Classroom routines & Procedures
Classroom routines and procedures are crucial. Students love structure, without it, they won't feel that sense of security and safety. It is through routines and procedures that teachers buildup students' trust in them. According to Scholastic, "Routines are the backbone of daily classroom life. They facilitate teaching and learning. That's the bottom line. Routines don't just make your life easier; they also save valuable classroom time. And what's most important, efficient routines make it easier for students to learn and achieve more" (Scholastic 2014).
Morning meeting:
In my opinion, Morning Meeting is one of the most important parts of the day. It sets the tone for the remainder of the day, and it helps students ease into the day instead of diving right into instruction. Not only does it help students get into school mode and accomplish morning tasks, it provides an opportunity for the entire class to come together and bond. Morning Meetings make students feel welcomed, accepted, and as though they are an equally important part of the classroom community! Morning Meetings consist of:
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RF.1.1 CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RF.1.2 CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RF.1.3 CCSS.ELA-Literacy.L.1.1
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.L.1.1.g CCSS.ELA-Literacy.L.1.4 CCSS.ELA-Literacy.SL.1.1 CCSS.ELA-Literacy.SL.1.1.a
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.SL.1.1.b CCSS.ELA-Literacy.SL.1.3 CCSS.ELA-Literacy.SL.1.4 CCSS.ELA-Literacy.L.1.5
- Greeting - As part of greeting, it is important that each student's name is said and that each student is included equally. No students are allowed to sit out!
- Sharing - Sharing is not only fun for students but it is a great way to increase student's literacy/speaking skills!
- Group Activity - Group activities are fun, engaging, and educational!
- Morning Message - This is a great way to incorporate routines in the classroom! Typically, the morning message is about what is happening in the classroom that day, similar to an agenda!
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RF.1.1 CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RF.1.2 CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RF.1.3 CCSS.ELA-Literacy.L.1.1
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.L.1.1.g CCSS.ELA-Literacy.L.1.4 CCSS.ELA-Literacy.SL.1.1 CCSS.ELA-Literacy.SL.1.1.a
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.SL.1.1.b CCSS.ELA-Literacy.SL.1.3 CCSS.ELA-Literacy.SL.1.4 CCSS.ELA-Literacy.L.1.5
Daily routines
- Students will follow a set schedule/agenda that will be posted around the room and given to parents. Everything should remain the same each day, except for the specials that rotate every other day. Brain Breaks will be strategically implemented into each day (a minimum of two per day), students will have free-time/choice time at the beginning of the day to help get into school mode, students will have recess to release their energy, followed by lunch. Since an article in the Journal of Child Nutrition and Management found that, "schools that schedule recess before lunch report that students eat more fruits and vegetables, drink more milk, waste less food, and are better behaved on the playground, in the lunchroom, and in the classroom" (Fuller, 2014).
- Students will have transition songs in-between each activity. When students hear the transition songs they will know to quietly stop what they are doing (clean up if necessary) and move to where they need to be for the next item on the agenda.
- Non-verbal cues will be established on the first day of class. If a student needs to go to the bathroom he/she will raise a pinky finger in the air and the classroom teacher will either nod to the student or tell the student to wait a moment before leaving. This will ensure that instruction is not interrupted. Another non-verbal cue will be students raising two fingers in the air to symbolize "please, be quiet".
- Students will have various acronyms posted around the room reminding them how to do things, such as lining up to walk in the hall.
- Students will be assigned roles/jobs in the classroom- these jobs will alternate and be posted somewhere visible in the classroom.
- When walking in the hallways the teacher will blow out an imaginary bubble to the students. Students will catch the bubble in their mouths and not be able to pop it until instructed to do so by the classroom teacher.
- Sayings such as "1-2-3 eyes on me", "thumbs up if you got it", and Fist-to-Fives will be used to keep student's attention and monitor student understanding.
- Bathroom, hall, office, and nurse passes will exist along with a sign-out to ensure that all students can be accounted for at all times.
- Fire drill and/or lock-down policies and routines will be established and understood by all.
Exit procedures/routines
- Students will have checklists posted on their desks reminding them what to bring home (these will vary by student).
- Students will complete their exit tickets and/or place any questions/concerns they had that day in the classroom mailbox.
- Bus helpers and line leaders will help lead students out of the classroom.
- Forgetful students will have a luggage tag or bracelet telling them what they need to remember to bring to school the next day.
- CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.1.2 CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.1.5 CCSS.ELA-Literacy.L.1.1
- CCSS.ELA-Literacy.L.1.1.d CCSS.ELA-Literacy.L.1.2 CCSS.ELA-Literacy.L.1.2.e