWeek Thank a teacher, thank your colleagues, thank your admin, be grateful and be joyful, you make a difference every day! #gratitude#bfc530 ❤️ 👍 😊 Have an awesome week!
That looks like so much fun !!! Actually Girl Scouts was a big topic of convo this week. My son is upset he can't go to camp when he was drugbti every mtg and booth sale all year. I sorta can't blame the lil guy for being mad #bfc530
Don't miss #whatisschool with @deem_ellen and me, this Thursday May 10, at 7:00 PM EDT... Clean Sweep: De-cluttering Your Way Toward Better Learning, Teaching, and Living #bfc530#CelebrateMonday
I wish I could, my friend. My district only has two standardized testing periods - one is a full day test on literacy for grade 10’s in the Spring and the other is two days/semester in grade 9 Math. Much less than others, I know. But I’m still interested in the ideas! #BFC530
Agreed, but it still takes its toll on the kids, as we all know. So being purposeful and thoughtful about the time we have/assign is important to me. #BFC530
Thank you #bfc530 crew member @kathyiwanicki ... your book/lesson suggestion , The Best Part of inspired these sweet littles to write, create & share ❤️
You have to mix up the instructional delivery. You can't teach the same way every day. Learn while playing games, moving, or creating something to meet a specific goal. #bfc530
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Good monday
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Good monday
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Good monday
I don't Proctor but being in charge of the tech does have me on edge during the time period especially since it takes over a month to get it completed. #bfc530
Agreed, but it still takes its toll on the kids, as we all know. So being purposeful and thoughtful about the time we have/assign is important to me. #BFC530
She hasnt been able to fall to sleep she says because of it. At t he same time, we dont want her to use "stress" to get out of things she finds unpleasant, so the test will be serving her a different purpose than what was intended for her #bfc530
Some sort of activity is typically my go-to to keep engagement. I’m trying out Khan Academy review problems for the final exam. It may be used for these sort of days too. #bfc530
Get them outside (weather permitting) to either take in some fresh air, shoot some hoops or just be themselves outside of school. We had testing last week and will have more next week too so this was vital for us to get through the rest of the day #BFC530
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