Explicitly teaching each classroom procedure is extremely important for successful classroom management.
I bet you’ve heard that time and time again.
I firmly believe it’s true, but I thought it would be helpful to go over the exact method I use to teach every classroom procedure that I expect students to know.
Why Explicitly Teach These
I explicitly teach these classroom procedures because they show students exactly what I expect of them. When you have high expectations, students will rise to meet them. Students like to know what to expect, especially in the first week of school. They are relieved to know what the classroom procedures are and how to follow them.
How I Teach These
I go over these classroom procedures throughout the first week of school. First, I go over these procedures by telling and showing students what each procedure should look like and what it should sound like. For example, I will model for students what it should look like when they turn in their work and what it should look like when they choose a new book from our classroom library.
Practice Makes Perfect
After modeling the classroom procedure for students, I have them practice. Depending on the class, it can be helpful to choose a student or two to model the correct way to do a classroom procedure and then the incorrect way. This makes this process fun and shows students what not to do. Afterward, I always get them to demonstrate the correct way again to ensure that that is the last thing that they remember.
After a few students model the correct, incorrect, then correct way to complete the classroom procedure, I ask the whole class to practice. After we practice, I give them feedback on things that I notice. I make sure that I am nonjudgemental in my feedback. This is very important.
If needed, we practice again. If it’s a procedure that we need more practice with, then we will practice a few days in a row.
Make It Fun
This is so important that I wanted it to have its own paragraph. Make practicing procedures fun.
Make a game or a friendly competition out of it. Whatever you need to do to help students take it seriously but also try using this time to build classroom community, too.
It isn’t supposed to feel like boot camp… however, I have used that analogy with classes in the past and they have loved that.
Want my list of 30 essential classroom procedures that I teach during the first week of school? Drop your info and you can grab this freebie!
Interested in reading about which procedures I teach and what my expectations are? Click to read about the 30 essential classroom procedures that I teach my students.
