5 Minutes Uninterrupted

The image above is used under a Creative Commons attribution license - credit goes to the creator, Live Life Happy, (c) June 25, 2012 and can be found at https://www.flickr.com/photos/deeplifequotes/7440757078 No changes were made to the original and this is for non-commercial use. The image contains the words "The most precious gift you can give someone is the gift of your TIME and ATTENTION". 

I have 19 students so far in my Grade 6-7 class. I was fortunate enough to consult their teachers from last year to gather some insights on how I can best serve them. I really appreciated how Lisa Daley and Brenda Kim took time to share their knowledge about the students that they led last year. A common refrain was that many students did not like to ask for help, even when it was needed and even when they realized they were floundering. I had dozens and dozens of questions as I rapidly prepared for my new teaching assignment, and a huge one was how I was to offer and provide assistance to students who were embarrassed or afraid to ask for it. 

I figured out a process that would destigmatize and normalize individualized teacher-student conversations. I haven't given it an official name yet, but I alternate between calling it "Exclusive Time" or "Uninterrupted Individual Time" or just "The 5 Minutes". I introduced it to my students like this: I told them that I wanted to conduct an experiment. I realized after the first few days of school together that it was possible for me to not actually have a meaningful interchange with a student beyond just a question and short answer unless I monitored myself. I declared that I wanted to ensure that I spent 5 minutes (meaningful moments) with each student. I asked them how long it would take for me to do this with everyone in the class and some replied that it would be nearly 100 minutes (5 minutes x almost 20 students). I pointed out that this would be nearly impossible to accomplish in a single day, so my goal was to spread out these "appointments" over the course of a week. Every student would receive 5 minutes of exclusive, uninterrupted, personal time to talk with the teacher.

Some students did not like this idea at all.

"What do we talk about?"

"Do we HAVE to do it?"

I reassured them that they could decide what the topic or focus of our conversation would be, and I insisted that everyone had to have a turn. I made myself a chart on paper, half-hidden behind the interactive white board, and I wrote a 5 beside a student's name after I'd have a chat. I used my cell phone as a timer and I would declare to the class that I was "off-limits" when I was about to have one of these talks.

I met my goal. I had private, uninterrupted conversations with every single student in my class. At the end, even the skeptical, reluctant students were comfortable. Some began their allotted time by stating "I don't know what to say". They were uneasy because they had never done something like this with a teacher before, but casual questions that weren't meant to be interrogations often jump-started the conversations.

What did we talk about? Once again, I want to respect the privacy of my students, so I can't go into detail. Some asked me questions about what this school year will be like. Some used the time to express their concerns. Some shared their passions and pastimes - for example, I discovered I have several gamers in the class. Some talked about their friends. Some asked for help with current assignments. A few asked when they could have their second 5-minute exclusive time. Many expressed astonishment that the five minutes went by so quickly.

I plan to keep doing this every week. It's said that we make time for the things that are important and if I claim that building positive relationships with my students are key, then I need to prove it by devoting time to it.