A classroom routine creates stability in a child’s day. A schedule that is predictable, coupled with a structured environment, lends to a child’s feeling of security and control (University of Kansas, 2000).
There are simple activities that can aid in establishing a routine such as greeting students by name in the morning as they enter school, going over the class schedule and lesson objectives each day, and beginning and ending each day in the same way, such as with a brief class meeting to discuss what students have learned and upcoming topics (Elias, 2003).
Also, offering positive messages at the very end of the day and telling students that you will be happy to see them tomorrow adds another positive element to the routine. For younger grades, this could be in the form of a song that has encouraging words (UNICEF, 2009).
Use your mouse to hover over each tile in the interactive diagram below to reveal examples of recommended strategies to help you establish routines in your classroom and wider school.
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Show description|Hide description1. Visual timetables. Use images effectively for EAL students and children new to the UK schooling system. Include times, locations, and duration for lunch and break times, and what time school starts and finishes. Talk through the timetable each morning to start the day. Translations could also be added to each card.
2. Greetings. Use songs or call and responses like “Good morning, Year 7... Good morning, Miss” to help with language acquisition. Learn about the ways to say “hello” and “good morning” in your students’ languages. Explore cultural norms from their countries of origin. Use greetings games to help with language acquisition, learning names, and building confidence when talking to other students. 3. Entering and exiting the classroom. Have clear procedures such as lining up outside or standing behind your chairs to reduce chaos and opportunities for confrontation/bullying. Students need to feel safe and calm in order to start learning effectively.
To incorporate brain building into this activity, you can mix it up, asking students to line up in alphabetical order, height order, or birthdays to get them thinking before they enter the room. 4. Seating plan or groups. Having a clear seating plan that doesn’t change takes the stress away from finding people to sit with. Having set groups to work with can help create strong peer relationships and build communication skills. Working with the same people creates some predictability and a sense of stability. Use brain building games to get students focused before lessons begin.
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You will now explore strategies to establish consistency in school and then explore strategies to utilise positive behaviour management.
