How To Get Your Class to Run Itself

Learning Objective: Teachers will be able to (TWBAT) develop effective and meaningful classroom routines.

You know those critical moments in between class periods where you wish no one would talk to you and you can just catch your breath? Don’t worry, no one is judging you for not wanting to spend each and every moment talking to little people; we all need our quiet time.

If you walk into my room at the start of any period, you will see that my class runs without me, like a well-oiled machine. How did I get to savor those few crucial moments of peace and quiet between each class period? Routines! I said this in my last post, and I’ll say it again--You need a routine for everything.

Now routines don’t just happen magically. You need to model and teach the routines you set. Then, you need to practice and perfect these routines, reteaching them as necessary in order to hold them to the standard you set all year long. Sure, it’s a little work, but trust me, it’s a lot less work than trying to control the wild beast called your class come December when everyone has already checked out for vacation. If you spend a little time to practice and perfect each routine, overtime they become mindless and quick tasks that no one will even think to whine about. Clear and well-polished routines will save you.

Here is a list to get you to start thinking of the most common routines/procedures you need to think about before you experience them first-hand:

1. How will students enter the classroom?

My first year, I learned very quickly that this magical task of entering the classroom sets the tone for the entire class period. Do your students know what they need out and what they need to be working on when the bell rings? If students enter calmly and know what to do, they stay calm and on task. If they enter a hot mess, they will stay a hot mess all period long. #teachernightmares. Solution: Start with a “Question of the Day” and on the slide/board, include the materials students need for that class period.

2. How will you handle tardies?

Like I said earlier, the first moments of your class are crucial. The last thing you want to do is stop six times, mid-sentence, for every student that comes in late. So how do you plan to avoid that? Solution: I make it clear on the first day of class that students are expected to be in their seats, ready to learn, when the bell rings. Once students know that expectation, they learn that if they are late, they must sign the tardy clipboard. Students record their names and the time they come in. What you do with that list is completely up to you, but at least you’ll have a record of who is tardy, and you do not have to stop what you are doing to write names down. Gold star tip: If you want to get all high-techy, you can even keep an iPad at the front of the room where students quickly fill in a Google form. This way their entries are logged and timestamped, 100% paper-free.

3. How will you handle all the papers?

Let’s start with outgoing papers: As students walk in, have a paper pick-up station. This way you can free up your hands and valuable teaching time. Additionally, those crucial start-of-class moments where you are giving directions, stay uninterrupted, as students know exactly where to get the handouts.

Okay, now incoming papers: Are you going to have students pass up their homework, put it in a group folder, or are you going to walk around and collect each assignment? From my experience, I’d rather not be disturbed every five minutes because a student “found” (aka finished) their homework and want to know where to turn it in. Solution: Have an “In Bin.” When you actually have to collect things, the solution is best described by “Young Teacher Love” blogger, Kristine Nannini, as a Homework Hotspot. Check it out here!

4. How will students get and return supplies?

The goal is to have self-sufficient, not needy students. My “Student Station” is full of supplies students regularly ask for and is placed at the back of the room. This way students can easily grab supplies without having to ask or come to the front of the room and distract the class. Students find comfort in knowing, not having to ask, and I find comfort in not having to answer. How will you arrange your student supplies?

5. How will students exit the classroom?

Are you happy with how your students exit, or are you finding yourself resentfully tidying up your classroom after your students leave? Solution: A two-minute count-down routine and poster! Every period before class ends, I set an alarm using an app called ‘Due’ to remind me to start wrapping up. When I announce “Two minute count-down!” I automatically see students pick things up off the floor, check the HW board, put papers away, and thank their partners for various things. This way I end the class just like I started it; Students are calm, in their seats, and ready to listen.

Strong classroom routines really help students stay on task and raise their self-esteem. If you’d like more ideas on these classroom routines or want to learn about other routines I have (i.e. vocabulary practice, transitions between activities, etc.) please leave a comment below. I’d be happy to share more ideas with you!

Inspirational quote for the week:

“We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act, but a habit.”