Really...You Want Me To Teach Saturday School?

Is this the feeling that you get when you are approached and asked to teach SOL Saturday school?
What?  You really want me to teach on Saturday?  Do you really think the kids will want to come, and if they do, will that even work?

The answer is "yes", but it all depends on how it is structured and if it is motivating!

This past Saturday, I taught my first ever session of SOL Saturday school.  While I will admit that this is something that I do not want to do every Saturday, I had a lot FUN!

I structured it as challenges, having four different challenges for students to work at their own pace on.  They were set up like relay races, and they were only working against their self.  I did not want to set it up pitting them against each other, as I did not want that mentality during testing.  I want them to work for their own self and their own grade.  After finishing each challenge, they were able to pick some type of SOL reward for their hard work in completing and passing their challenge.  SOL Rewards included things like the following:  a sucker, word puzzles, books to read, computer games to play, free draw, etc.

Challenges Included:
Buzz To the Top Fiction and Non-Fiction Reading Passages
Word Power Relay Race - Word Analysis Packets
Around the World Skills & Strategies Packet
Reverse Questioning Booklet

I had 8 students and I started 2 on each challenge.  I was situated in the middle of all of the challenges going on and students came to me one-on-one as they completed portions of their packet.  I reviewed them and checked off correct questions, while advising them to go back on incorrect questions.  After trying one more time on the question, I went over the question and had the student tell me how they had gone about answering it and I helped them.

It was very beneficial to have the one-on-one time with them and see how they were thinking through the problems and what I could do to clarify it for them.  I found certain academic vocabulary that was tricking several of them, as well as determining key words in questions.

All in all it was a very beneficial day, and I feel that there will be a student of two that will pass the SOL due to taking that one-on-one time with them, and yes, on a Saturday morning!