This document discusses ways for teachers to maximize instructional time in the classroom. It identifies several common factors that can reduce instructional time, such as lessons taking longer than planned, distractions, and clerical tasks. The document recommends that teachers find ways to minimize these time-wasting factors in order to spend more time instructing students. Specific strategies discussed include incorporating engaging teaching methods beyond just lectures; integrating technology; establishing efficient routines for taking attendance and distributing materials; and using smooth transitions between activities. The document stresses that maximizing instructional time allows teachers to cover more content and better support student learning.

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Section 4: Maximizing Instructional Time
Based off of my experiences in classrooms, it is not uncommon for a teacher to not finish
the activities for their lesson for that given day. A teacher can have their lesson plan created for a
certain day and anticipate getting through every single task on that plan. But, some activities may
take longer than originally planned. The main concern for teachers is that they are able to get as
much instruction time in as possible, but their instructional time is limited due to factors such as
distractions and other clerical tasks. Once teachers find ways to minimize these factors, they will
be able to maximize their instruction time.
When I was in high school, my American History teacher would lecture the entire time,
never incorporating more engaging teaching methods into his classroom. He would go through
the material rather quickly, abruptly cutting off discussions by telling us that we were behind
schedule. He constantly reminded us that we were supposed to be on a certain topic by this date
and we needed to pick up the pace. While I understood that he was trying to get through all of
the material he needed to cover by the end of the year, he did not take into consideration that
there were going to be times that we were going to need extra days to comprehend some of the
events that occurred in history.
Sitting and listening to a person talk for long periods of time can cause boredom and lack
of focus on the topic. Pacing of instruction and more activities go hand in hand when it comes to
maximizing instruction. The more engaged the students are, the better the chance the students
will grasp the concept, if the instruction is at the correct difficulty level. Some teachers may be
comfortable with teaching via lecture and videos. However, according to Ronald Partin,
“Teacher-led discussions tend to elicit greater student involvement than lectures or audio-visual

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presentations or seat-work” (Partin, 1995). Our society is learning more towards technology and
students seem to be attracted to using technology. Integrating technology into a classroom is one
way to make a lecture more engaging. More engagement fosters better student learning if done
the correct way. Websites such as Nearpod promote student involvement in the lesson With
better student involvement during a lesson, the more time you have to move on to the next
lesson.
The above anecdote was an example of how pace of instruction can affect the amount of
content a teacher ends up covering over time. If you cover the material too quickly, some
students will be behind, lose hope because they don’t understand the material, then stop paying
attention. If you cover the material too slowly, the students will lose interest and be inattentive.
There is no correct pace of instruction that every teacher needs to follow as it all depends on your
students. Not every student learns at the same pace. Once the teacher learns their students well
enough to know the adequate pace to instruct their students, 95% of their students can master the
objectives for that lesson. Many different instructional activities can help with the pace of
instruction, but having a specific routine in the classroom will help the students get the must out
of the instruction time.
Taking attendance and announcements is one aspect of leading a classroom that is
overlooked because it is miniscule but it is pretty important when it comes to teaching because it
can take at least five minutes away from instruction. During first hour in high school, the first
thing that my teacher did was roll call and proceeded to lecture. Once the bell that signaled the
beginning of second hour came, the secretary would read the announcements. While both of
those things were done at the very beginning of the hour to not interrupt the teacher mid-lesson,
there could be more efficient ways to eliminate this distraction. Teachers can work with their

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administration and make it so that announcements are read during advisory or at lunch. During
my field experience, my host teacher would wait until the students were independently working
or watching a video to take attendance. In his book Classroom Teacher’s Survival Guide, Ronald
Partin shows his approval of this method. “If not required, don’t begin every class by taking
attendance or reading the roll. Jump right into the subject matter. Students most remember the
first and last things you do in class” (Partin 1995). It may be necessary for you to have your
attendance record in at the beginning of the hour. But in case you do not have to, be sure to begin
the lesson right away and find times in your lesson when the students are working without you to
take attendance without it disrupting your lesson. That way, you are able to get the majority of
your lesson in, maximizing your instruction time.
Another little aspect of the classroom that can make a big difference in the long run is
your method for students receiving materials for your lesson. This is another thing that is part of
your daily routine that should be established at the beginning of year. Without a system in place
for this small detail can cause chaos in the classroom. One of my professors has a rule that paper
that is on the front table needs to be picked up as soon as we walk in the room. Other ways to get
materials out would be having a teacher aid for the week, having them pass out any needed
materials and run errands if need be (Partin 1995). Just imagine how giving your students
specific jobs can help them refocus and give you more time to teach.
The biggest distraction of them all would be a disruptive student. While there are too
many tips for behavior management to cover in this section, one way to eliminate the possible
chaos would be to have smooth transitions. Transitions move students from one task to another
as smoothly as possible. They can also be called redirects as they redirect the studens’ attention
from their work back to their teacher. I have heard many fantastic redirects in the past year and a

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half. One of my professors’ trademark phrase is, “I know you may not be finished, but I’m going
to ask you to stop.” My host teacher uses “Your window of opportunity is closing… and
closing… and it’s closed.” Redirects such as these are important because it shows that you are
acknowledging the fact that while the students may not have completed the task, the lesson has
to go on. They are gentle reminders that the lesson will continue and they do not rush the student.
However, redirects need to be put into practice at the beginning of the school year. Effective
transitions eliminate the amount of time you need to get the students attention so you can move
on to the next part of the lesson. Verbal redirects are not the only types of transitions that can be
used. I have seen other teachers use timers on Smartboards or raising their hand to get their
students to stop talking. Classroom Teacher’s Survival Guide suggests using a bell or a picture of
a traffic light. The green light would mean to keep working, the yellow light symbolizes one
minute left and the red light ends the activity (Partin 1995). Finding the correct transition
involves trial and error. What may work for one class may not work for the next. Whichever
transition you decide to use, having one in place could end up saving you several minutes of
instruction time per week.
Other things such as being prepared for your lesson (i.e making sure the materials you
need are available to you and being sure to collect what you need prior to the lesson) are other
ways to maximize your instruction time. This section listed some suggestions and topics you
may not have thought about when it comes to your classroom. Education is a field that is ever
changing and there is no right way to maximize instruction. It is all about trial and error.
Whichever methods you decide to choose, teach them to your students at the beginning of the
year, and alter them once you know your students. Once you have the correct methods in place
for minimizing distractions, you will obtain more time to teach your content.

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Partin, R. (1995). Classroom teacher’s survival guide: practical strategies, management
Techniques, and reproducibles for new and experienced teachers.
West Nyack, NY: The Center For Applied Research.