Routines and Procedures

Routines

Routines are one of the most important components of classroom management, and something every teacher should have. Routines give students the ability to anticipate what is coming up in their day, and can ease the transitions throughout the say. I want my students to be aware of my set routines, and use them in order to maintain consistency.

There are two actions I would like to implement in order to begin my day: the first is that I would like to have music playing the classroom when the students enter. I don't necessarily want a song with lyrics, though there is certainly a place for that on some occasions, but I do want something upbeat and cheerful, or soothing and cheerful, to greet my students when they enter the classroom, and as they eat their breakfast.

The second action I would put into action is "Three H's", meaning I would expect a high-five, a hand shake or a hug from every student as they entered the room. This has the double bonus of making a connection with each student, so I can make a quick assessment of their mood, and preventing the students from racing chaotically into the room.

While the students are eating breakfast, I will call for attendance and ask for lunch money. As the students finish their breakfast, they will be expected to collect and throw away their garbage (in the same place eery day), and empty and put away their backpacks and coats. To help ease this transitional time, I will make sure to have a list of the materials they will need throughout the day, so they know what to keep at their desk. If there isn't a specific assignment to work on, I will make sure to have an assignment prompt on the blackboard, that my students can work on until it is time for the Pledge of Allegiance and National Anthem. Possible activities would include putting ten letters on the board and asking my students to find as many words as they can, thinking of a mnemonic device to recall the planets, drawing a picture of an activity they participated in over the weekend, writing about their favorite toy, and more.

After the Pledge of Allegiance and National Anthem, I would ask the students to gather for the Morning Meeting, which will be held on the rug at the front of the room. The class will sit in a circle and discuss the daily message, which I will have written on the board, and what we hope to accomplish for the day. I plan on starting out with simple daily messages, but as the year progresses, I will misspell words and use incorrect grammar in order to supplement the spelling and grammar lessons and to learn to identify these errors in their own work.

We would end the Morning Meeting by discussing the day's schedule, which I will have posted clearly on the board. I will answer questions about the day, but let my students know these questions have to benefit the entire class. If it is a personal question than a student can ask me quietly, either immediately following Morning Meeting or, if it isn't urgent, during individual work time.

Throughout my day, we will have several transitions, and I want my students to be aware of them coming up, so they can be prepared. I discuss specific transition techniques here, as well as different transitions my students make throughout the day.

Ten to fifteen minutes before the final bell, I will begin to wrap up the day. I will make sure all of my students are aware of the homework they have that night, which I will have written on the board throughout the day, and that it is written down in an Agenda Book. While my students are filling out their Agenda Books, I will walk through the class, writing notes in the Agenda Books if needed, and double checking that the students who might have problems copying down the assignments are not struggling. If they are, I will help them to get the information they need, either by reading the assignment to them as they write it or writing the assignment as they read it to me. If any students are going to stay in the building for an after school activity, I will ask them to get their coats and backpacks first, and have them line up separately and head to the afterschool program.

When it is time for the students to collect their bags and coats, I will turn on the dismissal music, which will let the students know it is time to get everything together to go. Students will get their coats and backpacks by desk group, and return to their seats to show they are ready to leave. When everyone is seated, the students will line up, with the Weekly Line Captains and Door Holders (see below) at the front of the line. After I make sure that everyone has pushed in their seat and there are no papers left on the desks, I will lead the students to the yard to be picked up, and/or to the Bus, to be taken home.

By establishing a routine, like the one detailed above, I can ensure that my students are not caught off guard during the day, and minimize disruptive behavior that might stem from the unexpected. An established routine also lends a level of comfort to the class for both the students and the teacher, which promotes a order and helps keep the students focused.

Procedures

My classroom procedures were inspired by both the classroom management video clip we watched in Practicum 2 and my Cooperating Teacher at Peirce School. I appreciated that both the clip and my teacher promote responsible behavior among students by delegating weekly jobs to the students. I plan on incorporating this strategy in my classroom by having enough jobs that each student is responsible for something throughout the week. Some of the jobs will include:

• Paper Passers, who distribute homework and assignments
• Bathroom paper towel attendant, who hands out paper towels during bathroom breaks
• Bathroom soap attendant, who dispenses a pump of soap to each student so he the can wash their hands
• Line leaders
• Door holders, who begin second in line, and hold the doors for their classmates
• Homework collectors
• Mail person, who files assignments, fliers, announcements and newsletters for the students to take home.
• Organization managers, who check for trash on the floor and make sure everyone has a clean desk and pushed-in chairs before they leave the room.
• Board erasers
• Recyclers, who collect recycling, box tops, pull tabs any anything else the classroom or school might amass
• And more

I will introduce these jobs on the first day of school and have a pre-made schedule, so I know who should be preforming what task, and when. Delegating jobs promotes responsible behavior, and helps the students feel they have a hand in creating a working classroom. I will stress the importance of the responsibility I assign my students by letting them know that I will take the responsibility away if I see they aren’t capable of performing their duties.

If, at the end of the week, I feel a student has completed his job to the best of his abilities, I will reward them with an Applause point, which can accumulate and lead to one of several rewards.