Clock Partners

2ndgradeteacher · **Clock Partners** 07-24-2006, 02:26 PM

I once read somewhere about setting up partners in a classroom based on the clock... the students have to fill in the clock with another students name at each time on the clock and then when you need to do a partner activity you just say-- find your 1 o'clock partner..

I'm not sure where I got this idea, but I'm thinking of using it this year. Has anyone used it? Did it work? Anyone have a template already made for something like this that you'd be willing to share?

Look forward to hearing from you all!

Socks · **Clock Partners** 07-24-2006, 02:49 PM

A presenter used this at a full day professional development last year. She just had a piece of paper that had a table on it. In one column were the times (12:00, 1:00, 2:00, etc.) and the other column was left blank. We had to walk around and fill in the clocks together. We went through almost all of the partners in that one day! It worked really well.

Nat · **I have** 07-24-2006, 02:50 PM

I've used it before...found it online somewhere a couple years ago.

it worked really well! my sheet is at school and I don't have access until last week of August... it's really easy to make one yourself...

draw a clock with a line beside each hour...for the kids to find an appt. with. when you do group work, you say go with your 2 o'clock appt. or whatever time you wish.

the only problem I had was kids that "lost" their clock...

also, once everyone has signed up to meet people, make sure they work, everyone is "filled up" and no one is using someone twice and so on...

nat

tbsrwilson · **Clock Partners** 07-24-2006, 04:36 PM

I used it last year quite a bit, and liked it a lot. Here are the templates I have...

2ndgradeteacher · 07-24-2006, 05:48 PM

Thanks everybody!

Maybe I'll have them fill out two copies -- one for them and one for me -- that way if they "lose" their paper, I'll have a spare!! I can't wait to try this idea out!

Joy · **Thanks tbsrwilson!** 07-24-2006, 05:51 PM

Thanks for posting the files for the clocks. I had misplaced mine!! It's nice to know that someone is willing to share!

mrssimon2gr · **Wonderful!** 07-24-2006, 05:52 PM

I have heard of this but I couldn't visualize it!
Wonderful
Kym

3grteacher · **only one flaw** 07-24-2006, 06:06 PM

If you live in a growing community, it doesn't work too well. We had lots of new students all year which forced a split. All the coming and going...(mostly coming) made it difficult to use the clocks. Everytime I thought it was a perfect time to use them, they were out dated. I tried 3 times through out the year to make new ones but within a few weeks, someone new would come.

If you area is more stable, then I would say go for it. It really "should" have helped cut down on kids pairing with the same kids every time, and me spending time trying to match them up.

Good Luck!!

mlg · **Clock Partners** 07-24-2006, 07:44 PM

I have used this successfully with many previous classes. The past couple of years, however, it has been more difficult to implement because of a lot of comings and goings of students. If you do decide to use it, DEFINITELY have duplicate copies of each student's partner lists that you keep handy. The kids WILL lose them or not have them available when needed. One way that helped to minimize this happening was to have the students staple or glue them to the inside cover of their folders or a notebook. I always make it a rule that they must have a different partner's name for each time slot and that they must have both boys and girls on their lists.

This does take a little bit of class time to set up because it can seem to be confusing at first, but it is well worth it. I found that what worked best for my students was to explain it as clearly as possible at the beginning then to tell them to find a partner for their 1:00 time slot. MAKE SURE THAT EACH CHILD HAS LISTED THEIR PARTNER'S NAME IN THE GIVEN TIME SLOT ON THEIR SHEET AND THAT THEIR NAME IS ON THEIR PARTNER'S SHEET FOR THE SAME TIME SLOT. Don't move on to the next time slot until each step is complete. Trust me, this will save a lot of aggravation!!

This really is a good technique and the kids do seem to enjoy it.

Ruth WW · **to avoid the problem** 04-21-2008, 12:05 PM

I collect the filled clocks and make a copy of them before handing them back to the students. I do tell students to slide the clock into the rear clearview of their binder but those who don't follow instructions will lose them.

westernteach · **not clock partners but...** 04-21-2008, 01:19 PM

shape partners. I have always taught lower grades and have used this idea but instead of the clock I had 4 shapes (circle, square, star, triangle) on a paper with a line next to them. At the beginning of the year, I had kids take their paper and fill in the partners. They could choose one person from their group (I usually group my desks into 4 or 5 in a group) but the other shapes had to be filled in from other groups. If I was your square partner, then we put my name on your paper next to the square and your name on my paper next to the square. It seemed to really help because I would say "find you star partner and do..." and it cut back on those responses, "I don't want to work with _________." Does that make sense?? I will try to find my template to post.