Establishing Classroom Routines ~ "What To Do Wednesday"

Dear Lesson Plan Toolbox,

I have noticed that since we have returned from winter break that my class is no longer following the routines we had in place before break. Is this normal? Should I be worried?

Before break, my students knew when we were in line they were to walk quietly in the hallways. Now, we sound like horses galloping on a farm. My students knew when they came in in the morning that they put their things away and start their bell work. Now, they come in and visit with friends at their desks. They knew when we sharpened pencils, passed out lunch cards, and collected library books, but somehow this has all been forgotten. I'm really not sure what is going on or how this happened.

What should I do?

Bye-Bye Routines

Dear Bye-Bye Routines,

One of the best things about teaching is that every day is a new day with new beginnings. If you had these routines in place before break, which it sounds like you did and they were pretty solid, then you can get your students to do this again. Believe it or not, students actually crave routines.

It sounds like you have the basics of all the routines you would need in place with your students, but they are choosing not to comply. Consistency is key. I am going to say that again...CONISTENCY IS KEY. Be consistent in your expectations of what they should be doing. If they are not doing something appropriately or have forgotten your procedures, then give a gentle reminder and reiterate what should be done. This may mean that the students don't arrive to gym class on time because they did not put things away and that's okay. You need to instill in them their responsibilities. If you keep carrying on, then nothing will be resolved and that is going to make for a rough rest of the year.

It may seem like all is lost right now with getting students back to the routines you had, but I promise you that it's not. Start from where you are, set the expectations, and have them meet them. They can do it and they want to please you. Praise them as a class and individually when they are following directions. You can say, "I like how Larae came in and sharpened her pencil this morning so quietly. Great job Larae." My guess is that the next morning more and more students will remember to sharpen their pencils. Establishing these solid classroom routines will help with classroom management as well.

One thought you might want to keep in mind for next year is when coming back in January, review your procedures and routines on the first day or two. Think about how often back in August you would have to remind students of what to do until it became automatic. Now, try turning it into a game by saying things like, "Let's see who remembers how we put our coats in a locker." Have a student model it and compliment the student on a job well done! You might even be sneaky and secretly whisper to the student modeling that you want he/she to be noisy and act silly while putting the coat away which will allow you to discuss is that what we do? Younger students love this type of modeling.

I'm so glad you chose to email us with your concerns because this could be easy to swipe under the rug. Trust me, you don't want to ignore this issue. If you had the routines in place before break, then you can do it again. Remember, consistency, responsibility, and modeling will go a long way for you. Feel free to reach out to us on Instagram (@lessonplantoolbox) or email ([email protected]) if you need any more help. We are happy to serve educators however we can.

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Teach~Relax~Repeat

Lesson Plan Toolbox