Throughout my practicum I have realized that the students who are in my classroom are an extremely kinaesthetic bunch. They are constantly needing to move their bodies in some shape or form.  They work best with hands-on activities rather than activities that require mostly speech.  I also noticed that they had trouble staying at their own desks when it was time for independent work.  Therefore, I implemented a strategy that we call ‘5 minutes quiet.’  This requires the students to remain quiet for 5 minutes as I circulate the room.  In addition, I keep score of the time on the board so the students are aware of how much longer they must wait.  I have noticed the tone of the room changes once I do this.  Even after the 5 minutes are up, the students wish to remain quiet and continue their work independently.  There appears to be a relaxation moment with the students.

I have seen some strengths and weaknesses to this strategy.  A strength is that the students are extremely focused and always try to beat their time.  Also, it makes students aware of their own behaviour because everyone else is silent.  If a student is being loud, they must take responsibility for their own actions rather than blame someone else.  A weakness is that I must stay silent as well, otherwise the students begin to whisper.  This is a weakness because it requires a time where I am unable to assist students in their learning.

However, overall this strategy has been a great asset to my classroom and is one that I will continue to use for many more years.