No matter what age you teach, classroom routine is KEY to success in a classroom! Classroom management, productivity, sanity, and happiness for everyone can come back to the routines we set up and enforce at the beginning of the year.
When I was in college, there was a saying that one of my professors used in a classroom management course. She said, “Don’t let them see you smile until Thanksgiving.” Now, obviously, she didn’t mean it literally…what that meant was, set boundaries and classroom routine at the beginning of the year and stick to them! It is way easier to lighten up as the school year goes on than starting the year off loosely and then tightening up on the students. When we start the first day with these routines and expectations, we set the stage for how our classroom is going to run. Believe me, you’ll be glad you took the time in the beginning, to get your students into a routine.
How do we do that from the very first day? First, you have to have a plan before they are standing there looking at you! What routines do you want your students to begin on the very first day? And how do you want them to be done? (Check out this video for a couple more First Day Reminders)
In my pre-k 3 classroom, I want my students to right away start working on:
1. What to do when they come into the room
2. Transition from morning routine to the rug
3. How to line up
Of course, these aren’t the only classroom routines we talk about in the beginning, but these are the three I hone in on a little more the first few weeks. PS…want to BEST first day of preschool? Hop over here to read about it!
Children thrive on routine. They NEED routine. They need structure and predictability. It helps them to feel safe and in control. And it helps the classroom run more smoothly overall! In turn, making you a happier more effective teacher! Everybody wins!
Now that we have decided which classroom routines we are focusing on and what we want our students to do for each routine…how do we teach it to them?
Classroom Routine Must Do #1-Model
When you want a specific routine to happen, you need to show your students Every. Little. Step. Preschool-aged children need concrete examples. Something they can see!
For example, when students arrive at school, you want them to put their things away, get their morning tub and go to their seats…first, you must model or…Show and Tell.
Tell them very specific instructions on when and how they do this. Model it right away as your students are coming in so they can make the connection of, “When I come into the classroom, I put my things away, get my tub, go to my seat. Example…”Good morning, Jane. Here is your cubby. When you come to school the first thing we have to do is put our jacket and lunch in our cubby. Great! Now let’s wash our hands so we don’t share any germs!” Walk to the sink, help her wash and dry her hands.
If you want your students to answer a question of the day, show and tell them how to do it. If you want them to sign-in in a specific way, show and tell them how to do it.
Prepare students for the transition that comes after the morning routine with words, a visual cue, etc. “In 5 minutes when we hear the timer we are going to start cleaning up.” “There is our timer. We are going to start cleaning up now so we can sit on the rug.”
Another routine we will begin working on is how to stand in line. Believe it or not, this not common sense for our littles! So when it is time for them to do that, set them up for success by showing them first!
Why do I need to be so specific?
It’s important to keep in mind that many of your preschool students have never been in a situation where they would have done any of these things.
If I said to you, “make a cake,” and sent you on your way, am I setting you up for success in the cake world? Not really. You might luck out and make the strawberry cake with chocolate frosting that I was hoping for but you might not. And you miiiight make it with two layers (like I’m hoping in my head) but chances are, you would make it in a 9×13 pan…which isn’t wrong necessarily but it’s not how I was wanting it done. There are a lot of details that were left out! And guess what…in this specific scenario, that’s not your fault. It’s not your student’s fault either! It is YOUR classroom…you have to give your students the tools and instructions to be successful!
Giving the command “Line up” can go a lot of different directions and the way they get there could be disastrous! When introducing this routine, again you want to model exactly what you want them to do. Show them and talk through what you want them to do! “When we line up we wait until our teacher says our name, then we use our walking feet (slow motion walk toward where to line up) then we stand like a statue on a color dot.” (model standing like a statue on your line markers-feet, dots, numbers, etc.)
If one of the littles runs, pushes, etc. remind them “how we line up” and have them practice the correct way. (See must-do #2)
Having visual aids is another great thing to use when introducing these classroom routines to your students. This can also serve as a non-verbal cue if a student forgets what they are supposed to be doing later in the year. Point them back to the visual aid to quickly jog their memory.
Classroom Routine Must Do #2-Practice, practice, practice!
After you have shown your students what to do, give them several chances to repeat and practice! You can do it individually as students come in, as a class when they come in, and again for a circle time activity for the first week. Have everyone carry their backpacks outside of the classroom and pretend you are coming into school for the first time. Remind them what to do, and help all of them hang up their belongings, get their morning tub, and go to their seat.
Practice, Practice, Practice. And when you think they’ve got it down pat…practice some more! These routines are things that will need to be repeated for several days maybe even weeks as you begin your school year!
Classroom Routine Must Do #3- Consistency
This goes for anything with littles! Be consistent in your expectations of students to perform the classroom routine as well as the WAY they perform it. If you want your students to put their belongings away before they get their morning tubs out, don’t let them get their tub out while their backpack is sitting on the floor next to their chair. Allowing this gives students mixed signals and secretly says to them, “this doesn’t actually matter.” And it does. We want our classrooms to run like a well-oiled machine! And while three and four-year-olds are still little they CAN do big kid things!
You might be wondering, what kinds of things should I have a routine for? Any time something happens repeatedly in your classroom, there should be a routine for it! Small groups, walking through the hall, using the bathroom, washing hands, cleaning up, centers, morning work, lunch routines, etc.
As the first week goes on, there will be more chances to introduce different classroom routines but the same “rules” apply in how to introduce them to students.
Decide how you want the routine to look, model it for your students, practice it and be consistent!
I hope these 3 must-do’s help get you and your class set up for success!
Courtney
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