Incorporating a warm-up or “bellringer” activity into your class time can have many benefits. This is an opportunity to hit on skills that might otherwise not make it into your regular lessons, or skills that are important to your “unwritten curriculum” like lessons on life skills and social emotional learning.
Another benefit to bellringers is that it gives your students time to come in, settle into a familiar routine and activate their brains before the main lesson. This is also helpful for those students who are always a little bit late for class – they aren’t missing the lesson, and the bellringer work is quick and easy to catch up on.
Starting class with a set routine of bellringer activities also helps to strengthen classroom community as most activities involve sharing of some kind, group work, or games and challenges that create a fun atmosphere that fosters fellowship and inclusivity.
The way that I set up my bellringer routines varies for each class depending on their needs. I always include three days of grammar bellringer practice and challenges for my Grade 10’s because they need to work on those basic skills, and a “would you rather?” question on Monday’s to start the week, and “First Chapter Friday” or other book related activity on Friday’s.
My Grade 12’s don’t need to work on their grammar skills as much, so I include this into their regular lessons and focus their bellringer activities on tasks that require them to talk and interact because I want them to get more comfortable with speaking in class and in group situations before they go to college. So, each day we do a different activity where they either have to discuss in groups or have a whole class discussion where everyone must speak at least once. These activities include “would you rather?” questions, video of the week questions, literary term of the week discussion, quote of the week questions, and a music video discussion, or First Chapter Friday.
If you’re looking for some bellringer materials to get you started, or to shake up your current routine, you can check out my selection of activities here.
What are your favourite bellringer activities? Join us on facebook or Instagram to join the discussion!
