Timetables- how to fit it all in!

This week I've felt really bogged down by the things that need to be done/ taught and the realisation of the fact that there's only three weeks of school left for the year. I then began reflecting on the past six years and how I have timetabled and prioritised things in past. I also thought about how my own teaching practices have evolved over the years… and how I've been influenced by amazing mentors and colleagues. I've also been introduced to many new programs/ pedagogies and these have helped to shape my programming.

So I thought that today I would share with you some of my past timetables and how they have evolved over the years... as well as some thoughts on where I'd like to go next (because let's face it... I'm still not getting through everything!)

OK so lets start at the foundation... how much time should we allocate to each subject (KLA)?

Now I teach in NSW so I will begin with looking at what BOSTES states, however, I will then share the National Curriculum expectations for those teaching in other parts of Australia. If you're not currently teaching in an Australian school, please feel free to check out our standards and then compare them with your own- they may be similar?

BOSTES (NSW)

Taken from: k6.boardofstudies.nsw.edu.au

I really like this pie graph as it clearly states how much of your teaching should be dedicated to each KLA (Key Learning Area).

If the school week is made up of 25 teaching hours you would need to spend the following amount of hours of each subject:

English: 7.5 hours (at 30%) or 8 hours rounded up
Mathematics: 5 hours (at 20%)
Science and Technology: 2.5 hours (at 10%)
HSIE (History & Geo): 2.5 hours (at 10%)
PD/H/PE: 2.5 hours (at 10%)
CAPA: 2.5 hours (at 10%)

And that would leave 2.5 hours (maximum) for Assemblies, Library, Languages, Scripture, and extra sport opportunities. 

I like to leave the morning block for English and then teach an hour of Mathematics after recess each day. However, this isn't always possible due to RFF and other school-wide commitments.

Australian Curriculum (ACARA)

Taken from: qcaa.qld.edu.au

This table was taken from the Queensland Curriculum & Assessment Authority website. It explains how much time should be spent on each subject over the whole year.

I like how they have set time aside for languages. I also like how they have broken HSIE down as well as Technologies. However, I would like to know how this would look over a typical week!

Here are a some of my timetables, starting with my first year of teaching right through to the year I left to go on Maternity Leave. Please note that I haven't included this current year as I am Job Sharing and only work two days.

2011 - Year 6 Timetable

2012 - Year 6 Timetable

2013 - Year 6 Timetable

2014 - Year 5 Timetable

2015 - Year 6 Timetable

As the years went on I began including the Quality Teaching Framework at the bottom of my timetable. I also included little iPad icons to indicate when my class had access to the devices. Finally, I tried to ensure that I kept my KLA time allocations as close to the guidelines as possible.

I feel this is a nice representation of how my teaching has evolved over the years. I'm particularly happy with how I structured my time table in 2014. It was a little more comprehensive than the rest. You can clearly see where I would conduct my pre-tests and post-tests for the week. I even stated whether my lessons were modelled, guided or independent. The different KLA's were colour-coded, which added to the comprehensiveness. 

Where to next?

I would like my timetable for 2017 to include time for goal setting. I'd also like it to include the different programs/ pedagogies that shape the lessons, so that it can be clearly seen where it all fits in. For example, where and when I will teach TOWN… is it attached to a Maths lesson or is it separate? 

I would love for it to be digital with a hyperlink to the current teaching program. I will make sure that I continue to use the iPad icon, like I used previously. And finally, I want to ensure that I am sticking to the KLA time allocations set out by BOSTES. If possible, I would like to spend a little more time on English and Mathematics.

New Buzzwords: Formative Assessment

Since returning from Maternity Leave, I feel the way in which we assess our students has completely changed. When I was teaching two years ago, I felt like everything was data driven. However, now (which still being data driven I guess) the way we assess students is more authentic. The whole idea of only testing a student at the conclusion of a unit is phasing out. Instead, we're encouraged to formally and informally assess students throughout the unit and make modifications to our program as we go.

I remember looking at this idea of flexible programming a couple of years ago... Where I made a program template, thought about my end result and what I wanted students to achieve, but left the individual lessons blank. That way, I could program as I went... Or sometimes I even programmed after the fact because I couldn't keep up with where the lesson was going.

This whole concept is fantastic because it enables the teacher to see what students know and don't know and then alter their program accordingly. Check out the templates I made below (click on them to download a copy for yourself).

  

But a lot has changed since I created these templates. We've got John Hattie and he has raised the concept of visible learning. We have the National Curriculun, and the NSW Syllabuses. Technology has improved and so there are far more websites and apps out there that specifically target Formative Assessment. So today I thought I'd share one of those websites/apps and review it for you.

An example of a Plickers student card

Plickers

Plickers is a simple tool that collects formative assessment data in real-time. All you need is one device (for the teacher) and the specifically designed cards; one for each student. The idea is that the teacher creates a number of questions (maybe revision questions) on the computer prior to the lesson. Then during the lesson, the teacher operates the questions via their device and projects the responses onto the IWB in the live view. Students turn their card to represent answer options A-D (pictured right). Their responses are collated and graphed for the teacher to see. This gives the teacher a clear understanding of which students have grasped the concepts in a non-threatening or confrontational manner.

Here are two examples of questions that I used in a revision lesson for 'Position' (Mathematics):

I love using Plickers, however, my students love it even more. Whenever I ask them to pull out their Plickers cards, they get excited and race to the floor. They erupt with screaming and words of encouragement to one another. It brings out the competitiveness in students, while assessing their understanding and my effect.

I highly recommend Plickers.

Where to Next?

I'd love to check out other formative assessment apps. I've got my eyes on a few already but would love to hear of any others that you might know of! So comment below...