After years of teaching in classrooms,  coaching hundreds of XSEED teachers, and writing many teaching plans myself, I have come to this belief: completing an XSEED lesson on time is POSSIBLE!

I have come to believe these are the top 5 simple practices that have the maximum impact.

1. There is no substitute for preparation: Reading the Lesson Plan and making clear notes is the first step. A successful XSEED teacher solves the worksheet in advance to understand where students may struggle. He/she arranges resources and organize them for groups, ahead of the class.
2. Use the board effectively: Having created an image of board-work in your diary or notepad always helps. At the beginning of a class, reinforce classroom norms to engage students’ attention on the board. Writing the aim and student responses clearly on the board is a simple and a very effective practice.
3. Practice giving clear instructions: Children are young and learn at their own pace. Sharing clear, step-by-step instructions make a big difference. You can even model them using resources and ask 2-3 children to paraphrase. XSEED activities are very engaging and once the time is up, one can use attention-grabbers to help students transition into a discussion.
4. Set clear classroom norms and reinforce them every day, till it becomes a habit: Raising hands to answer questions, assigning roles in a group like the time-keeper, recorder, presenter etc., using ice-cream sticks to ask questions are all good examples of such norms.
5. Keep an eye on the watch, without getting hassled: Last and the seemingly simplest one, but the most difficult practice to execute is reminding students and yourself about the time left for each step of the lesson plan.