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Children's Mental Health Ontario
International Edubloggers Directory
The Learning Disabilities Association of Canada
Aug
23
Many of the kids I teach have difficulty paying attention to what’s going on in my class. I’m not really surprised by this, since that’s why they are in my class in the first place. But…….. I’ve had twenty kids in my class, and on some days I’d have to teach the lesson twenty one times. No kidding! That’s my life, or it was until I discovered The Buddy System.(Thank you Noreen Hardwick) You’ve just got to love it. It helps keep me sane saner, helps improve the kids’ listening skills and helps improve the kids’ social skills.
First, I explain The Buddy System to my students, and why I use it. I tell them two heads are better than one. So, I want them to work with two heads-theirs and a buddy’s. They are to pick a buddy, or sometimes buddies as the case may be, to work with and sit next to during class. Now when someone has a question, he is to ask his buddy first. I will only answer a group question. If someone asks me a question, I answer by asking, “Is this a group question?” If the student says no, then I tell the student to ask his buddy. If it is a group question, then I answer it. Simple. This cuts down on many of the silly questions I used to get that drove me crazy. You know the ones like, “What do we have to do?” after I just finished telling them what I want them to do. Oh yes, it does take a little while to train them to use The Buddy System, but it’s worth it. Their listening skills improve, as do their social skills. And, I get to live another day.
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3 Responses to “Get A Buddy. Have A Buddy.”
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Sounds like a great strategy!
P.S. I can see how it’d help foster greater communication, relationships, teamwork and independence all at the same time while saving you time.
Alvin, thanks for comments. There is little time in a classroom of students who are not independent learners. I have found that the characteristics I see in the classroom carry over to other aspects of their lives. This realization just makes it all the more important to get these kids to develop the habit of being more independent in all aspects of their lives. I tell them that if if they don’t take charge of their lives, someone else will and they may not get what they want out of life.