Classroom Routines
Morning Meeting
Every day, everyone in my classroom will participate in Morning Meeting. This will take place on the rug, where everyone sits on the edges of the rug. This way all participants will be able to see one another, and a sense of classroom community is built. Morning Meetings will consist of four basic parts; Greeting, Sharing, Activity, and Morning Message. During the greeting, every person in the circle will be welcomed to class in a fun and respectful manner. During sharing, one or two students will be able to share something personal to them; whether that be a story, or a tangible item is up to the students. Next comes the activity. This is just a fun way to get students interacting with one another, and help them release some of their energy before starting the day's learning. Lastly is the morning message. This is where the teacher either reviews a topic, introduces a new one, goes over special events or activities for the day (see Agenda below), or just wants to bring up something important with the students.
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.SL.2.1
Participate in collaborative conversations with diverse partners about grade 2 topics and texts with peers and adults in small and larger groups.
Agenda
Each day during the Morning Message part of the Morning Meeting, I will go over the day's agenda with the students. This will be posted on a white board, in the same spot, each and every day. It will also be left on the board all day long so that students can use it as reference during the day. The agenda will include times for different subjects, specials, lunch, and any special activities that might be happening that day.
Closing Circle
This part of the day is similar to Morning Meeting at the beginning of the day. During Closing Circle, students gather back around the rug. We will share what was learned today in class, or something interesting that happened in class that day. Additionally, as the teacher I will introduce, briefly, what will be happening in class the next day. This will help students to get excited for the following day's activities, and make them want to come back the next day.
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.SL.2.1.a
Follow agreed-upon rules for discussions (e.g., gaining the floor in respectful ways, listening to others with care, speaking one at a time about the topics and texts under discussion).
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.SL.2.1.b
Build on others' talk in conversations by linking their comments to the remarks of others.
Student Mailboxes
In the room, there will be a place for student mailboxes. This is where I will pass back student work as well as information that needs to go home (ex. newsletters, book fair flyers, upcoming events). Each day the students will check their mailboxes before packing up their belongings to go home. Everything that is in their mailboxes will go in a Take - Home folder, and will be put in their backpacks to be sent home. This process is something that will happen each and everyday so that students get in the habit of taking important things home, and sharing them with their families. Additionally, this routine is one that will build responsibility among the students, as it is their job to take things out of their mailboxes and bring those things home.
Lining Up
Lining up in schools seem to be a struggle for many teachers and students. To make this transition a bit easier, I would use a song to help students remember the components of a good line. The song is fun that students would help sing, and if the teacher participates in the song with actions (which I would!), the song becomes entertaining to the students, but a good reminder for them also. The words to the song are as follows:
My eyes are looking straight ahead,
I'm standing nice and tall.
My hands are hanging by my side,
Shhhh, I'm ready for the hall!
Leaving the Room
In my classroom I will have scheduled bathroom breaks each and every day. Students will learn when these bathroom breaks are and will, hopefully, in time learn to regulate their systems to going during these set times. However, there will always be students that need to go to the bathroom at random times. For these instances, the class will have a silent signal that lets me know that they need to go to the bathroom. If it is an appropriate time and not in the middle of something important that they'll miss, they can go to the bathroom. As always, if it is an emergency then of course they will be allowed to leave immediately. Instead of sending a pass with students to the bathroom, there will be a system that has each of the students name on a craft stick. Each of the students sticks will be on a magnetic surface (either a white board or filing cabinet) that everyone will have access to it. There will be several different sections for various places, including the office, nurse, bathroom and an absent section, Most students will be in one section that says "Here" or "Classroom". If a student leaves the room, the just move their stick to where they are going before the leave, and then switch it back when they return to the room. Students will definitely need reminders, but this is something that will become automatic for them.
Every day, everyone in my classroom will participate in Morning Meeting. This will take place on the rug, where everyone sits on the edges of the rug. This way all participants will be able to see one another, and a sense of classroom community is built. Morning Meetings will consist of four basic parts; Greeting, Sharing, Activity, and Morning Message. During the greeting, every person in the circle will be welcomed to class in a fun and respectful manner. During sharing, one or two students will be able to share something personal to them; whether that be a story, or a tangible item is up to the students. Next comes the activity. This is just a fun way to get students interacting with one another, and help them release some of their energy before starting the day's learning. Lastly is the morning message. This is where the teacher either reviews a topic, introduces a new one, goes over special events or activities for the day (see Agenda below), or just wants to bring up something important with the students.
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.SL.2.1
Participate in collaborative conversations with diverse partners about grade 2 topics and texts with peers and adults in small and larger groups.
Agenda
Each day during the Morning Message part of the Morning Meeting, I will go over the day's agenda with the students. This will be posted on a white board, in the same spot, each and every day. It will also be left on the board all day long so that students can use it as reference during the day. The agenda will include times for different subjects, specials, lunch, and any special activities that might be happening that day.
Closing Circle
This part of the day is similar to Morning Meeting at the beginning of the day. During Closing Circle, students gather back around the rug. We will share what was learned today in class, or something interesting that happened in class that day. Additionally, as the teacher I will introduce, briefly, what will be happening in class the next day. This will help students to get excited for the following day's activities, and make them want to come back the next day.
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.SL.2.1.a
Follow agreed-upon rules for discussions (e.g., gaining the floor in respectful ways, listening to others with care, speaking one at a time about the topics and texts under discussion).
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.SL.2.1.b
Build on others' talk in conversations by linking their comments to the remarks of others.
Student Mailboxes
In the room, there will be a place for student mailboxes. This is where I will pass back student work as well as information that needs to go home (ex. newsletters, book fair flyers, upcoming events). Each day the students will check their mailboxes before packing up their belongings to go home. Everything that is in their mailboxes will go in a Take - Home folder, and will be put in their backpacks to be sent home. This process is something that will happen each and everyday so that students get in the habit of taking important things home, and sharing them with their families. Additionally, this routine is one that will build responsibility among the students, as it is their job to take things out of their mailboxes and bring those things home.
Lining Up
Lining up in schools seem to be a struggle for many teachers and students. To make this transition a bit easier, I would use a song to help students remember the components of a good line. The song is fun that students would help sing, and if the teacher participates in the song with actions (which I would!), the song becomes entertaining to the students, but a good reminder for them also. The words to the song are as follows:
My eyes are looking straight ahead,
I'm standing nice and tall.
My hands are hanging by my side,
Shhhh, I'm ready for the hall!
Leaving the Room
In my classroom I will have scheduled bathroom breaks each and every day. Students will learn when these bathroom breaks are and will, hopefully, in time learn to regulate their systems to going during these set times. However, there will always be students that need to go to the bathroom at random times. For these instances, the class will have a silent signal that lets me know that they need to go to the bathroom. If it is an appropriate time and not in the middle of something important that they'll miss, they can go to the bathroom. As always, if it is an emergency then of course they will be allowed to leave immediately. Instead of sending a pass with students to the bathroom, there will be a system that has each of the students name on a craft stick. Each of the students sticks will be on a magnetic surface (either a white board or filing cabinet) that everyone will have access to it. There will be several different sections for various places, including the office, nurse, bathroom and an absent section, Most students will be in one section that says "Here" or "Classroom". If a student leaves the room, the just move their stick to where they are going before the leave, and then switch it back when they return to the room. Students will definitely need reminders, but this is something that will become automatic for them.
A quick slideshow of example pictures are included below!
A quick slideshow of example pictures are included below!