A classroom procedures checklist can be your secret weapon for a smooth-running classroom!
Begin by making a list of every procedure you will need to put in place. Download this checklist for free!
Each and every one of them needs a procedure. Every teacher’s list will be different, but here is a general classroom procedure checklist to get you started (Grab it while it’s free).
Once you have your list, make a plan for each and every item on it.
In some cases, a plan may already be in place, such as for fire drills. In other cases, you will be deciding what your students should do. When making these decisions, KIS is the way to go (Keep It Simple).
The easier and more intuitive your procedures are, the better.
Try to anticipate every situation that will come up regularly or semi-regularly in your classroom. Imagine a typical day and write down every procedure/routine you will need. Look around your classroom… Which areas in your room need a procedure (the sink, the supply cabinet, the stack of personal white boards, the homework tray, etc.)? Then, just to make sure you’ve got them all, download this FREE Procedure Checklist!
Most of these procedures will pop up during the first week. Some of them you will want to teach ahead of time.
For example, you don’t want to wait until someone has to use the restroom to explain that procedure. However, many you can teach as they come up.
Just make sure you build in extra time to teach your students what they need to do.
Ensure Mastery of Procedures
For the most part, first days of school classroom procedures are not all that hard to learn. Often they are similar from year to year, yet somehow students seem to forget them all after summer break. Of course, they aren’t really forgetting. Third graders know darn well how to walk through the halls quietly, but if the new teacher doesn’t require that they do just that, you can be sure they won’t.
An important part of teaching new procedures is following through and requiring your students to get it right – every time.
Reference Expert Advice The go-to expert on this very thing is Harry Wong, and if you haven’t read his book, “The First Days of School,” you really ought to.
Acknowledge and Reward Success When they get it right, be sure to let them know. It could be as simple as a smile, a “thumbs up,” or a few marbles dropped into the marble jar.
Personally, I am a big fan of random reward, as it is highly effective and tends to keep everyone on their toes. Often it isn’t so much about the reward itself so much as letting your students know they got it right. Here are some fun reward tags you can use!
When students don’t know what to do, it’s frustrating for everyone involved!
The teacher and the students who do know get annoyed. The students who don’t know feel ridiculed. Time is wasted. This is easily avoided by keeping your procedures and routines the same all year long. It will also make for better behavior for substitutes and may even pay off big time when the principal walks unexpectedly into your room.
Balance Practice with Engagement Unless your students are robots programmed to do exactly the right thing, you are going to have to practice quite a bit. Set the bar high. Expect excellence. Don’t let them get away with doing it halfway.
At the same time, you don’t want to drill-and-kill until your students are starting to look like pint-sized zombies.
So if everyone is looking tired and annoyed, then perhaps it is time to table it until tomorrow.
Reinforce Through Discussion and Writing You might also want to use your classroom procedures as discussion or writing prompts for more reinforcement. For example, you could ask your students:
If you want them to respond in writing, make it a journal prompt or create a Classroom Procedure Center. You could even use these Classroom Procedure Task Cards!
Long-term Benefits Teaching and reinforcing classroom procedures is not generally the most exciting way to spend your time – and it may seem like you are wasting valuable class time that could be spent digging into those Common Core Standards that are looming ahead.
But it is totally worth it. Spend a little time now, and save a lot of time later. More importantly, by establishing your procedures early and firmly, you will create a safe, positive, and productive learning environment for yourself and your students.
Fun Reinforcement Tools Looking for a fun way to reinforce those procedures? Try this set of Classroom Procedure Task Cards. Each of the 39 cards features a different classroom procedure.
Creating a classroom procedures checklist may seem like a daunting task, but it’s an investment that pays off throughout the school year.
By planning ahead and establishing clear procedures for your students, you can prevent confusion and ensure a smooth, productive learning environment. Remember to be consistent, practice regularly, and acknowledge your students’ efforts. A well-organized classroom not only fosters better behavior but also enhances the overall learning experience.
For a complete list of procedures and to get started on your own checklist, don’t forget to download the procedures checklist FREEBIE here.
Happy teaching!
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