Keep 'em writing

One of the greatest challenges for Relief Teachers - or any teacher for that matter - is to keep the kids on task.


Writing is often seen as passive so this strategy will keep them active.
1. Each student gets one sheet of paper (say A4) size and they write their name on top.
2. Select one topic relevant to what they are studying (eg. the Moon)
3. They start with their sheet and write ONE fact about the moon. (eg. the moon takes a month to orbit the earth).
4. On YOUR signal they swap their paper to the left and receive from the right. They get a short time to READ and then on YOUR signal they write - but the idea has to be original. 
5. When the get their sheet back they should have 5, 10 or 15 ideas about the moon - depending on the size of the group.
6. They could then go about check its accuracy.


You see how it goes.


You can vary the size of the group, the complexity of the topic, the speed of the rotation.


But - Keep 'em writing.