Working on Procedures!

The first two days of school are officially over. I have spent the most part of two days reconditioning students from summer routines to school routines. I do think this is the hardest part of being a teacher sometimes. You have to explicitly teach what you want the students to do in each and every part of the day. If you don't model it for them and have them practice it the way you want it done then they will certainly do it the way they want it done. This is why teachers are so exhausted the first few days back to school. We are working just as hard as the students!


Classroom Rules! (Love Whole Brain Teaching - Simple Rules and easy to remember). We learned them. Taught them to each other and then played Simon Says with them. Great work!

After the rules, then we need to teach the procedures we us all day long:

The following is a list of procedures we have learned the last two days:

1. Morning Routines
2. Hall Behavior (4-S line)
3. Specials Procedures (where we line up and wait to go to specials)
4. Bathroom Behavior on our hallway
5. Bathroom Behavior on other hallways
6. Coming back into the room (this one is a potential for chaos and one that is easily overlooked. Make sure you teach this one)
7. Math Workshop Routines
8. Classroom Voices
9. Turning in Papers
10. Pencil Procedures
11. Break Time Procedures
12. Playground Routines
13. Lunch Time Routines
14. Reader's Workshop Structure
15. Writer's Workshop Structure
16. Science & Social Studies Structure
17. Dismissal Procedures
18. Carpet Procedures
19. Seat Sack Procedures
20. Supply Basket Routines
21. Whiteboard Procedures

As you can see, I have taught a lot procedures over the last two days. I am sure I have some more in each and every category I have listed. For example, under morning routines they have to know how to mark their lunch count, turn in paperwork, and turn in money. So, there are routines embedded into each one. You really do have to look at each section of your day and how you want it to function.

We learned all of these room procedures, as well as, how to work with partners. I taught the students the whole brain teaching procedures in order to help them get quiet, listen, and teach each other. The students love to teach each other.

We now know:

1. Class? Yes!
2. Hands & Eyes
3. Teach! Okay!
4. Switch
5. Mirror
6. Yes! No Way!

It was so easy to establish the guidelines and I hope it works as well when we begin the real lessons.

For the next week, we will be practicing these routines until we get it down perfectly! If we get all established in just the right manner we will have smooth sailing all year round. I am looking forward to a great year of learning!

TGT