How to Have a Successful Beginning of Class Each Day
The bell is about to ring and it’s almost the beginning of class. Your students are walking to your classroom. Do they know what to do when they get there? This is the first step in our routines for classroom management in the Science class series. How do we set up the beginning of class so we have a successful class period each day?
In This Post
We will go over the most important procedures and some examples for the beginning of class. We’ll talk about entering the classroom, posting visuals, and tasks students can do while you are taking attendance.
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Routines for classroom management
We started this series with an overview of routines for classroom management in the science class. You can check out the blog post here. In that blog post, we went over some of the important routines we need to teach our students.
Be sure to check out the blog post, 10 Common Classroom Procedures to Teach for a Great School Year. I go over how to teach routines and expectations and how to reinforce and correct them.
What are the beginning of class routines?
First, I want you to start off by visualizing your class when it begins. You can also visualize how you want it to look.
- Where are the students before you let them in your classroom?
- How do they enter your classroom?
- Where do they go when they come in?
- Do they start any work or write in agendas?
- Do they turn in papers or ask you questions?
- Do you have a lab set up, and if so, do the students know the safety rules and not touch materials?
Examples of beginning of class routines
Now, let’s go over some examples of how this could look. Remember, students will need to be taught these routines so they are following your expectations.
Waiting to enter the classroom
Students might line up along the wall until you greet them to come into class. Or you might open the door and students walk in freely. It’s really up to you, but I find that it’s much better to greet them at the door.
Here’s a bonus tip- a quick way to correct a procedure is to tell them about it before they enter the room. I’ve done this with different procedures. Here’s one example. I corrected students on our procedure of starting bell work when they entered the room. I lined them up in the hall, and talked to them about it. They went in and practiced. I praised them for following the procedure correctly.
Entering the classroom
Students should always walk into the class. Typically, they would go straight to their desks, but some students need reminders to do that.
Posting visuals
It is really helpful to have something projected on the screen or on a white board that students read when they walk in. This is an important routine because it lets students know what to do or what to expect. Here are some slides that I use in my classroom to show students what they need to do at the beginning and throughout class.
Working on a task
I highly recommend starting with a task. I call it bell work, but it’s also known as bell ringers or warm ups. The task shouldn’t take very long and it should be something that students can do independently. I like to use this time as a review of previous learning, but it can also be used to introduce something new.
Here is a blog post of five science warm up activities you can use at the beginning of any class.
You can also see the bell work I have created for my students here.
Turning in papers
Students need to know where to turn in papers or homework at the beginning of class. You could post this on your visual as a reminder to students.
Asking questions
I have at least one student each period come up to me with questions at the beginning of class. In one class period, I seem to have several, and it feels hectic. They need to be taught what types of questions they can approach you with, and what can wait. For example, “What are we doing today?” is something that gets asked, and I point and remind them to read the screen.
Lab Set Up
When a lab is set up on lab day, students should know the safety rules. They should know not to touch the materials without permission.
Wrap up
We went over some beginning of class routines that students should know how to do. Each day, this will set you and your students up for success. First we visualized or thought of how we want the beginning of class to look, then we went over some examples of these routines.
Your Turn
Make sure you have gotten your guide 7 Daily Must-Do Routines to Run Your Science Classroom Like a Pro that includes a classroom procedures checklist. Then reply or go to Facebook or Instagram to share your beginning of class routines with me!
Links
7 Daily Must-Do Routines to Run Your Science Classroom Like a Pro
5 Low-Prep and Quick Brain-Activating Science Warm Up Activities
First blog post in Classroom Routines series: What Are the Important Routines for Classroom Management in Science Class?
10 Common Classroom Procedures to Teach for a Great School Year.
Classroom Expectations PowerPoints (Visuals I post in my classroom)
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