I recently got a question on my TpT page asking about some of my classroom routines. One thing she asked about specifically was warm-ups. After responding, I thought this was a terrific topic to share here, especially because it’s the summer and this is the time I reflect on my current routines and look for new ideas to try the following year.
My Warm-Up Routine:
Each day my students walk in, there is a warm-up displayed on my Smart Board. There are anywhere from 2-5 questions that are based on material from the previous lesson. This is what it looks like:
I give my students a recording worksheet. It has room for four day’s worth of warm-ups. You could just as easily have them record these on a notebook sheet of paper. Here’s what the student worksheet looks like:
They put the topic on the left side and record the date, then complete the warm-ups. They must show the original problems along with all their work. I am typically taking attendance and checking homework while they complete this task. Which is why I can’t live without my warm-ups! I need that time at the beginning to take care of some tasks, AND it gives me a chance to check understanding before we move onto a new lesson. Typically it takes the students 5-10 minutes to complete the warm-up, then another 5 minutes for me to go over it. So about 15 minutes total, which may sound like a lot. But I teach 113 minute classes so thankfully I have the time. I collect the warm-ups after the students have completed the sheet (4 total warm-ups). If they were absent for a particular day, they just write “absent.” I used to try having them make it up but it was way more work than what it was worth. My students know that the warm-ups are the “easy grades” so they rarely get anything less than a 100. The only time they do not is if they just write the answers and show no work.
Here is a link to the warm-up sets I sell in my store if you want to check them out. They all come with the templates, a PDF with all the warm-ups, answer keys to all, a teacher template to make your own, AND smart board files with each warm-up “snipped in”. That little splash of color when students walk in really makes a difference!
Pre-Algebra / Algebra / Geometry
You can just as easily use them as exit tickets as well!
Do you use warm-ups in your classroom? If so, how do you manage them? Do you collect and grade them? Please share!
~Gina~
All Things Algebra
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