Do you get deluged with requests like this at the beginning of the class period? This is what one teacher calls milling. If you don't regulate it, it could last the whole class period. Here are some suggested solutions:
Start a ten-second countdown and penalize those who don't meet the deadline.
I tried this on a substitute assignment and it worked real quick!
Start a ten-second countdown and reward those who meet the deadline.
This might be a more positive approach than the one given above.
Appoint a volunteer to handle the millers.
While you handle your instructional duties, one of the students keeps a list of students needing to go to purchase supplies, students needing to make a phone call, and so on and so forth.
Promise a group reward.
If 23 students are in their seats with 23 pencils, 23 workbooks, and 23 empty bladders, the whole class gets a reward.
At the end of every class period, rehearse for the beginning of the next class period.
"Tomorrow we will start class promptly at twelve-thirty. And what do we need to bring?"
The students raise their hands and say "pencils," "workbooks," "textbooks."
"Very good. Raise your hand if you intend to be here at twelve-thirty with your pencil, your workbook, and your textbook."
Offer supplies, but charge a fee.
When I was in the seventh grade, my English teacher offered pencils to those who needed them. The next year, the same teacher offered pencils but with a financial penalty. The whole year, no one asked her for a pencil.
Apply an ounce of prevention.
Karen Nye has this to say:
I cut the milling around at the beginning of the school year. I hand out a classroom guidelines-and-procedures sheet (signed by both student and parents) that outlines appropriate behaviors and routines in my class. I have one section on the beginning-of-class routine. Students have to be seated with notebooks out before the bell rings. Students standing when the bell rings are tardy unexcused. I explain that they should be ready to learn, and they should expect me to be ready to teach.Students do try to ask unrelated question or sharpen pencils. The first time, I ask them to sit down. If the student challenges, I am succinct, "No. This is not the appropriate time," and I continue with the lesson. Students who continue step outside my door for a "time out." After that, I have an individual conference. If the student still continues, it's off to the office, darlin'. When time permits, I pull the student aside and refer to the classroom guidelines sheet as to when one can sharpen a pencil (before the bell rings), etc. If a student says s/he doesn't have enough time, we discuss other options (bring a second pen/pencil, etc.)
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