What is a classroom warm-up/ morning work?
Also called bell-work because students do it until the tardy bell rings in the morning, a warm-up is an activity on the board when students enter the room to get them focused and organized. They usually take less than 5 minutes but can be designed to take longer. For example, one year I had students trickling into my room for 25 minutes before the tardy bell would ring and the announcements would begin, so the warm-up was substantially longer. Warm-ups can be journal entries, math practice, and any other skills you want students to focus on. I also have a warm-up right after lunch/recess while students are getting drinks so that those waiting have something to do and can begin thinking about math.
