Classroom Management
Why (and HOW) You Should Review Your Classroom Procedures All Year Long
This blog post discusses the common challenges teachers face when their classrooms become chaotic, especially during the busy holiday months. The solution is a classroom reset, with a focus on reviewing classroom procedures to restore order. Procedures are the essential gears that keep daily routines running smoothly, covering aspects like morning routines, classroom management, and more. The post also suggests engaging and low-prep ways to review procedures, such as the around the room hunt, games like Procedure Charades or Kahoot, and even humorous meme reviews.
Have you ever gotten to the middle of the school year, or those holiDAZE months, (I'm looking at you October-December) and felt like your students were OUT OF CONTROL? It happens to the best of us. Mix that in with a few full moons, extra candy, and holiday parties, and it can just feel like your strict hold you had at the beginning of the school year is loosening a little too fast.
When this happens, the first thing I like to do is a classroom reset. One key component of a classroom reset is reviewing your classroom procedures. Before we get into the how, let's talk about exactly what is a classroom procedure. Simply put, a classroom procedure is a system you have in place that helps your classroom run smoothly. When multiple procedures are stacked together, you have a routine. For example, you may have multiple procedures in place that make up your morning routine. You also will probably have a bathroom procedure, a drink procedure, a turning in papers procedure, and even your classroom management system is a classroom procedure. In fact, I teach over 100 procedures to my students to set up a calm and peaceful learning environment.
When I think about reviewing procedures for a classroom reset, I focus on the procedures that make the biggest difference in the peacefulness of my classroom, (or the ones my students are struggling with.) In my experience this usually includes the procedures that make up our morning routine, our management system, bathroom/drink procedures, our transition procedures, attention signal, and clean up procedures. This completely varies though depending on the time of year, and my students. You may review different procedures at different times depending on what your students need most.
Alright, now for the FUN part!
HOW can you review procedures throughout the year in a way that's engaging for your students but is low prep and simple for you? I've got you covered there.
Around the Room Hunt
1. A simple way I like to do this is by doing an around the room hunt. I print off different pieces of paper with our procedures listed and hang them up around the classroom. Then my students go around with a paper and clipboard and answer the questions about each procedure. Afterward, we review as a whole class and I choose a few "model" students to demonstrate the procedure. I especially like to review this way after or around a holiday break when my students need it most. Check out these around the room reviews that are done for you!
Anytime of year procedure review
With a Game
2. Another way I like to review procedures is with a game. There are so many no prep games that you can easily adapt to procedure review. Think Procedure Charades! Simply write some procedures down on slips of paper and try a game of charades during your morning meeting each day for the week. I also have tried a procedure kahoot game with success along with a ZAP it game that you can find in this procedure review pack.
Use A Little Bit of Humor
3. Another way to review procedures is with humor! This idea is more so geared for students in 4th grade and up. I created a procedure MEME review and tie in some funny, relatable memes that students get a kick out of.
As we go through each meme, I choose a student to model the procedure for us. This is a fun twist on procedures that is totally prepped for you AND you'll get some giggles from your students.
Final question....what happens when you've reviewed your procedures and your students are STILL flat out ignoring them? It's time to tie those procedures into your classroom rules and make them a consequential behavior. If you want to read all about the ins and outs of a management system that WORKS- make sure to read through this post.
Be Ready For Each and Any Review You Need
In conclusion, when your classroom feels chaotic, especially during busy holiday months, don't worry. A classroom reset can help bring back order and a calm learning environment. Reviewing your classroom procedures is vital. Procedures are like the gears that make your daily routines work smoothly. Focus on those that matter most, like morning routines, classroom management, and others that affect your classroom's peace.
To make procedure review engaging and easy, try activities like the around the room hunt, games such as Procedure Charades or Kahoot, and even humor with meme reviews for older students. If some students still ignore procedures, connect them to classroom rules to make them more important. Be patient, creative, and consistent to keep your classroom well-managed all year, even during the hectic holiday season.