Classroom Routines

I loved this article about establishing positive classroom routines in order to ward off behaviour probems. It can be found at: http://www.scholastic.com/teachers/article/head-behavior-problems-classroom-procedures

This article was adapted from The New Teacher's Complete Sourcebook: Grades K–4 by Bonnie P. Murray, ©2002, published by Scholastic. 

There are so many routines that we have in the classroom (never mind outside the classroom in corridors, etc.) but until reading this I have never thought about writing them all down.

I plan to instill these routines in my classroom during our induction week (our first week back) and continually refer to them throughout the year.

Here's my own (adapted) version of the list of routines I will teach.

1. Entering the room — I always remind the children that when they enter the room they should be 'ready to learn'. Enter quietly and politely; remove your hat if you're wearing one; don't interrupt other students; follow the appropriate procedures for each time of day (e.g., morning, after lunch, after a special class).
    
2. Lining up — Stand up quietly; push in your chair; take all necessary items; line up without touching others or talking; face the front of the line; watch where you are going. I have set places in the room for the lines to be formed.
    
3. Leaving the room — Tell me where you are going; take the correct hall pass; do not run or play in the hallways or restrooms. At the end of the lesson, children should leave calmly, without disturbing others who may be working.
    
4. Beginning the day — Enter the room politely; put away your backpack, lunch, and coat; turn in your homework; sit at your desk and find your Busy Book. Check the board for today's Busy Work Challenge. Sometimes you might be asked to read.
    
5. Ending the day — Clean off your desk; leave out your work notebook; pick up any rubbish on the floor under, or around your desk; stack your chair; collect any newsletters; wait quietly to be dismissed.
    
6. Taking out/putting away/caring for supplies — Share group supplies; recap markers and glue; put all supplies back in the correct place. 'A place for everything, and everything in its place.'
    
7. Participating in class and group discussions lessons — Sit facing the teacher with nothing in your hands; Don't speak when someone else is speaking.
    
8. Obtaining help with tasks — Quietly ask the students at your table for help with directions if you need it; if you are working alone, raise your hand to get help from me; if you are working with a group, ask them for help in understanding how you do the assignment.
    
9. Handing in finished work/homework — Make sure your name is on your paper; place your work in the correct place.
    
10. What to do with unfinished work — If I ask for work to be turned in, let me know if it isn't finished; if I ask you to keep an unfinished project, put it in your work folder.
     
11. When and how to use the school toilets — You should always use the toilet at break times. You won't usually be allowed to use the toilets at the beginning or end of class time. If I am not teaching the whole group, calmly raise your hand to ask an adult; do not play in the restroom; return to class before two minutes have passed (promptly).
     
12. When and how to use the drinking fountain — When I am not teaching the whole group, you may get a drink; take only a three-second drink; you may bring a water bottle to keep on your desk.
     
13. When and how to use the pencil sharpener — You may sharpen your pencil at the start of the assignment. Spend no longer than 30 seconds at the bin. Make sure that all of the sharpenings fall into the bin.
     
14. Classroom jobs at lunchtime  — Helpers will be given a badge which should be returned at the end of lunchtime. No one else should be in the classroom.
     
15. Getting into work groups — Take all the materials you will need; greet each other; complete the task doing your personal best; make sure each person signs the project; thank the others in your group.
     
16. Using the school library — When you are given time to change a library book, you should be no more than 5 minutes. Make sure you use the library appropriately.
    
17. Lunch  — Go to wash your hands before going to get your lunch. If you have a lunchbox, after eating your lunch you should put it carefully back on the lunchbox trolley before going outside.
     
18. Getting a tissue — You may get a tissue from the tissue box whenever you need one; you don't even have to ask; throw the used tissue away immediately; make sure it lands in the bin; get right back to work.
     
19. Registers — You should be respectful of the register. The adult will take the register and say, "Good morning," "Good afternoon," or ask a question to each child. You should respond appropriately. Nobody should talk during the register.
     
20. Throwing away rubbish — You may throw away rubbish whenever you need to if I am not teaching the whole group; do not play basketball with your trash; make sure it all lands in the bin; pick up trash even if it isn't yours.
     
21. Turning in lost items — Ask the people around you if they lost the item you found; if not, write your name and the date on a slip of paper and tape the item to it; if it is money or something valuable, put the item and slip on my desk for safekeeping; if not, put it in the Lost and Found box; give yourself a "pat on the back" for being honest.
22. Visitors in the classroom — When the Head Teacher, Deputy Head Teacher or Assistant Head Teacher enters the room, you should quietly stand up wherever you may be in the room. The teacher will tell you when to sit down. If other adults enter the room to talk to the teacher you should be respectful of the conversation. All visitors to the classroom will be introduced to the class; please make them feel welcome. 
23. Fire drill — Stop everything; stand up and head for the door quickly, but without running or pushing; do not cover your ears. In your line you should make your way to the fire assembly point.  Wait patiently, calmly, and quietly in line outside until we are allowed to go back to what we were doing.
     
24. Signals for attention — When an adult needs your attention, they will do a countdown - 5, 4, 3, 2, 1. By 1 everyone should be sitting down quietly, looking at the teacher. Alternatively the adult will clap a rhythm which you should clap back and then stop what you are doing.
     
25. Helping other students — In a cooperative classroom, it is good to help one another; if someone needs help with directions or reading an assignment, help him or her if you are able; if someone needs help with understanding the problem, tell him or her to ask me for help; never put down another student who asks for help.
     
26. Organizing desk — Remove all loose papers; decide if they should go home or stay at school; put papers that should stay at school in the front pocket of your work notebook; put pencil or art supplies in your pencil case; everything else goes on the right side; pick up your trash. You should tidy your desk at least once every two weeks.

Do you have routines that you teach your class?