Classroom routines and procedures

Establishing clear classroom routines and procedures is necessary for ensuring that your classroom runs
smoothly.

BY DENISE YOUNG

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Students need to know what is expected of them in your classroom. To ensure that you have smooth
transitions throughout the day, think carefully about the routines for which you must plan. Clarify them in
your mind. It may be helpful to make a list of transitional times throughout the day (see the list below to help
you get started!). Other teachers or your mentor can serve as resources by sharing their own classroom
procedures and routines.
Before establishing specific procedures or routines, it is necessary to have a discussion with students
about their importance. During this discussion, you should be able to talk about the rationale behind various
routines. When possible, invite students to create procedures with you. This process can nurture a sense of
ownership and community in your classroom.
In establishing procedures or routines, it is important to:

Ensure that students understand the reason for the routine.

Clarify the procedure through modeling.

Allow students opportunities to practice the routine through rehearsal.

Try not to overwhelm students by teaching too many routines at once. The
process of establishing routines and procedures may take several days.

Remember that it will probably be necessary to revisit this process as you

see the need.

The following list may help you get started in thinking about times during the day for which you may want to
establish procedures and routines:

Beginning the day

Entering and exiting the classroom

Labeling papers

Collection and distribution of papers

Signaling for quiet and attention

Appropriate times for moving around the room

Emergency drills and procedures

Going to the restroom

Moving throughout the school

Late arrival

Grading and homework policies (including make-up work)

Asking questions

Finishing an assignment early

Dismissal

A classroom routine is simply a well-rehearsed response to a teacher's directive. The

alternative is usually noise, milling around, and time wasting on the part of students, as well as
nagging on the part of the teacher.

Each type requires a different strategy, so here are some tips on how to approach
several common test types:

Multiple Choice/Objective.

True/False.

Math and Science Problems.

Short Answer.

Essay.

Open Book

Three Types of Assessment

Formative Assessment occurs in the short term, as learners are in the process of making meaning of new content
and of integrating it into what they already know. Feedback to the learner is immediate (or nearly so), to enable the
learner to change his/her behavior and understandings right away. Formative Assessment also enables the teacher to
"turn on a dime" and rethink instructional strategies, activities, and content based on student understanding and
performance. His/her role here is comparable to that of a coach. Formative Assessment can be as informal as
observing the learner's work or as formal as a written test. Formative Assessment is the most powerful type of
assessment for improving student understanding and performance.
Examples: a very interactive class discussion; a warm-up, closure, or exit slip; a on-the-spot performance; a quiz.

Interim Assessment takes place occasionally throughout a larger time period. Feedback to the learner is still quick,
but may not be immediate. Interim Assessments tend to be more formal, using tools such as projects, written
assignments, and tests. The learner should be given the opportunity to re-demonstrate his/her understanding once
the feedback has been digested and acted upon. Interim Assessments can help teachers identify gaps in student
understanding and instruction, and ideally teachers address these before moving on or by weaving remedies into
upcoming instruction and activities.
Examples: Chapter test; extended essay; a project scored with a rubric.

Summative Assessment takes place at the end of a large chunk of learning, with the results being primarily for the
teacher's or school's use. Results may take time to be returned to the student/parent, feedback to the student is
usually very limited, and the student usually has no opportunity to be reassessed. Thus, Summative Assessment
tends to have the least impact on improving an individual student's understanding or performance. Students/parents
can use the results of Summative Assessments to see where the student's performance lies compared to either a
standard (MEAP/MME) or to a group of students (usually a grade-level group, such as all 6th graders nationally, such
as Iowa Tests or ACT). Teachers/schools can use these assessments to identify strengths and weaknesses of
curriculum and instruction, with improvements affecting the next year's/term's students.
Examples: Standardized testing (MEAP, MME, ACT, WorkKeys, Terra Nova, etc.); Final exams; Major cumulative
projects, research projects, and performances.

A lesson plan is a teacher's detailed description of the course of instruction, or 'learning trajectory'
for a lesson. A daily lesson plan is developed by a teacher to guide class learning. Details will vary
depending on the preference of the teacher, subject being covered, and the needs of the students.

There may be requirements mandated by the school system regarding the plan. [1] A lesson plan is
the teacher's guide for running a particular lesson, and it includes the goal (what the students are
supposed to learn), how the goal will be reached (the method, procedure) and a way of measuring
how well the goal was reached (test, worksheet, homework etc.).[2]
A lesson plan is an indispensable tool to a teacher. An engineer would not dare build a bridge without a
plan. An architect makes a plan for every house he constructs and no homeowner can dispense with the
services of an architect if he wants a good house. Neither can a teacher afford to teach without a lesson
plan.

Daily lesson plans may be classified as (1) detailed, (2) semi detailed, and (3) brief. Students
teacher are usually given training in all threetypes. The detailed lesson plan is anticipatory
teaching. It puts down in writing the classroom activities that may occur.

How To: Organize A Bulletin Board

7 TIPS VIA REAL SIMPLE BY ERIN DOLAND
Right

now, we're looking at our blank bulletin board. It has one final step (a coat of white spray
paint) before its ready to go back in our office. It used to be covered in fabric from IKEA (a
busy pattern) but we wanted to go with simpler look for 2009. The previous bits of
information on the bulletin board happened to be quite cluttered as well. Everything from
inspirational tear-out pages from design magazines to a spare set of car keys were scattered

about on our bulletin board. While we run a pretty organized ship, you might say our
bulletin board was our unorganized guilty pleasure...
But for these past few weeks we've been staring at our empty bulletin board(during the
spray painting process) and we really like the streamlined look. So we decided to seek out a
way to organize our new bulletin board. What we found were Erin Doland's
tips (from Unclutterer fame) on Real Simple's website. In no time, these 7 tips will have
your bulletin board in tip top organized shape for 2009.

Decide why you have a bulletin board. Do you have a bulletin board so that you
can quickly reference materials you need to see on a regular basis? Do you have a bulletin
board to provide you inspiration? Do you have a bulletin board to be a collection of
information for one specific project so that you can track your progress? Do different areas
of your bulletin board serve different purposes? Do you actually have a need for a bulletin
board?

Clear the clutter.Once you decide the purpose of your bulletin board (or purposes,
if you plan to have different sections of your bulletin board serve different purposes),
remove all papers and items that don't advance that purpose. Additionally, remove any
outdated papers or items that may meet your purpose(s) but are no longer relevant. Also, be
sure to remove any materials that contain private information that you wouldn't want a
stranger to see. Recycle, shred, or properly store all materials you remove from the bulletin
board.

Completely clear your bulletin board.Now you need to pull everything else off
the bulletin board so that you can see the board's full surface. Does the board need to be
repaired or replaced? Would covering the surface with a solid color fabric improve the look
of your bulletin board? Do you have enough (too many?) thumbtacks or magnets for your
needs? Inspect your bulletin board and make sure that it is in its best possible condition for
your continued use.

Hang your items on your bulletin board.This is the part of the process when
knowing your purpose(s) is most important. If you have a phone extension list that you like
to have easy access to when making calls, then hang that paper where you can immediately
see it when dialing. If you use your bulletin board for inspiration, then hang your materials
where you can quickly see them, but out of your direct work sight (you don't want to distract
yourself when you're already inspired). At work, it is best to not hang anything in your
immediate line of vision of your usual work focus. If you need to keep track of your son's

soccer practices at home, then hang the schedule so that it's not obstructed and at an eye
level that your son also can see it. Whether at home or at work, keep only materials on the
bulletin board that fulfill the purpose(s) of the board.

Label areas of your bulletin board for better identification.If your children
will use the bulletin board to hang papers that you need to sign, then print a label for that
section titled "To Sign" or "For Mom." Also at home, if multiple people use the board, then
be sure to create zones with labels ("Bobby" "Suzy") for each user. If you put an item on your
work bulletin board because you don't want to forget about it, then create a sign to hang
above it that signals you to not forget about it ("Don't Forget"). Avoid putting sticky notes on
your bulletin board because they can fall down.

Hang most items parallel to the floor.When looking at your bulletin board, you
should be able to immediately obtain information from the items on your board. Having to
turn your head at an awkward angle or lift multiple sheets of paper to see what you need or
remove an item to read it is a waste of your time. If you're sticking a paper to the board
simply so you won't lose it, then you can hang it at an angle. All the other items, however,
should have an unobstructed, straight-on view.