Now, let's flesh out the details of these steps. The first step is to use a set-up to frame the energizer. This is your brief transition to the energizer from what you were doing before. Do not assume that everyone is ready to jump. Effectively setting things up helps your students immediately get they are about to do something different. To a first grade you might say, "Ooh! I just thought of "A of the kids' heads will turn to you and look up what is the great idea?! To a class of high school students, you'd need a different angle. Raise your own hand and ask the class, How many of you would like something totally off he wall as a break from ying? Great. The eam is up next with their quick energizer for us. With adu you might say, "How many of you have noticed that your chair is not very ergonomic? Postural stress can get us all a b cranky, so let's take a quick stretch.
The second step is to give a specific start time for the energizer. This f you don't, and instead go right directions, some students they can out of their seats and start following them while you're s alking (so tions right. head start is and they may not even have the sayin The start them to the event. You might begin in just 10 seconds do with (never less than 10 or more because our perception of urgency). You want your students the event is coming up fast. has to
The third step is to give a consistent trigger word or action such as "When I say 'Go or "When the music This creates a mental cue and starts primes students' brains for that one word or event. Use the same word or phrase consistently so that you never need to try to recall what your trigger word was
The fourth step is to begin giving the directions, but only one at a time. Almos all directions have multiple steps, but resist the temptation to give them all at once If your students are already standing. you might say, "Please take 10 giant steps in any direction." Notice that this gives them choice-that's a good idea. They're more likely to do something if they can do it their way. But what happens if they you think this might compromise the activend up their best friend? If ty, remedy it, but not by lecturing them. Say, "Hey, how did so many of you end with your best friends?" And another short step. Say, "Great! Now please stand back to back with your neighbor and take seven new steps This will disburse them all in a new direction with no reprimand from you just one at a Although I've just told you to give directions in small chunks, work at time, there are plenty of exceptions. In some cases, students may need to di their own pace. In other cases, there may be complex directions and it's need to to start, stop, and start again. To solve that problem, you'll post the directions. Use a flip chart, a white board, or a slide to list all the directions so that everyone can see them and proceed through the task without your constant explanation.
The fifth step is critical. Even with the best of plans, things can fall flat. So you need to check students' readiness to take action. As a generalization, there emotional states that your students will experience after you announce the first direction and before you tell them to "go These are the ABCs of state readiness:
A is for anticipation: Students lean forward, hands on meaning they are good to go. If you see this state in nearly all of your students, they are ready for the next step: the trigger word
B is for backing off: Apathetic signs include leaning back in their chairs and rolling their eyes meaning they are not buying into what you're asking them to do. Increase their buy-in by improving your framing of the event. Give them a better reason to do what you're asking them to do
C is for confusion: They look side to side for help from peers, and their fore heads may be wrinkled-meaning they don't understand what you're asking them to do. Offer directions again, and either simplify them, review them, or say them differently.
Finally we get to the sixth and last of our direction-giving steps. Give th trigger word you introduced earlier. Be consistent with it, and s it with enthusiasm, with your hands matching the nonverbal communications, "Ready, go!