Procedures and Routines to Teach, Rehearse and Reinforce
It is important that structures be in place that facilitate transitions and create a sense of what is expected. If students know what the procedures are, potential disruptions are minimized and a sense of orderliness prevails.
Be proactive early in the year in thinking about how students will need to behave. Spend time teaching students how to make transitions, come to attention, and respond during class activities. Procedures are of formally stated rules, but are nonetheless important ways to create a sense of order and safety.
Types of Procedures
- Entry and exit
- Quiet signal
- Attending to the teacher
- Arriving late
- What to do with homework
- Sharpening a pencil
- Handing in work
- Where to find due dates and exam/quiz dates
- Finding missing assignments
- Changing classrooms
- Requesting assistance
- Borrowing materials
- Using the washroom
- Handing out materials
- Finishing work early
- What to do if you are not there
- Finding make-up work
- Collecting papers
- Personal technology
Wong, H K, R T Wong, S H Jondahl and O F Ferguson. 2014. THE Classroom Management Book. 1st ed. Mountainview, Calif: Harry K Wong Publications. As reprinted in Alberta Teachers’ Association (ATA). 2017. Classroom Management Workshop: What Works? Participant Guide, p 6.
