Teachers are going back to school (or soon will be), hoping and praying for a better year after three years of COVID impacting schools and teaching. Besides setting up the classroom and attending endless meetings, the most important activities to plan are routines and procedures that build classroom community. Here are the most important routines and procedures to plan, followed by some teachers’ suggestions!
In my first year of teaching, a wise veteran teacher told me one of her secrets to success: “never let them see you sweat.” She explained that if you feel prepared with routines and procedures, you will feel more calm and confident as a teacher. Your attitude in the classroom is contagious. Knowing what you want students to do will ensure that your calm is contagious!
Routines & Procedures to Plan
Here are some routines and procedures to plan in advance so that you can have that “calm is contagious” feeling of confidence!
*Morning routines (entry and what they do first)
*Attention signals
*Classroom areas – what areas students can use (and how to use them); what areas are “off limits”
*Class jobs/classroom care
*Whole class lesson procedures
*Small group procedures
*Independent work time
*Where, when, & how to turn in work
*Lunch
*Recess
*Student materials – how to access
*Pencils! (this is always a hot topic)
*Transitions
*Hallway
*Restrooms & water
*Snack
*End of day routines
(If you want to learn more about planning any of these procedures, here’s a free course!)
How to Teach Those Routines & Procedures
It’s important to explicitly teach everything so they know how to do it. Practice, practice, practice! Make everything as routine and consistent as possible. Here are four steps to do that.
1 – Introduce the procedure and tell students what you want them to do. Be clear and set high expectations. (For example: if “no talking” during a transition is one of your expectations, don’t settle for even a little bit of talking!)
2 – Teach the procedure with guided practice:
~I do (where you model the procedure). Show them what you want them to do. If you want to inject some humor, show them what you do NOT want them to do! If you decide to do this, make sure you then model, again, what you DO want them to do so the last “picture” they see is how to do the procedure correctly.
~We do (where everyone practices). As you monitor students practicing the procedure, assume the best. Assume they are trying to do it right. Narrate the positive, not what is going “wrong.”
~You do (Provide plenty of opportunities to practice the procedure, not just on the first day but in the first six weeks of school. Yes, six weeks! It often takes that long for everyone in your class to “perfect” some procedures.)
3 – Rinse & repeat! Challenge students to try to get better every time they practice. Challenge them! Try to complete the procedure within a certain amount of time, use a chant or a cheer, or try playing different songs to signal the procedure or transition. Ms. Bensko on Spotify is a great resource for classroom-appropriate songs.
4 – Once almost everyone is doing it perfectly, you can stop practicing. Redirect students every time they don’t do the procedure correctly. Use the language of “reinforce, remind, redirect.” (Responsive Classroom has great resources for teachers. This article explains that “reinforce, remind, redirect” language.)
Teachers’ Favorite Tried & True Routines & Procedures
*Morning routine:
~have a designated place for student to place paperwork or notes from home for you. My bin is called “Stuff for Mrs. Smith” – nothing fancy, but it covers everything!
~daily slides – there are lots of great resources on Teachers Pay Teachers, but you can also check “Bitmoji Craze for Educators” Facebook group for free, editable resources! These slides could be used to give students directions for what to do in the morning. Curriculum Corner has lots of great resources too.
~start class with a morning meeting
~use resources like Question of the Day (I saw this free resource in a Facebook group. If you know who created it, would you let me know? I want to give them credit!)
~set daily goals as a class (at the beginning of the year, these could be related to those routines & procedures).
~add points on the board, pom poms or colorful cotton balls in a clear jar (or some other visible reinforcement) when your class meets their goals, makes quick transitions, earns compliments from another teacher, etc., then plan a whole class reward.
*Attention signals:
~wireless doorbell or attention signal
~use music playlists to signal different times of the day (Ms. Bensko playlists on Spotify work well for this)
*Class jobs:
Think about how to incorporate ways to take care of the classroom. Giving students responsibility for keeping the classroom clean, organized, and functioning smoothly is a great way to encourage students to work together and it helps everyone feel more connected.
~one popular idea is to create jobs for every student.
~if that feels like too much, you can designate one or two students a day to help do all the things. You can call them teacher helpers, teacher assistants, or VIP students – whatever makes the job sound extra special! These students could be the ones to pass out papers or supplies, collect papers or supplies, be the line leaders, monitor technology storage, pencil manager, etc.
*Speaking of pencils, have a pencil strategy! This is a good one to try!
*Small group/independent work time:
~using those daily slides works well for this.
~another option is Classroom Screen (with lots of different options for what to display on the screen).
~establish expectations for when you should be interrupted and what students should do when they need help or have a question.
*Turning in work:
~use baskets labeled by subject (or by class, if you teach more than one)
~place a class checklist beside the basket so students can check off their name when they turn in work. (Keep extra copies in the bottom of the basket.) Class checklists come in handy for LOTS of classroom organization tasks, by the way (checking off permission slips or other forms).
~assign every student a number (list names alphabetically by last name). Teach students to include their number at the top of the paper when they write their name. This helps with putting papers in order by number (to check for completion or to grade student work). If you do this, it’s also helpful to make a list of these names & numbers on a piece of chart paper and post it. You can use the numbers every year to label cubbies, bags of math manipulatives, etc.
~think about what you want students to do after they turn in work. Some teachers set up an “Early Finishers” file with puzzles or various activities that students can access when their work is “done.” Other teachers keep an anchor chart with options such as: independent reading, math practice on a website, review science notes, etc. Still others might keep a list on the board so they can change it easily.
*Transitions:
~count down from some number or use a timer for transitions. (If you count down by number, it’s also fun to include fractional numbers.)
~use a ”magic word” that means “go, get started.” Your students will have to listen to all of the directions and not move until you say the magic word! (You ould keep the same word all year, or change the word with student suggestions weekly.)
*Restrooms:
~use hand signals so that your teaching is not interrupted
~use a bathroom pass. One option is to have students keep the pass on their desk and then return it to its place when they return. You could only provide one or two passes to limit the number of students who are out of the classroom at one time.
*End of day routines:
~have a standard cleaning routine (clean up around seat; clean the table surface; return materialsto cubbies, technology cart or shelves; stack chairs; wait to be called to line up).
~play music or a fun kid-appropriate podcast while they are cleaning.
~have an end of day reflection time (my favorite is three A’s).
~challenge your students by thinking of a mystery routine/procedure/work habit/act of kindness. The “mystery” is that you don’t tell them what it is! Then at the end of the day, you reveal the mystery and review the day, telling them when and where you saw them do this correctly. If that didn’t do so well, don’t lecture, but do encourage them to do better the next day. Then use that same “mystery” again, a few days later.
~another fun challenge is to hold occasional cleaning competitions between tables (or transitions or whatever other class goal you have set). Announce the “winners” at the end of the day. (Keep it simple. There is no need to reward them with anything. The recognition is enough.)
My Favorite Routine
Nothing ever goes according to plan during that first week of school. It’s helpful to have a stack of books to read aloud during times when you need something quick and fun. The best part? All of this read-aloud builds classroom community since stories are one of the ways we build connections with each other.
If you want to implement one of my favorite activities – Classroom Book a Day – into your routine, here is my post about getting started. And if you want a list of some fabulous picture book read-alouds for back to school, here’s my list! I have products that include discussion questions for some of these books in my TPT store. (Keep checking back because I will be adding more soon!)
And finally – plan your own routines for yourself.
*What will you do when you enter your classroom in the morning?
*What will you do during your planning or prep time?
*How about right after school?
Whew, I know that’s a lot! But take it from me (since I’m now a “veteran educator”) – thinking through these routines and procedures plus having a plan for them will ensure that your students never see you sweat!
If you need more help with back to school planning, take a look at my Complete Guidebook for Back to School Planning in Upper Elementary Grades!
Have a terrific school year!