Practice Makes Perfect

Today we spent our Daily 5 (or small group rotation time) practicing our expected behaviors.  I emphasized a lot with the class how important it is that we use our time wisely and that we don't have any time to waste!  This is a time of day that can have a huge impact on a students learning; the hard part is it has to be done independently.  I am most often working with a small group of students.  We usually have four rotations, only one which is spent in group.  This leaves a large chunk of time for students to use or waste time.  Wasting time is not okay with me!  We will keep reviewing and practicing until we get it down.  I'd rather spend the time now working on getting it right than being partly effective all year.  It will pay off in the long run!