Developing a routine

Center for Promoting Research to Practice

What is the intervention?
Developing routines is a classroom management intervention that involves developing a clear schedule for students to follow when prompted.

Who is it for?
Students of all ages.

Purpose:
Routines allow teachers to focus more on instruction and less on classroom management by teaching students to self-manage and get into the habit of following a particular schedule. This sort of scheduling is particularly important for regularly occurring events in the classroom.  Remember to keep it as simple as possible!

Background:
Classroom routines should provide students with a clear set of sequential instructions for completing a task or activity. Some schools may provide routines for classrooms and others may allow teachers to develop them as they see fit. Teachers must decide what routines are most appropriate for their classroom. However, they should align with the established rules or expectations set by the school or district.

Explicitly stated routines should first be introduced and students should have the opportunity to practice them. Students will learn through repetition and once they are established, teachers will have more time to focus on classroom instruction and will spend less time on redirection.

Materials:

Steps:

  1. Determine what types of routine would be appropriate for the classroom. If multiple routines need to be implemented, prioritize them.
  2. Create a lesson to teach the routine to students.
  3. Be sure to praise students when they are following the routine appropriately and provide positive feedback when errors are made.
  4. Use some sort of visual aid or signal to cue students when the routine should be used.