Year 6 Ice breaker needed!

[Karen_sparkle]

Hello to all and may I say, this website is a dream come true!

I'm a recently qualifed NQT and have just heard news of my first assignment.

It is a Year 6 class and I did not get a chance to teach this age range on my practice. I know that work has been set for me but I was hoping that someone could give me some
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s on that initial meeting and what simple exercise or presentation I could do to introduce myself to the class. Something engaging and simple to win over the critical eyes!

Many thanks - I'm more than a little nervous!!

[NuttySupplier]

Welcome!

Ok, don't try and win them over, just be confident. They don't like pretence. Dive in there and get on with what's been left. You may find it's registration for 5 minutes, then straight into assembly, then straight into Lit/Num, and you will barely have time to introduce yourself. Put your name on a board just in case! They like confidence and be super-efficient, don't give them time to be critical!

If you have them for more than a day and do want to do something different with them, if you are confident you can pull it off, try googling Whole Brain Teaching (used to be power teaching) and try a basic
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from there.. with an unknown class I like to (taken from power teaching):

Tell them I'm going to teach them 4 things/facts/steps;
Ask how many things;
Put up a finger for each succinct thing you tell them;
They have to put their fingers up to;
Get them to repeat the four things to their next-door neighbour, pointing to their fingers still;
You ask how their partners have done;
Get the whole class to say the 4 things over with you.

Could be as simple as:
1. Read the question
2. Underline the important numbers
3. Identify the operation
4. Make your estimate

Or if you really wanted some exercise/presentation at the beginning of the day, something like:

If you need help:
1. Ask the people on your table - quietly
2. If they can't help you, put your hand up
3. Wait for me to come to you, do not call out to me
4. Be polite and say thank you when I've finished.

You can emphasise the quietly, hand up, don't call out, be polite...

Good luck!