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Showing posts with label teaching procedures. Show all posts
Showing posts with label teaching procedures. Show all posts

Fun and Easy: A Good Place to Start!

They say it takes 6 weeks at the beginning of the school year for all the routines to be mastered, and REAL teaching can begin.

Fun and Easy: A Good Place to Start - How do you keep the students engaged while teaching routines and procedures?


There are a whole lot of routines and procedures to be taught between now and then. Plus, there's all that assessment that needs to happen. What about academics?

Fun and Easy: A Good Place to Start - How do you keep the students engaged while teaching routines and procedures?

We have a whole lot of teaching to do! 

Yes, we need to get to teaching academics! Reading, language, writing, math, science, social studies... those curriculums won't teach themselves! How do we do it all?

Fun and Easy: A Good Place to Start - How do you keep the students engaged while teaching routines and procedures?

We want them to be learning and growing. 

After all, that's what school is for! But that real learning won't start until all the routines are in place. Once they know what to do when they enter the room, and what to do during morning meeting, and what to do during centers, and how to line up for lunch, and what to do during reading and math groups... and so on! Once the classroom is working like a well-oiled machine, then the teaching of academics can begin successfully!

Fun and Easy: A Good Place to Start - How do you keep the students engaged while teaching routines and procedures?

Yet, we want them to be confident and happy about school. 

This is what allows learning to happen, isn't it! If they're not sure what to do, that doesn't build confidence. If they feel insecure about the work they're doing, they're not going to be happy in the classroom, are they? And if they're not happy or confident, they won't be learning.
Fun and Easy: A Good Place to Start - How do you keep the students engaged while teaching routines and procedures?

How can we keep them feeling good, yet still growing as learners?


Well, we shouldn't throw too much at them at once! Between all those procedures and routines that have to be taught, giving them more to learn as well is too much!

Fun and Easy: A Good Place to Start - How do you keep the students engaged while teaching routines and procedures?

Have plenty of "reviewing of previous skills" to do while learning the new routine.


Studies show teachers should only introduce one new skill at a time. That means, if you're teaching the routine of using devices during centers, they should be using skills they're already familiar with while learning the device routine! 

If you're teaching the routine of independent reading, they should be reading books that are easy for them. 

If you're teaching the routine of coming to reading group, you should have them work on skills they've already learned. 

There's plenty of time to introduce and practice new skills, once they've mastered the routine.

What should we use for review? Here are a few ideas:




Fun and Easy: A Good Place to Start - How do you keep the students engaged while teaching routines and procedures?

Have more "reviewing of previous skills" for them to do while assessing and learning about their learning!

Besides teaching routines, the other "biggie" at the beginning of the school year is figuring out where the children are in their skills. No matter what our curriculum dictates, if they're not ready for a specific skill, we need to teach the previous skills.

Don't forget those things that the students can always do at their own level:
Independent Reading (See these posts HERE and HERE.)
Writer's Workshop (See this post HERE.)
Learning Math Facts (See these posts HERE, HERE, and HERE.)

Fun and Easy: A Good Place to Start - How do you keep the students engaged while teaching routines and procedures?

But to maintain a positive atmosphere and build confidence, start with "fun and easy" activities.


It's scary for the kiddos to start a new grade. If the work they're doing in that new grade is fairly easy for them, that will really put a damper on their academic mindset! 

Here are a couple more resources that are fun, easy review to start off the year:

or the same resource in for digital version:

Review Basic Concepts and Skills Review Boom Cards Bundle Second Grade


But then, there are those "high flyers!" They need something special, too! These science and social studies Boom Cards are perfect for these kids! The students can work independently, the cards give immediate feedback, and can be used over and over, learning more with each use!






How do you keep the children engaged and practicing skills while learning procedures and routine?



Fun and Easy: A Good Place to Start - How do you keep the students engaged while teaching routines and procedures?

Tips for Teaching Procedures

The beginning of the school year is all about procedures. 

Tips for Teaching Procedures: Here are three tips to help set expectations for procedures at the beginning of the school year!

  The kiddos learn procedures for lining up, choosing books, signing out to the Library, how to pass in work, what to do when work is finished. We teach them the procedure for fire drills, procedures for lock down, procedures for evacuation drills. We teach them the procedure for going to lunch, going to recess, and going to Phys. Ed. class. We teach them the procedure for reading groups, playing learning games, math time, and using materials in the classroom.

And so on. 


Here are some things to think about when teaching procedures!



Tips for Teaching Procedures: Here are three tips to help set expectations for procedures at the beginning of the school year!

When addressing a new procedure, I'll get right up and act out different scenarios. I find the kids really pay attention if I act out what NOT to do! (Adding a little humor helps the memory!)

For example, when acting out how to get into line, I might:
  1. neglect picking up my materials
  2. forget to push in my chair
  3. run, flailing my arms
  4. cut in line
  5. get into an argument about who got in line first
Isn't it amazing how they'll always notice what's done wrong when the adult is doing it? 

And they're not shy about pointing out what I did wrong!


Tips for Teaching Procedures: Here are three tips to help set expectations for procedures at the beginning of the school year!

Once they've had a good discussion on what NOT to do, it's time to have someone model what to do. Have a few volunteers act out the right thing to do. Be sure to comment on each thing the child does right! This is a good chance to give positive attention to some of those kids who REALLY need attention!

"Notice how John pushed in the chair as he walked by." 
"I like the way Bobby walks at a good pace." 
"Did you notice how Marie let Anna go first?"
"I noticed Bradley kept his arms by his sides when he was walking."
"Of course Theresa put her math tools away properly before walking to the line."

Tips for Teaching Procedures: Here are three tips to help set expectations for procedures at the beginning of the school year!


The old saying goes "Practice Makes Perfect", but I think "Practice Makes Permanent" is more accurate. (I'm sure you know the difficulty of trying to break a bad habit, or "unlearn" something you learned incorrectly!)

After having several children acting out the right way for the procedure, it's not over. Find time later in the day for more children to model it again. Every time they go through that procedure for the next couple of days, have them stop and think about what they've learned.

"Before we line up, turn and tell your partner what we've learned about the right way to line up."
"Close your eyes and picture yourself lining up the way we practiced."
"After you share with a partner, take a deep breath before you line up."
"Put your hands on your head if you know the right way to line up."
"Name something your partner won't think of that's important to remember when lining up."

You know, it's amazing we ever finish going over the procedures and get on to the real learning!  But seriously, if you take the time to teach the procedures properly, the rest of the year goes smoothly. 

 And I truly believe that's worth it!

Tips for Teaching Procedures: Here are three tips to help set expectations for procedures at the beginning of the school year!




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