Redding School District

Plan Ahead

Have sets of work already in piles that roughly match the number of students in your rows or table groups.  Row or Table baskets can be a placed in the center of a table group or front of a row in order to put pre-counted materials in as needed. While students are working on one item, the teacher can be putting the next needed materials in the basket in the center of a team or at the front of a row in order for the next activity to be ready.  This makes the hand out process quick and as efficient as possible.

Other Passing out Ideas

• Have a designated space for extra materials. For example, when you are passing out a weekly homework assignment or newsletter, the extra handouts can be quickly and smoothly returned to the extra pile in a classroom spot.  This allows students who were absent to quickly get work they missed as well as extra sheets for those students who "forgot" to bring their homework back.
• Instruct students to turn around when passing papers to the person behind them instead of just tossing it behind them.  This can also prevent a student from just shoving papers into another's face.
• If students inadvertently take more papers than they need, have them carefully hold up the extras.  That way, if a student still needs a paper after the stacks have been passed out, he or she can walk quietly to the student who is holing up the extra paper and get what he or she needs. Thus, the students are handling the resources themselves. If you collect and distribute the extras, you will add two more steps to the process.

Collect Assignment When Students Are Finished or When They First Arrive

Having a designated spot for turning items in helps with collection.  A "Turn-in Box" can be a great spot for students to know where completed tasks go each and every time something is done.  A teacher should designate a student helper in each table group or row as the turn in helper.  They can collect the items and put them in the "Turn-in Box" while the other students are beginning the next activity that is in the hand out baskets (as described in another section).  This keeps the flow of the learning consistent and the students attention on learning. Cheap Example: Take a paper box lid and cover with tack paper and label it Turn-in Box.

Be Prepared to Help Younger Students

With younger students, you will want to walk around the desks or tables to keep a helpful eye on students as they place papers on top of one another. If younger students have trouble facing papers in the same direction, quietly give them a tip, such as, "All the name lines should be at the top."

Constantly Narrate Behavior

Keep narrating student behavior as they distribute and collect papers: "William is putting his paper right on top of the other papers and facing it in the same direction."

Provide Reminders

Provide many reminders for students when there is, for example, an important paper they need to return the next day. Write the task on the board along with other homework assignments, and remind them of this important obligation several times on the day before the paper is due. You may want to pin reminder notes to their clothes or backpacks.