Setting Up Classroom Routines

Can you believe it's already Back to School season!? I know, I know...many of you have already been back to school for a few weeks (some of you even went back in July...WHAT?!). But regardless of when you went back, we all have the same issues when it comes to starting a new year: setting up the classroom, creating lesson plans and/or centers, managing student pull-out schedules. I would argue one of the most important things a teacher needs to do is plan and teach classroom routines. If you don't have this down in the first few weeks of school, you will be teaching and reteaching these same expectations for the rest of the school year. Before any academic learning can happen, I think the routines need to be down. It makes your life easier, as well as the lives of your learners!

Photo by: Molly Coulter

Setting up routines seems like it would be easy. You know what you want your learners to do and how to behave right? So, it should be no problem to set up and teach, right? Wrong. It's hard enough to set up systems for yourself , let alone a Little who is still learning how to behave differently in different contexts. What's appropriate for gym class is not appropriate for standing in line for the bathroom. Do our learner's know that? Not yet. Therefore we need to teach them, and creating classroom routines and procedures is the way to do that.

When Do You Need Specific Procedures?

In my experience, it's important to have routines established for various parts of your day, for them to run smoother and without hassle. Essentially, you can break your day into sections for the various routines: morning transition, throughout the day, and afternoon transition.

Think about what you expect of your students for the various parts of your day. For example, you want them to come in from the bus in the morning, put their stuff away, and, then what? You need to establish a set routine that all students will follow and understand when they arrive in the morning. You not only need to set the specific behaviors (such as putting their backpacks in their lockers, sitting at their designated seat, and beginning the math problem on the board), but you also need to set how they should do these behaviors (at a low volume, independently, with their small group, etc.). You need to teach children what the expectations look like, sound like, and all the expectations you have to make these various activities and transitions manageable.

How Do You Teach These Routines?

I recommend focusing on teaching these routines the first couple weeks of school, then having refresher days throughout the year to go over routines. The best way I've found to teach is through role playing and modeling. And practice, practice, practice. Repetition is your best friend when teaching behavioral expectations.

I like to teach and practice these routines during a designated meeting time, such as morning meeting. Then, I like to allow ourselves LOTS of time between transitions to practice these routines and procedures in real life. Not only does this allow the learners' to practice lots, but it allows you as the teacher to work out any kinks in your expectations you hadn't considered before seeing them practice it in real-time. Giving yourself a couple weeks to get these routines down is so important and allows you to make any necessary changes to your routines so the rest of your year can run smoothly.

Other Tips for Setting Up Classroom Routines:

• Visuals are your (and your learners') best friend. See below for some example visuals (don't mind the quality) I used in my classroom.
• Consider all the expectations for each part of each subject of your day. Look at your class schedule and break down each subject into the behaviors you want to see. Some subjects to think about: independent work, small groups, while group lessons, asking for teacher help, how to request the bathroom, etc.
• Have a behavior management system that works for you and your class. Begin teaching this during those first few weeks as well, and teach children the behavior expectations you have. If you are interested in learning more about the behavior management system I implemented in the classroom, check out this post here, and also this post for a more in depth look at why I use this system. 
• Check out this blog post for more tips and tricks for managing the classroom!

Poster of expectations when arriving from the bus. This poster is hung outside the classroom, where the behaviors are expected to occur

Large poster board with class-wide expectations for our morning routine

Individual checklists for completing morning work

Poster of our dismissal routine, posted on the board at the end of the day. Magnets fastened to the back so it can be removed and replaced with the Morning Routine poster for the next day!

Individual dismissal checklist taped to the students' desks. This one matches the larger posted and can be used for each prompting when monitoring students during dismissal.

After students complete their dismissal routine, they sign up for an end of the day activity. This gives them something to do until it's time to go home, in which they are in charge of choosing and participating in. After the students pack up, they tell the teacher of their choice, then initial on the board under the choice they made. Independent work for the win!

Image of student desk with visuals used during morning and dismissal routines

Another technique I use with students is providing visuals for the materials in which they will be expected to need for the upcoming subject or activity. This allows me to reserve my voice for actual teaching (I'm not constantly vocally prompting them to get their materials), and allows student independence in getting necessary items for class.

Also, check out my Behavior Management Starter Pack, referenced above.

ABA at Play: antecedent management, prompting, visuals, Positive Behavior Supports, evidence-based practices, generalization, individualized supports, shaping

What are some ways you teach routines in your classroom? Leave some tips below!