When you spend a time organizing your classroom way before school starts, I can guarantee you it’s going to be successful! From the time your students come into your classroom, routines you want to implement, behavior down the hall, boundaries, rules, consequences, if it’s all figure out before school, you will accomplish your goal.
What are you going to use to make sure students are on task when you walk them to recess, dismissal, fire drills, presentations, outclass, etc. What do you expect from your students? Are they clear on their boundaries and what they’re supposed to do? Are there any doubts? Should you test them after teaching the behavior, you are expecting from them?
All these ideas should be clear on your mind, and if necessary, you should come up with the proper forms to make sure that the students know what are you doing and why. Make sure that you give them alternatives. In other words, if you tell your students they are going to have two chances, please do so. I believe that keeping up with your word is paramount. Why? Because kids expect you to keep your promises, they have been taught routines since they can remember. So make sure that whatever you promise, you’ll keep.
Focus on having more real rules than negative. Students need to be rewarded, and in some cases, they cannot wait for ten days to do so. I remember my son when he was little…he had attention deficit hyperactivity disorder and bipolar (still is), so waiting was not something he could do. I then learned that small goals with less time to wait were better than the opposite because those students in your classroom that are similar to my son will not be able to hold on to those ten days. The timing is too much, too far away.
Don’t change your rules! Make sure that you’re consistent with the plan you thought of at the beginning of the school year. In my experience (about 20 years in Title I schools), I learned that setting up rules on the very first day was going to make it easier for me and my grade level. Students need to be clear on rules and let me tell you; they like it because they realize they can learn much more than if you have ten students in your classroom that are walking and interrupting all the time.
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I couldn’t agree more! One of the most challenging times is during small group centers or guided reading when you want to dedicate your full attention to a particular student or group of students. When other students interrupt, you need to know how to respectfully let them know that now is not a good time. I have seen teachers hold up a sign (never make eye contact if you don’t want to be interrupted!) that could simply state, “I’ll be with you in a moment” or “Un momento por favor”. The teacher makes the rule clear that when students read that sign they are to return to their seats and wait for her.
Thank you for your comments!