Review Games

• When faced with downtime in the classroom, review previous material in a fun way with review games. Play a simple guessing game by asking students a question. The student who answers first asks the next question, and so on. Find creative ways to review information, such as turning vocabulary into a game of charades. Keep index cards on hand for making quick flashcards or creating a memory game for students to enjoy.
  
  

Quotes

• Encourage students to hone their writing skills when you have free time in class. Write a quote on the board for students to use as a writing prompt. Students might respond to the quote by explaining how they interpret it or how the quote reflects on their own life. Encourage students to respond to the quote honestly: If they do not agree with the quote, ask them to explain why and to back up their argument.
  
  

Art

• By the time students enter eighth grade, many have left their arts and crafts days behind them. Bring those days back with fun art activities to help pass the time until the next lesson. Keep a stash of crayons, markers, paper, magazines, glue and scissors in the classroom. Encourage students to cut pictures from magazines to make a collage or to illustrate a story they just read for class. Alternatively, give students a chance to let loose and create their own artistic masterpiece.
  
  

Reading

• Keep a book on hand to read to the class when you have extra time. All students enjoy being read to, even eighth-graders. Choose a book with plenty of excitement and adventure that students will enjoy listening to. As an alternative, keep an audio book handy for students to listen to, or let students take turns reading out loud to the class.