My first question about warm-ups is why are they used primarily in math and not other subjects? I think they can be very effective to get your mind thinking in the mode of the class. Writing classes I think could benefit from this especially creative writing or poetry. In math it serves to get students to focus and think mathematically. It can also have a calming or focusing effect for students who are coming in from lunch or from other frantic activities. It can also be a sort of brainstorm activity instead of the common questions. A quick chat within small groups about yesterdays lesson serves to refresh the previous lesson. It can also be a recap by the teacher, specifically about the expectations you have of them or the direction your unit is headed. This would help keep students on track after maybe the third or fourth day on the same subject. They could also be used to take the "temperature" of the class and to determine if students are following along. Except for a very informal formative assessment I don't think this is very practical because you would have set aside grading time for each warm-up and track every piece of paper turned in.
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