Teaching Classroom Routines | Classroom Check-Up WP Engine Prod

Strategy: Teaching Classroom Routines

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Use this strategy to improve these areas:

Classroom Routines

Smooth Transitions

Behavioral Expectations Clear

Level of Disruptive Behavior

Strategy Overview

How To

Strategy Tool

Reflection

Goal Setting

Overview

Teaching students what to do during daily routines will help them be successful and can minimize disruptions in the classroom. The beginning of class, in between lessons, and the end of the school day are all critical times when having clear routines can help maximize instruction time. Teaching classroom routines as early in the school year as possible will allow students to learn expectations and the flow of the classroom. Once routines are learned, students should be able to transition throughout the day with minimal lost time.

Purpose

The purpose of defining and teaching classroom routines is to reduce disruptive behavior, therefore maximizing the time spent on instruction. When students know what to expect, daily transitions from one activity to another will be smoother and you won’t need to correct students as often, which will improve your interactions with them.

There are five elements to effectively teaching classroom routines:

1) Define behavioral expectations for each routine so that they are developmentally appropriate, culturally responsive, positively stated, specific, and observable.

2) Explicitly teach and review the routines.

3) Practice the routines.

4) Provide positive attention to students when they effectively demonstrate the routines using praise or rewards.

5) Provide visual prompts of the classroom routines, keeping each routine to the fewest steps possible.

How To

How to Teach Classroom Routines

Begin by making a list of various routines that occur throughout the day.

Posting Classroom Routines

First, using a poster board, butcher paper, or some other easily displayable medium, put together a display with the routine written out step by step.

Keep each step of the routine as concise as possible.
Ensure that the steps are developmentally appropriate. Using pictures and large print is a great way to communicate classroom expectations for young children who may not be able to read the labels.
Try to keep routines to as few steps as possible.

Next, identify an area of the classroom to post the routines. Ensure that the area can be easily viewed by the entire class without causing disruption. Placing it in proximity to where the routine happens can be a helpful reminder to students (e.g. posting the line-up routine next to the classroom door).

Examples of Classroom Routines

Example of Posted Morning Routine with Images

Morning Routine with Images and Words

End of the Day Routine

Strategy Tool

Use the following form to create a lesson plan for teaching routines you have identified.

View Tool Example

Reflection

Take a moment to make sure your plan is going to work.

Goal Setting

Use the following form to set your classroom routine goals.

References to Other Relevant Resources:

Sprick, R. (2009). CHAMPS: A proactive and positive approach to classroom management. Eugene, OR: Pacific Northwest Publishing.

Reinke, W., Herman, K., & Sprick, R. (2011). Motivational interviewing for effective classroom management: The classroom check-up. New York, NY: Guilford Press.