Warm-Ups... REALLY?!

Am I the only one that leaves warm-ups as a complete after thought? Sometimes I seriously feel like the worst teacher... I have this amazing lesson planned, but do I REALLY have to figure out a warm-up too? Can't they just be all ready to go when the bell rings?!

Ha...

Tuesday Warm-Up

As a teacher of the beloved 9th graders, I can tell you that warm-ups are an absolute MUST in my classroom -- both for my students and for my own sanity. They give students something to do while I deal with the miscellaenous start of class chaos (attendance, absent students, new students, etc. etc. etc.) but I never want a warm-up to feel useless to the students.

This year, I'm taking a tip from an elementary teacher and trying spiraling review for warm-ups. If you are an elementary school teacher, this is something you have likely heard of. For younger students, major concepts like addition and subtracted are constantly reviewed throughout the entire year, not just during that particular unit. I am taking a similar approach in my classroom this year, particularly with my Biology students who will need to take an End of Course test in May.

Friday Warm-Up

The first week of Biology focused on the characteristics of life - we did all sorts of activities to reinforce this concept, but that doesn't necessarily mean they all mastered it. This week we are moving on to food chains and energy pyramids, but I want to reinforce concepts from last week. The warm-ups this week all revolve around the characteristics of life, although in various ways. I try to introduce variety, technology, and creativity whenever possible to really try stretch their brains and ensure they aren't just spitting back definitions, but actually understanding. Here's what our warmups look like this week:

Monday -- Poll Everywhere Q&A (This option is great, as students can both type in answers AND vote for other answers they like or dislike)

Wednesday Warm-Up

Tuesday -- Reviewing Unit Learning Objectives (This is the warm-up every day of the first unit)
Wednesday -- a #CheckYourSelfie quick slip that is turned in and immediately reviewed (quickly) by me
Thursday -- Vocabulary Review
Friday -- BioGram (our class version of instagram drawings) summary of concepts

Each day is different, yet on the same topic. Below are some of the templates and layouts I like to use for quick formative checks -- especially as warm-ups!

Don't ignore the warm-ups! They are a great part of a routine and provide SUCH a great time to reteach and reassess major concepts that all students may not have been able to master.