Chapter 11 page 235
Savage, 2010). Before going to recess in the first week, the teacher might have students practice three times
how to get up, get the equipment, and stand in line. A teacher might have a class practice the procedure for
turning in homework six times in a row until everyone gets it right and it is done as swiftly as possible.
Effective classroom managers know that it is not sufficient with younger students simply to explain and
discuss the procedures with the students. Repeated practice is needed.
Table 11.2: Examples of routines
Elementary-School Example Middle-School Example High-School Example
Initial
arrival
Students in Mr. Minor’s
class arrive in the morning,
unpack and find a seat in the
group meeting area. They
may talk quietly with their
classmates as they await the
start of the morning meeting.
During the morning meeting,
attendance and lunch count
are recorded and important
announcements are made.When students in Ms.
Matthews’s class arrive to
the classroom they follow
these steps:- Unpack your bag
- Turn in any important
notes to the teacher - Put your homework in the
homework bin. - Sharpen pencils if needed.
- Begin the “Do Now”
listed on the board.
Students in Ms. Farrell’s
classes arrive, get settled at
their desks and begin the Do
Now on the board. Once the
bell rings, Ms. Farrell
reviews the Do Now, shows
the connection to yesterday’s
lesson and today’s lesson,
and begins today’s lesson.Restroom
and drinks
Mrs. Kay’s students can use
the lavatory or get a drink
whenever they need to as
long as they place a
designated cup on their desk.
This is a quick, unobtrusive
way for Mrs. Kay to quickly
scan the room and know who
is out of the room.Students in Ms. Lyman’s
class must use the bathroom
and get drinks during the
four minutes between
classes. In case of an
emergency, students must
ask at either the very
beginning or end of class.Because Mr. Jones’s
students have kept their
promise not to abuse the
privilege, he allows them to
use the restroom whenever
they need to, one at a time.
When leaving, students flip a
sign hanging next to the door
from “Vacant” to
“Occupied,” and flip it back
when they leave. Mr. Jones
gives students who are
leaving a hall pass.
Assigning
and
recording
homework
At the end of every day,
Miss August leaves 7 or 8
minutes for students to copy
all of the day’s homework
into their homework
notebooks. During this time,
she also helps the students
figure out what books they
need to take home.Mr. Sanchez designates a
different area of the
chalkboard for each of his
five classes and writes the
assignments for that class in
that area. Upon entering the
classroom, students copy the
day’s homework assignment
into their homework
notebooks.Ms. Crane has a class
website where she posts the
weeks worth of assignments
at one time. This way she
only needs the last minute of
class to remind the students
of the homework and what
materials they will need in
order to complete the
assignment.