Being a form tutor is a one of the best things of being a teacher. I tell my students that my prime job in a school is to be an advocat to them, even when they are wrong. We spend more time with them and can shape them more than anyone else.
Currently, our tutor time commitments are:
1) 15 minutes in the morning, and 5 minutes in the afternoon.
2) Several hours at the end of each half-term.
My usual tutor time schedule involves:
Monday
Reading and signing planners, touching base with each of my students.
Tuesday
Year Assembly
Wednesday
Cultural stimulus (video/article) and discussion
Thursday
Personal Reading
Friday
Personal Reading and behaviour points
The TES recently delivered a survey of what tutors did with their groups, and devised the following:
http://newteachers.tes.co.uk/news/fun-ideas-form-time/45491
From this there are two things I wish to experiment doing. One is a ‘teaching spot’, where students are expected to ‘teach’ the class something. This could be the lyrics to a song, or about a game, or a book, or something deemed trivial.
This could also be tied in with a ‘talent spot’, where students demonstrate something that they can do.
Both of these events require mass participation. However, I will see how they might be received. I imagine they would be.
Useful Literacy options are available here:
http://www.kenttrustweb.org.uk/UserFiles/KCT/File/LCT_Boards/Dartford/Headteacher_Meetings/Making_the_most_of_tutor_time.pdf
Most useful, I think, is the modelling reading at the same time that the students read. Also, reflecting on the week just gone via diaries (or private blogs) is useful too, I think. Even something like idonethis.com would be great.
