How Do You Organise Your Class?

[Guest]

hello everyone, after spending so long going through this forum and TES looking for advice on how to organise my class i am still feeling confused.

 

all i am wanting to know is how people organise continuus provision? are the children given set continuous provision time where they access resources and you observe? or do you have continuous provision all day while you do adult led activities with groups?

 

does anyone have set literacy/numeracy times? and if so do the children just do continuous provision linked with just that topic?

 

hope someone can answer these questions for me, i just want to make sure i start off doing things right! i'm in a mixed reception/year 1 class by the way.

Thanks for reading

[Guest]

anyone???

[katekit]

Hi I don't know if this will be of any help - (I am in the nursery) our Co-ordinator is in the Reception class, two class groups, 2 teachers in one large room (used to be two but knocked through into one). they have continuous provision available at all time but have small focus groups during the day. They often have literacy and numeracy together on the carpet, and we are a catholic school so they do 'RE' when the children first come in at 8,55 - register, news etc. In September though when the children are new they will have access to continuous prov with support from the teachers, probably will be doing obs etc. the time they spend together starts off quite short but lengthens as the children settle, very much run on a 'wait and see' basis. This was my nursery class last year and some of the children will find group times quite difficult but they have the option of sitting in two small groups of 17 in either end of the classroom, which might be more manageable. As I said though they will play for practically all the day. they also don't go into assembly for a few weeks although they might take them into our 'welcome' mass at church.

[Guest]

thank you thants great i'm just looking for different ideas so i can decide what will be best for my class. thanks for replying! x x

[katekit]

thank you thants great i'm just looking for different ideas so i can decide what will be best for my class. thanks for replying! x x

Its a pleasure I have put a question on the forum but haven't had an answer so I know how you were feeling. while you are there can I just ask on behalf of the reception teachers how you organise outdoor play, are your children able to go in and out freely as they should or do you have a 'timetable'? thanks

[Guest]

I am going to struggle with my outdoor play. I am moving to a new school and although there is a nice soft enclosed area for the Reception children I can't see if from my classroom so there is no way I can have 'free flow'. There is only me and the TA so we couldn't have one of us outside all the time. I think I am going to have to plan time in, but how much and when I am not sure.

 

Will be interesting to see what others do, especially those who don't have the ideal facilities.

 

With regard to how the day is structured, I too am still trying to get my head round it all! I think getting to know the children is going to be the priority and I am hoping the rest will follow!!

[Guest]

i'm not in an ideal situation for outdoor play either. we have an enclosed outdoor area joined to the classroom but there is only me to watch the children and i don't really like to have the children where i can't see them so i think maybe its going to have to be a timetable.

[Lorna]

Continous provision- children have access to all resources during the day. Tend to have one adult doing a group activity from carpet follow up, other adult to faciliatate play and observe.

 

Outdoor play- we have 2 reception classes so 2 teachers and 2 Tas. We tend to have someone outside all the time on a rota. One adult to facilitate play inside and one adult in each room doing an activity.

We have continuous access to outdoors. we do insists children put their name on a board to say they are outside to help us know where thay are and aid name recognition.

 

Thats once the children are used to routines and school. Obviously we are flexible and if more children outside then more adults will go out.

Carpet times short and sweet. 10 mins max in sept. Will come back to the carpet to do more than one input or play PSED games during the morning or as part of a small group.

 

 

Hope that helps.

[Guest]

Thanks Lorna, there are another two reception classes so we could probably draw up some kind of rota too. I like that idea and could see it working, although our classrooms are quite spread out. You have got my brain ticking now!! Thanks.

[katekit]

Thanks for the info.

 

we are planning to call 'playtime' - outdoor activity/learning time as the reception children have free access to all the nursery resources at playtime and lunchtime although there will not be probably as much support as we would like, but the other activities, eg sand, water, small world, bikes etc will be 'continuous provision' and have only 1 or 2 child initiated activities (with adult support) like in the 'indoor' classroom .

 

To get out during 'classtime' they may have to rely on parents being in to help so that it will be a member of staff and another adult inside and a member of staff outside. we have also thought about having mixed small groups of nursery/reception.

 

Do you feel like you are going around in circles trying to get 'definitive' answers to problems when experience tells you that as soon as you put children into the mix everything goes up in the air!

 

Feel like that is very confusing but I think I know what I mean!!!

[Guest]

we have a mixture of all the above - you really have to look at your environment staffing and children before you decide on one approach - we change every term, after much joint evaluation and discussion!

 

Our children come in at 8.45 to access a choice of activities put out by adults, this gives us time to speak to parents/carers for up to 15 mins. We then look at how the children are engaging and decide whether to gather together for register OR let them carry on and then gather.

 

We currently have to have a 'set' outdoor session because we have no free flow play area. However, we do timetable these - we call it our 'who's what where when' sheet. We find that adults need more direction than children or else you get into grey areas and misinterpretation! The person on room management is responsible for observations of selected children or selected areas of provision. Hope this helps! Jenni

[Guest]

Hi

 

Continuous provision: throughout the day while not 'working' with an adult. Also 'plan, do, review' session first thing in the morning for about 40 mins. Children come in and do the planning, on planning board, after reg we quickly talk about who is doing what. We then all go and 'do', this is great for observation time, I try to make sure that it's not always me doing the obs as I like to 'play' with the children too!! Then we gather on the carpet and 'review', usually only a couple of children show what they have been making or talk about what they have found out.

 

Outdoor provision: This is a bit of a nightmare for me too as although I have a fenced area right outside the classroom I can't see all of it from inside, to be honest I prefer being out there anyway but i find it works better if there's an adult lead activity going on outside. This way the children feel there is someone near who may be keeping an eye on them!! Once the expectations are clear I find most of the time free flow isn't a problem. Sure there maybe small disagreements but lifes like that and circle time helps us to work out how to sort 'challenges'!!

 

Hope this helps/is of interest.

[Beau]

anyone???

 

Hi chocolatedaisychain,

 

Just a little tip for using the forum. We have many members who log in at different times of day - some don't log in every day. (Incredible to believe but it's true! ) When you post a query you may need to wait for a day for a reply as forums don't work like instant messaging. If you can be patient there are always people who will be along and willing to help out.

[tommo]

Hi

 

Continuous provision: throughout the day while not 'working' with an adult. Also 'plan, do, review' session first thing in the morning for about 40 mins. Children come in and do the planning, on planning board, after reg we quickly talk about who is doing what. We then all go and 'do', this is great for observation time, I try to make sure that it's not always me doing the obs as I like to 'play' with the children too!! Then we gather on the carpet and 'review', usually only a couple of children show what they have been making or talk about what they have found out.

 

Outdoor provision: This is a bit of a nightmare for me too as although I have a fenced area right outside the classroom I can't see all of it from inside, to be honest I prefer being out there anyway but i find it works better if there's an adult lead activity going on outside. This way the children feel there is someone near who may be keeping an eye on them!! Once the expectations are clear I find most of the time free flow isn't a problem. Sure there maybe small disagreements but lifes like that and circle time helps us to work out how to sort 'challenges'!!

 

Hope this helps/is of interest.

 

 

Still not really sure how this all works if you do get this message i wold love to see what your plan, do review sheet looks like this seems roughly how we work at Edleston we've just move school during the summer so have left planning really late due to trying to create a lewarning environment from chaos!!! Thank's

[Guest]

Hi Tommo

 

I don't have a plan, do review 'sheet'. last year, which was the first year I had done this, We had a circle time planning session and I noted down what the children wanted to do. This tended to be quite time consuming though and some children wanted to talk to others about their activities (rightly so).

 

This year I'm going to use a planning board for the children to use as they come in in the morning. They will add their name to the picture of the area/activity they wish to use. There will be a set number of 'places' for certain things!

 

As for my planning, this will be covered on my continuous provision plans and then highlighted on the weekly indoor/outdoor provision plan.

 

Think I will continue to make a quick note of what they plan to use, that's always interesting!

[Guest]

Hi Tommo

 

I don't have a plan, do review 'sheet'. last year, which was the first year I had done this, We had a circle time planning session and I noted down what the children wanted to do. This tended to be quite time consuming though and some children wanted to talk to others about their activities (rightly so).

 

This year I'm going to use a planning board for the children to use as they come in in the morning. They will add their name to the picture of the area/activity they wish to use. There will be a set number of 'places' for certain things!

 

As for my planning, this will be covered on my continuous provision plans and then highlighted on the weekly indoor/outdoor provision plan.

 

Think I will continue to make a quick note of what they plan to use, that's always interesting!

[Guest]

Oh dear.. I'm not doing very well with this! My question is: what is the difference between a continuous provision plan and a weekly indoor/outdoor plan? I may seem a bit dim but I am new to Foundation. I thought they were the same but that I needed to include a lit and maths plan somewhere too!

[Susan]

Hi teacherbird and welcome.

 

Your continuous provision plans remain the same from week to week but you show the enhancements or extension activities that you are providing/offering on your weekly plan along with your focused activities which could include your literacy and numeracy. At least that's my understanding.

[Guest]

Thanks Susan, my indoor/outdoor environment plan is a list of each area and what will be on offer for each day. I add if CI, AI or AL.

[Guest]

Okaaaaaaaaaayyyyyyyyy. Sort of. I am going to attempt to post my first attempt at this kind of planning. Let me know what you all think. I am planning to do a weekly lit and num plan as well as 3 other adult led activity plans e.g. painting etc. We are due an OFSTED and at a recent briefing we were told that we cant just write activities on the weekly continuous ... we need weekly learning objectives. Do you think I am along the right lines? I have taught Year 5 and 6 for 14 years! I am currently on secondment for two terms at an infant school for experience as ever since I have had my children I have wanted to branch into primary schools (i have only ever worked in middle). Any help would be greatly appreciated!

week_1.doc

[Guest]

I think these are fine. You need to keep reflecting on them and if they don't work for you adapt them, OFSTED will like that!!

 

The planning I'm using this term is from an LEA website but for the life of me I can't remember where I think someone posted the link on here during the summer. I'll attach a copy but remember your plan needs to work for you.

EYFS_ST_weekly_area_plan.doc

short_term_blank_rec_EYFS_doc.doc