Monday is staring me down.
Back to my classroom full of first graders. Who have been out of school for 16 straight days.
Over two weeks of no structure, no expectations, no school rules!
So I'm going in like it's Day 1. We're going to go over routines and procedures just like we did in September. I may take up a bit of time that first week back, but it will pay off in the long run:)
Here's how I teach procedures:
Model
Never assume they know anything. Model exactly the behavior you want.
Observe and Share
I ask the kids the watch what I do and be ready to share what they noticed. I model the procedure exactly how I want the kids to do it and let the kids tell what they saw. They will tell all (or most) of the important components of the procedure. It is so much more meaningful when they discover it for themselves instead of listening to the teacher tell them how.
I model it again and name each step while I do it.
Practice
Now I ask a couple of volunteers to show the class the procedure. Again, I ask the kids to watch and notice. The kids will share what they saw.
This time I ask a group of kids to model the procedure. Repeat the noticings and sharings. I do this until everyone has had a chance to model and share.
Now the whole class will practice the procedure and debrief with what they did correctly and where there were shortcomings.
Which procedures we teach or reteach? All of them! Here is a (very) short list of possibilities:
- Enter
the room
- Walk
through the room
- Sit
in a chair
- Get
out of a chair
- Walk
to the carpet
- Sit
on the carpet
- Morning
Meeting
- Leave
the carpet
- Get
in a line
- Walk
in a line
- Go
to the restroom
- Get
a sharp pencil
- Go
to the trashcan
- Unpack
in the AM
- Pack
up in the PM
- Attendance/lunch
count
- Getting
help from the teacher
- Handing
in work
- Listening
- Working
independently
- Working
in groups
- Organizing
materials
- Fire
Drills
- Getting
a tissue
- Preparing
for lunch
- Snack
- Washing
hands
- What
to do when finished
- Going
to the water fountain
- Recess
- Visiting
the clinic
- Using
stations