Hello and Welcome to the Fine Arts Educator Coaching Clinics podcast.  I am your host, Eric Sanford.  Be sure to visit our website, FAECC.org for resources and links to this episode.  While you are there, be sure to send us an email about your thoughts on the episode, and future topics you’d like to hear more about.

This is part 2 of a three part series for Classroom management. In episode 1 I discussed  The Class Agenda.  This is part 2 with Teaching Classroom Routines. And the third part - maintaining student expectations through a behavior management plan, coming soon. 

In this session we’ll focus on classroom routines and how to teach them.  

For your class to be effective, your expectations must be taught so students have the opportunity to succeed.  

The very first procedure is how to enter your learning space.  

Take a moment to imagine your students entering your classroom perfectly.  What do they look like in the hallway before they come in?  What are they doing when they cross the doorway?  What happens next when it is time to get materials ready for class?  From the hallway to their seat, what should students do every time?

If you haven’t imagined this in its entirety, I encourage you to do so.  After all, if you don’t know, how will your students know the difference?

I created a very detailed example for middle school band class.  Yours does not have to be that detailed.  Obviously a band class, with middle schoolers, that could get crazy fast, and there’s lots of things that could go wrong.  You are most welcome to read through the “Starting class effectively” document on the faecc.org website.

For now, let’s go through a simplified version.  

Begin scene - 

Students line up at a level 0 volume in the hallways outside.  The teacher stands at the doorway to welcome the students, reminding students to enter at a level 0, sit down in their seat, and read the prompt on the screen, silently to themselves.  

Students do exactly that - enter at a level 0, sit down in their seat, and read the prompt on the screen silently to themselves.  As the teacher welcomes students into the classroom, they call out individual students “Thank you, Joe, for sitting down at a level 0 and reading the screen.”  “Thank you Frida, for sitting down at level 0 and reading the screen.”  When the last student walks through, the teacher goes directly to the front of the class and immediately begins class and prepares the students for the lesson.

End scene.

This is a very simple and common procedure, but take a moment to think of all the things that could go wrong.  

Students could be loud in the hallway. They could enter the room just as loud and sit anywhere they want.  They could wander around the room, playing around or touching materials that they shouldn’t.  They could be asking questions to the teacher, distracting them from starting class. 

These distractions and deviations occur all the time.  The key to this is teaching students your expectations in a way they can understand and replicate every time.  So let’s move on to the next part - teaching students your expectations.

This part is crucial.  If you don’t teach your students the how, what, and why, every day will be a struggle.  You’ll probably say “You should know this by now” quite a bit, but that doesn’t change the fact that if you are saying that phrase, the students DON’T know.  They may have at one point, but if you don’t see them every day, or something changed since the last time they came to your class, or if it was just a three day weekend, you will need to teach them again.  

I’ll say this again - If you teach your expectations to your students and hold students to that ideal, they will find success right away from the very beginning, even if it has nothing to do with your fine art content. 

Let’s look at some ways to teach a routine, any routine.  It doesn’t have to be an entry routine, it could be what to do while the teacher takes attendance, or how to get materials.

First - teach the students what you expect.  Walk them through the process.  Tell students the steps, but have them share Why each step is important.  Then practice it!

We are fine arts teachers - we know a thing or two about practice.  We also know that if we don’t practice with intention then there is little point to it.  

One of my favorite methods to teach a process or routine is to go through all the motions with the students.  You act it out as a student first.  Let them see exactly what needs to be done.  Then you have the students tell you what comes next in each step, and you act it out again with those steps.  Then you act out all the wrong ways to do it, and have the students correct you.  It’s just as important to see it done wrong as it is to see it done correctly.  Last, let the students practice it several times.  Not only does it give them practice, it gives you, the teacher, practice observing how they do to give them feedback.  

Second  -use  Visual reminders such as pictures, a checklist, anything you can have on the wall or on your screen to remind students of the step by step process.  Think about how those supports would affect students with IEPs, bilingual students, and students that need those behavior reminders.

We use visual reminders as adults all the time.  Just drive anywhere and you’ll be bombarded with all types of road signs and advertisements.  In the same way, use visual cues or anchor charts to your advantage in class. 

What matters most is that you teach your students your expectations.  If you don’t, and leave it to their interpretation, students will fill the gaps with their own ideas, many times causing distress or trouble from the beginning.  Anything that you allow in the first five minutes will repeat the rest of class.  

Some days, students are affected by some other mystical force like the full moon, weather changes, another teacher, another student, being hungry, being tired, a three day weekend, the list goes on forever.  

On those days, it may be a huge success if they enter the room to your expectations.  I’ve witnessed many classes end before they even begin just because that first entry procedure was abandoned.  It’s not going to get any better if students don’t start strong.

I recommend you write your exact procedure.  Take a few minutes when you can.  It will change your class for the better.  Not only will the students be safer and get started on your amazing lesson sooner, you will start the class more at peace and be able to teach more effectively.

Your entrance procedure is just the beginning.  You as the teacher must instruct students on every procedure or activity for your classroom.  Repeat the creation and teaching process for any routine, habit, or procedure your students will need.  Your time investment up front will pay off as those same students remain in your fine arts classes year after year. 

I wanted to offer a few other options for teaching routines.  We mentioned you modeling how to perform the routine and how students should NOT do it.  You could have a student or group of students also model it.  You could have small groups create a routine of your choice and present it to the class to adopt.  

You could make a google slide checklist for any of your routines so students know exactly what they should be doing.  You could also use hand signs or sign language as visual cues.

For the routines themselves - think about all these other scenarios that would benefit having a routine:

• Restroom breaks

• Water breaks

• Getting materials

• Handing in work

• Clean up time

• Exit procedure

• Walking in the hallway

• Lesson transitions

• Student  jobs

This list could keep going, but I think you probably get the idea by now.  

I am reminded of a graduation speech made by Admiral William McRaven - “If you want to change the world, start off by making your bed.” The simple task of starting the day with a success changes a person's outlook.  The same for any class- start with that small success and go from there.  

You have the potential of being a beacon of light and joy for your students.

I look forward to hearing your own stories, comments, questions, and suggestions.  Email us at faecchost@gmail.com. You can find this and other social links on our website FAECC.org. 

I’d like to thank you for joining me on this episode!  Tune in next time to hear our ending session for Routines and Procedures - the behavior management plan. I am your host, Eric Sanford for Fine Arts Educator Coaching Clinics.  

Until next time, Peace and Blessings.