What can you do with the really, really most annoying children in your class?

Now before you get ready to email me back and suggest a transfer for such children from your school to mine, let me quickly add that that is not the point of this little note.

Rather my issue is with the children who always finish an allotted exercise in less than the time I expected them to take.  I set them some work, anticipate that it gives me six or seven minutes free time to sort out other pressing matters, and then find three bright sparks have finished the whole thing in three.

Which is why I was delighted when Peter Clutterbuck came up with the idea for a set of books called “What to give annoying children”. Unfortunately, the Editorial Director vetoed that title so we have to call them “Timely Tasks for Fast Finishers.”

But I must give you a word of warning.  Because, although the tasks are engrossing and do aid focus and creative thinking, I have found no less than seven occasions in which one of my class has got an answer before I did.

Naturally I blame the stress of the job, the long hours marking, the meetings, the overcrowded classes, the annoying parents, and just about everything else I can think of, but in calmer moments I’m sure my brain used to be faster than this.

And, before you suggest otherwise, I’ve still got quite a few years to go before being put out to graze.

You try it, and see what happens.  Follow one of the links below and then click on the link under the words “sample material” which is under the word “quantity” which is under the price which is… oh well, you get the idea.

Timely Tasks for Fast Finishers for 5-7 year olds: see how good you are

Timely Tasks for Fast Finishers for 7-9 year olds: so you think you’re really smart?

Timely Tasks for Fast Finishers for 9-11 year olds: ok so you are better at this than me

You can read more about Timely Tasks for Fast Finishers on our website – just hover over the cover for details or click on the cover to go further.

If you have any questions about the resources, you can email orders@tradecounter.co.uk.  But please don’t tell them you were faster than me.  My life’s hard enough as it is.