If you’ve ever had students wander into class chatting, dragging their feet, or staring at their phones, you know the first five minutes of class can make or break the period.
That’s where bell ringers come in.
In Health Science classrooms—and especially CNA and PCT training—those first few minutes are precious. You’ve got content to cover, skills to practice, and a clock that always seems to run faster than you want.
Bell ringers give you a way to set the tone, maximize time, and keep students engaged before you even say a word.
Let’s talk about how they work (and why they’re perfect for our field).
Bell Ringers Establish Routine
When students know that a bell ringer is waiting for them every day, you create a predictable, structured start to class. Instead of wasted transition time, they sit down and get right to work.
For CNA/PCT students, routine matters—it mirrors the professional expectations they’ll encounter in healthcare.
Just like patients need consistent care, students thrive on consistent classroom practices.
Bell Ringers Maximize Instructional Time
While students are working independently on a bell ringer, you can:
Take attendance
Answer a student’s quick question
Handle paperwork
Or simply take a breath before diving into your lesson
It’s like buying yourself an extra 5 minutes every period!
And in a program packed with skills checklists and competencies, those minutes add up fast.
Bell Ringers Bridge to the Day’s Lesson
A well-designed bell ringer can:
Activate prior knowledge
Preview a new skill or system
Reinforce yesterday’s content
For example, before teaching wound care, you might post a bell ringer like:
“List three signs of infection a CNA should watch for and explain why they matter.”
Students are instantly in the right mindset, ready to connect what they know to what they’ll learn next.
This is my main reason for using Bell Ringers…to “hook” them into today’s lesson
Keys to Effective Bell Ringers in Health Science Classrooms
Be Consistent
Use bell ringers daily so students know the expectation. This reduces confusion and builds routine.
Keep It Brief
Think 5–10 minutes max. Bell ringers should warm students up—not replace your lesson.
Hold Students Accountable
Collect or review them in some way.
This could be a quick notebook check, a group share, or a whiteboard flash.
I ALWAYS count Bell Ringers toward their grade.
Make It Meaningful
Bell ringers should be purposeful, not busy work.
In our field, that means real scenarios, case-based prompts, or quick review questions that connect to healthcare practice.
For example: Martha Ewing, a 76 year-old, is incontinent of urine every day within minutes of eating her breakfast.
- What does “incontinent” mean?
- What can PCTs/CNAs do to help Ms. Ewing maintain or regain her continence?
- List some complications resulting from incontinence
Set Expectations Early
On day one, show students exactly how bell ringers work in your class:
Where to find the daily question
What materials they’ll need
Where to record their answers
I have posted it in Google Classroom, projected it on a screen and given out slips of paper with the Bell Ringer printed…all 3
Provide Low-Stakes Review
Use bell ringers to circle back to infection control, vital signs, or anatomy concepts.
Repetition builds mastery without the pressure of a big test.
Use as Formative Assessment
Just in case you are not familiar with the term, a Formative Assessment is a fancy term for a checkpoint of knowledge.
A quick warm-up question can tell you what stuck—and what didn’t. If half the class struggles on “Signs of Hypoglycemia,” you know to reteach before moving on.
Build Relationships
Not every bell ringer has to be about coursework.
A quick check-in like, “What’s one word that describes your morning?” can help you spot non-academic challenges and build rapport.
No Time to Make Your Own Bell Ringers?
Let’s face it.
Every new concept takes time to create.
This time you don’t have to.
I created a bundle of 152 CNA, PCT & Health Science Bell Ringers—all scenario-driven and aligned with the content you’re already teaching.
What’s included:
152 scenario-based bell ringers that go beyond simple recall
Categories that align with textbooks like Hartman’s (e.g., infection control, vital signs, communication, systems of the body, end-of-life care, and more)
Higher-level thinking questions designed to spark discussion and critical thinking
A Google Slides presentation—easy to project or assign in Google Classroom
Why you’ll love it:
- Saves hours of prep time
- Keeps students focused from the moment class starts
- Promotes real-world application of skills, not just memorization (anything we do to make our curriculum relevant is win)
When I created these Bell Ringers I didn’t want the questions to be just knowledge checks.
I wanted the students to actually apply their knowledge to the patient/resident in the scenario.
Why Bell Ringers Are a Game-Changer for CNA/PCT & Health Science Instruction
At their best, bell ringers aren’t just time-fillers—they’re tools for building habits, reinforcing critical skills, and preparing students for the real-world pace of healthcare.
And with ready-to-go resources like the 152 Scenario-Based Bell Ringers, you’ll have a year’s worth of engaging warm-ups at your fingertips—no scrambling required.
Do you use bell ringers in your classroom? What’s your go-to type of question—review, scenario, or check-in? Drop your thoughts below—I’d love to hear how you’re using them!
Need More Engaging Ready-to-Go Resources for Your Program? Click the Picture below to shop!
