Tip #25: Drill Drill Drill those Routines

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I am a retired teacher freely subbing, dancing my way from district to district and room to room. As I slip in and out of lanyards, I am doing a version of action research that I was never able to do while a full-time, single-district teacher. My research is yielding highly mixed results. I have already written a post on the heat. I had long known the value of air-conditioning, but the stark contrast between my hot and comfortable classrooms still surprised me.

Today I was left to reflect upon the effect of routines. I taught a marvelous 4th grade class and a feisty 2nd grade class. I won’t return to the latter. I’ve crossed that room off the list of places I choose to work. We went over the rules in that 2nd grade class. The kids knew the rule chant perfectly. But a regrettable percentage seemed oblivious to their own rules. The peace sign served as a quiet signal but not enough students cared about that peace sign. The teacher admitted she seldom used her sign. She had forewarned me about various students and I’d say she knew exactly who was in her class.

I’m not saying today’s 2nd grade class may not be making great progress. Subs often get tested, even in second grade. But what struck me was the fact that students pushed their boundaries fast and hard. Feet on the floor? Why shouldn’t I be sitting with my chair backwards, legs splayed out and my feet on the table? We’d hardly met and conversations were popping out between pairs of students across the room, even as I explained how to glue our foldable. I ended up having to separate pairs to get our work done.

Eduhonesty: Any landing you can walk away from is a good one, and I am here now and planning to enter a different 2nd grade classroom tomorrow. But my post mortem on today’s experience suggested I add this latest tip: Drill your routines. Then drill them again. Sweat the small details. Don’t make exceptions except in genuinely special cases. Don’t answer the student who did not raise his hand. If you do, students will be blurting answers all year and the rule-followers will become discouraged. If Bobby always gets to answer questions first without raising his hand, soon eager Anthony will do the same. Don’t let the bossy girl slip in front of the line leader. If Tiffany keeps succeeding at budging in line, soon others will be budging too. Don’t let side conversations continue. Those conversations can proliferate like bunnies and skunks in the spring.

Routines establish the tone for your entire year. If students do not learn to be quiet in the halls in September, establishing this habit later may be next to impossible. It’s easy to loosen the reins once behavior has been established, but toughening up later… Students resist unlearning habits that have been enjoyable for them, such as talking to friends whenever they feel like starting a conversation.

Here’s the point that can be missed: Every day, in every way, you ARE establishing routines, whether you intend to be doing so or not. Blurting, budging and blathering to buddies can become the class routine if those behaviors are not swiftly blotted out. Teachers have to sweat the small details from the outset.

What are your rules? What are your routines? Whatever they are, those rules and routines have to stick. If not. blurted answers and side conversations will slip into your class like poison oak stealing into park greenery. You don’t want to have to worry about behavioral issues when you are teaching.

So snuff the misbehavior sooner, rather than later. Get rid of the poison oak before you become afraid to walk into the woods.

P.S. I taught a different 2nd grade class the next day and that group knew their routines and expectations. We had fun. I will happily return to sub for that teacher.