Whether your instruction is in-person, virtual, or hybrid, students will always need time to practice skills independently. If carefully planned, this independent work time can be more than just busy work or assessments–it can also be meaningful practice. Keep reading to find 3 easy ways to make the most of independent work time!

Flip Your Classroom

Flipping your classroom means that students spend time independently learning material, then use time with their teacher to receive coaching and practice. This allows teachers to maximize the time that they have with students. It also allows students to get help practicing important skills.

One way of flipping the classroom that I like to do is to provide students with guided notes. In the past, I spent a large chunk of class time completing guided notes with students, so that they would have a tool to help them while they were completing homework. Now I prefer to give students their notes, along with a video of me guiding them through the notes, to complete at home. Then they are able to use those notes to help them complete their work in class, while I am able to provide support as needed.

Need some ready-made guided notes? Check out my 5th grade guided notes bundle!

Provide Scaffolds

When students are completing independent work, they often need support in the form of scaffolds. Scaffolding can be as simple as providing a completed example or a link to a helpful video.

So often I have had students who could solve a math problem correctly in class, but forgot how to do it once they got home. Providing scaffolds with independent practice helps to avoid this, because they give students a reminder and a confidence boost.

Do you need a scaffolded resource that students can complete independently? Check out my FREE MEGA Resource!

Love this free resource and want to go ahead and grab a year-long bundle? Check out these 4th and 5th grade bundles!

Assign Engaging Independent Work

Another way that you can make the most of independent work is to assign engaging activities! Practice is a necessary part of learning math… so why not make it fun?

Escape rooms are probably my favorite engaging practice activity! They allow students to practice a skill, but add a layer of fun. Students get invested in “escaping” and want to get the questions right. And, as a bonus, the escape rooms that I have created are all self-checking!

Check out my escape room bundles and get started assigning engaging independent work!

Independent work doesn’t have to be busy work or offer no support to students. By using the three ideas I mentioned above, your students will see the importance in their work and will begin to produce better math work for you.

How do you make the most of independent work in your classroom? Let me know in the comments below!