Establishing Routines: Daily Practice

Procedures are most important in our classroom. We thrive off of knowing a schedule, and routine, and as a teacher the most important thing, I believe that you can do is set those procedures right from the beginning of the school year. On the first day of school I spend a lot of time over rules, and routines, and procedures. But, I make them do them over, and over, and over again. So much, that they get it instilled in their brain this is what my teacher expects, every time the procedure is presented or asked to be done. For example, lining up in a line. It may sound very simple, but we have to remember that these are young children just developing, and need to know what you expect that line to be. So, I expect that line to be straight, I expect their feet to be on a line that I have on my classroom floor. I expect their hands to be on the side. I expect their eyes to be forward, and I will do this procedure over, and over again. So, I’ll have them line up, they will make that line, and then I’ll have them sit down. Line up again, sit down again, line up again, maybe in repetitions of three’s. And then, the next day we’ll do the three practices again, and the three practices again. Oddly enough, this actually helps them to feel safe at school, that way they know that my teachers having me practice and practice and practice. That this becomes routine, and now I feel safe in my line, because, I know what my responsibility is, I can do that responsibility. And, teachers this will help you so, very much as the year goes on. I say take as much time as you need in the beginning of the year to get your procedures correct. Walking down the hallway, how to use the restroom, what you expect from a water break. Every expectation you want, have them practice it again and again and again and then it becomes routine, and it just makes your year flow very smoothly.