HELP teaching 2/3 split class!

Question

I'm going to teach a 2/3 combo class for the first time; I'm used to a pull-out arts program, and 've taught 3rd before, but never 2nd, and I'm not sure how to manage the classroom; what activities will hold the 2nd's attention, and how to manage all the "sponge" stuff I'll need to volley back and forth.....

any and all advice welcome!

Answer 1

Aww, I was in a class just like this in 2nd/1st grade many many moons ago. :)

2nd grade is when we learned cursive, but we had to wait for the 1st graders to go out to recess to get ANY quiet time, haha.

My teacher always started the day with a "diary" prompt, like "My idea of the perfect day would be..." And then picked equal amounts of both groups to share out loud. Then we did DOL (daily oral language) and I'm not exactly sure how that worked out but it did--I guess she let the first graders go first and pick the easy mistakes out, and then sicked us big kids on it.

Most of the time we could do activities together, like "Mad Minute" math problems, only the 2nd graders would get harder worksheets. We did a lot of reading out loud as a class (geez, how am I remembering all this?). When we did need to learn separate things, half the class would do independent work like worksheets or writing exercises while the other would gather at a u-shaped table to work on grammar or vocab or something.

The two groups will make friends and get along despite being different ages, and they can even learn from each other. I remember being surprised how smart the 1st graders were even though I was a whole year older than them... Anyway, that was kind of long and reminiscing, but good luck! You'll be fine!

Answer 2

What are you teaching?  Art?