You can have the most creative lessons, the most engaging activities, and a classroom that looks like it came straight off Pinterest – but if your procedures aren’t solid, your days are going to feel a lot harder than they need to feel.
Strong classroom routines and procedures are the secret sauce that makes everything else work. They’re what keep your day running smoothly, your students feeling safe and confident, and you from running on fumes by 2 p.m.
But here’s the thing – routines and procedures don’t just magically appear because we hope for them. (Hope is not a strategy.) They don’t happen because we post a list of rules or review them once on the first day of school.
They happen because we teach them, step by step, until they become second nature for our students.
Here are three steps for achieving (or nearly achieving) perfect classroom procedures.
Step 1: Make it visual, model the routine, and practice.
This is where most teachers start during that first week of school. You show students exactly what the routine looks like, explain each step clearly, and give them time to practice – sometimes more than once. It’s all about clarity and repetition, so there’s no guessing.
Step 2: Continue to practice and gamify the process
Continue to practice routines daily. And yes, this can get tedious if you don’t change up how you do it.
I have several suggestions listed in the resources at the bottom of this blog post.
One of my favorites is to challenge your students to complete a procedure within a specific time frame. Keep it reasonable (you don’t want them to knock each other over to get the carpet quickly), but encourage them to “beat their time.”
Another way to make a game of it is to have students earn points for every time they complete a procedure well, or you have 90-100% of your students doing it well. When students earn a certain number of points, offer them free time or extra recess. Then, start over, but make the points goal a little higher.
Step 3: Revisit and practice routines all year long
Even the best routines and habits fade if you don’t maintain them. Strong classroom teachers know this and make a habit of revisiting expectations throughout the year – especially after long weekends, substitute days, school breaks, or during those mid-year slumps. A quick reset can prevent weeks of frustration.
When you intentionally teach, practice in fun ways, and revisit your routines and procedures, you create a classroom that essentially runs itself. Then you can spend your energy on the fun, meaningful aspects of teaching instead of constantly micromanaging.
Need some free resources? I’ve got you!
Classroom procedures free course
Back-to-school planning timeline freebie
Classroom procedures review freebie on TPT
If you want more tips, take a look at one of my courses or e-books!
Back to School Planning in Upper Elementary Grades
Upper Elementary Teacher’s Guide to the First Two Weeks of School
Get Started Teaching in Upper Elementary Grades
Share your favorite ideas for practicing procedures with me!
All of my content is intended to save teachers time and energy. My goal is to make good teaching sustainable while having a life outside of teaching. Let me know how I can help YOU with this quick form!