Class Routines

Beginning of Class
A beginning of class routine helps to eliminate down time at the beginning of and during the class period. By having the students gather all needed materials before they enter the classroom, disruptions due to a student needing to leave the classroom to retrieve a textbook or notebook are reduced. Requiring the students to deposit any personal electronic devices such as cell phones or MP3 players prevent disruptions produced by a ringing or beeping phone. Lastly, by having the students hand in their homework at the beginning of class further reduces down time since the teacher doesn’t have to ask for or wait for it to be handed in during class. End of Class
The end of class routine is designed to prepare the room for the next class and keep the students focused and engaged during the last 10 minutes of class. The cleanup routine after a group or lab project prepares the room for the next class. Setting aside time for students to copy down assignments prevents the students from missing their homework assignments and gives them time for any last minute notes. Having the students line up at the end of class before the bell rings avoids any chaos caused by students rushing up from their desks to get through the door and creating congestion.
Transition Between Activities
The transition from direct instruction to group work can be a noisy and distracting affair. Although, by creating a simple three step routine for this situation, most of the noise and distractions can be eliminated. For the first step, the students will rise from their seats and move them to one side of the desk. This avoids the possibility of having students trip over chairs or knock them over while they are pushing the desks together in the second step of the routine. Pushing the desks together accomplishes two things. First, it creates more room for the teacher to move around and in between groups; and secondly, it brings the students close together so that they can collaborate without having too speak loudly. In the last step, the students return their seats to the desks as quietly and quickly as possible to reduce the amount of time spent making the transition.
Distribution of Materials
The distribution of lab materials routine allows the students to quickly and efficiently gather materials and set up a lab. By having only one student from each group obtain supplies from the supply closet, congestion is reduced which helps prevent accidents. Keeping all necessary safety gear in one bin that the student takes back to the group avoids the disruptions and wasted time caused by students needing to go back for “one more thing”. Since the student is distributing materials to the other students, the teacher is free to move about the classroom to monitor and assist students.
Field Trip
Having a routine in place for a field trip helps keeps the students safe and makes managing the group easier for the teacher. Requiring the students to remain seated until the bus comes to a complete stop prevents injuries and provides a good line of sight for the teacher to monitor all students on the bus. Grouping students into pairs may reinforce appropriate behavior; especially if the students are made aware that they may be held accountable for their partner’s behavior. Making the students wait in a line until the teacher dismisses them affords the teacher an opportunity to take an accurate head count and review the facility’s rules and the teacher’s behavioral expectations of the student. This routine helps to set the tone that while the students are expected to learn and have fun, they must respect the facility and display appropriate behavior for the duration of the visit.
Lunch
The lunch period allows the students to take a physical and mental break from the rigors of the classroom. It gives them time to refresh themselves and enjoy some socializing with friends. However, even during lunch students are expected to follow a routine. Preparing for the lunch period ties in directly with the last step of the end of class routine. At the end of class the students are already in a single file line waiting at the door with their books, bags, and other materials in hand. They will simply leave the room and take their possessions to their locker where they will be stored during the lunch period. The students will remove their lunch or lunch money from their lockers at this time. This step is designed to eliminate the need for students to move back and forth the halls to retrieve their lunch or money after the halls have been cleared. Requiring the students to remain in designated areas prevents unnecessary roaming of the halls and allows for easier monitoring of the students by the teacher or other faculty members.
Fire Drill
A school fire drill is a situation that demands calm and orderly conduct from students. In order for students to behave appropriately in a fire drill, a safe and solid routine must be in place. The first step in this routine is for the students to line up at the door in a single file line. This part of the routine should be automatic, as the students “rehearse” this step at the end of every class. The students will maintain the single file line as they follow the teacher to the designated area. It is of the utmost importance that the students remain quiet during this part of the routine as they may miss crucial instructions given by the teacher or the PA system. Having the students line up and remain quiet during the last step of the routine allows the teacher to take a quick roll and easily monitor the students for the remainder of the drill.