The First Five Minutes in a Daily 5 Classroom

A principal or instructional coach, even a colleague, can learn a lot from the first five minutes in a Daily 5 classroom. If your school is new to Daily 5, these “Look for …” questions may help you assess the effectiveness of a teacher’s implementation of Daily 5. Even if your school has been using Daily 5 for a long time, they could reinforce your successful implementation.

What do you think students should be doing in the classroom? What about teachers? These “Look for …” questions give you, the observer, more information about what has been implemented in the classroom. Collecting this qualitative data will help in the formation of goals for each teacher.

“Look for …” questions about students

• Are students engaged in a Daily 5 activity (Read to Self, Read to Someone, Listen to Reading, Word Work, or Work on Writing)?
• What percentage of students are engaged in a Daily 5 activity?
• Are students staying on task for the entire observed time period?
• Are any students working with the teacher in a whole group, a small group, or one-on-one?
• Are students working in a comfortable place where they can stay on task?
• Are students tracking their stamina somehow, perhaps by using a thermometer, graph, or posted time?
• Do students know where to find the materials (book boxes, Listen-to-Reading materials, and so on) that will help them be successful in the Daily 5 round?
• Do students have other tools to support them during the Daily 5 round?
• Do students respond quickly to signals or directions from the teacher?

“Look for …” questions about teachers

• Is the teacher working with students one-on-one, in a small group, or on a whole-group focus lesson?
• Does the teacher know what all students are doing and whether they are on task?
• Does the teacher have his or her back turned to part of the class? If so, are all students engaged in their Daily 5 activity, whether or not they are in the teacher’s direct line of sight?
• Does the teacher use proactive language that supports students’ 10 Steps to Independence?
• Does the teacher use anchor I-charts (independence charts), so that students understand their expectations for themselves, as well as the teacher’s expectations for them, during this time period?
• Does the teacher use a quiet signal for transitions?
• Has the teacher established procedures and routines so that every student knows his or her job during Daily 5?
• Is the teacher creating a sense of urgency for students’ education? If so, what words is he or she using to do that?
• Are there signs that the teacher is tracking the class’s stamina somehow, such as a thermometer, graph, or posted time?
• Does the teacher provide choice for students? If so, what words is he or she using to do that?
• Are focus lessons efficient, effective, and supportive of student learning goals?
• Has the teacher established a system to record information, Touch Points, and/or assessment data?