The importance of establishing routines in the classroom.
One great way to undoubtedly improve your classroom management as well as the overall organization of your classroom is to establish routines. Implementing routines gives students a straightforward outline to follow and works like a map showing students the appropriate behaviour that teachers want to see. And because routines are followed again and again and never change, they create total consistency for both teacher and student.
Routines are the most effective, time-saving device that teachers can use. Routines automate classroom management and make rules easier to follow. Routines let students know exactly what they have to do to succeed in the classroom environment. They provide an important link between what the teacher is trying to achieve in good behaviour from her students, and how the students interpret how to achieve that.
Well established routines allow for a much more efficiently run classroom. There is no confusion at any point in a lesson as to what is expected from students since every day is structured the same. Without clear and concise instructions that establish fine-tuned routines, classrooms can easily turn into chaos.
Vague instructions can lead to unmanageable situations because students don’t know what the teacher wants. Even though some well-behaved students will remain appropriate in their actions and do what is expected of them, others will take advantage of the unclear instructions, using the time to chat, or waste time. This will result in the teacher becoming increasingly frustrated as time ticks along and students continue to not do what she wants. The teacher will end up repeating instructions, raising her voice, and having to deal with escalating behaviour problems.
Setting up successful routines will take time and effort on the part of the teacher. Students need to be taught exactly what is expected of them for every part of a lesson so as to learn what the appropriate behaviour is in each situation. Once a teacher has spent teaching a routine like, how to get ready for the end of lesson bell, there will be no confusion or wasted time. There will be no need to give extra instructions or to incessantly repeat yourself, or to yell at those students not properly following the instructions. Everyone will know what to do because they will have practiced the routine and it is the same every single day.
By implementing clearly defined routines, you will have a much more efficient and manageable classroom that leaves no room for misbehaving. Once routines are implemented, when you say something like “put away your materials” at the end of a lesson, there will be no confusion and disorder. Students will inherently know what is expected of them in this situation because it is always the same. Also by implementing routines, students will know what to do without you even having to say anything. For instance, they will know that when they enter the classroom they need to come in quietly and sit at their desks. This is why routines are such an integral part of successful classroom management.
Students are definitely capable of following set routines. It is all about specifics, consistency and practice. Once routines have been clearly defined, and practiced, students will know what is expected of them and will start to complete the routines as second nature.
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