Notes from my last staff meeting with Canterbury Teachers:

Have you ever…?

• Given your students an assignment and had everyone finish at the same time?

• Noticed that the longer the assignment, the longer it takes some students to get started?
• Noticed that some students get started immediately and usually finish early?
• Noticed that some never seem to be able to finish on time?
• Finished a lesson sooner than you had anticipated then attempted to give busy work?
• Noticed that behavior degenerates as lessons drag out.

Time management is a challenge for all teachers. The best classroom managers share a secret—they make every effort to avoid any situation in which students are left with idle time. They keep students engaged from “bell to bell.” 

Five Ways to Teach from Bell to Bell 

1. Overplan every lesson (meaningful, not busy work)
2. Teach/Engage the entire time block
3. Break your time into five-to-ten minute increments
4. Have a plan to “early finishers” and “sluggards”
5. Be prepared.

“Idle hands are the devil’s workshop”

based on my notes from “Ten-Minute Inservice: 40 Quick Training Sessions That Build Teacher Effectiveness by Todd Whitaker (Author)