Every elementary teacher knows that the elementary classroom is built on procedures and clear expectations. However, there are still 4 times a year you should do a classroom procedures refresh just to keep everything and everyone in sync.
Elementary teachers know the importance of classroom procedures. They are the make and break of every good elementary classroom. It may seem like overkill to parents who are only used to working with a few kids at a time, but teachers know that the more kids you work with, the more procedures you need to have in place.
Before we talk about the 4 times a year you should do a classroom procedures refresh, let’s take a look back at a few of our previous posts about classroom procedures.
Classroom Procedure Posts to Review
- Ways to Teach Classroom Procedures that Students Won’t Hate: Get creative with your teaching methods to get in some good teaching and review of procedures that students won’t yawn at.
- The Ultimate List of Classroom Procedures to Teach In Upper Elementary: In this post, you’ll get the full list of my suggested topics around which you should design your classroom procedures if you want to make sure you’re prepared for every scenario!
- Best Ideas for Classroom Procedure Practice Stations: Use stations to teach and review classroom procedures with your upper elementary students.
4 Times A Year You Should Do a Classroom Procedures Refresh
Although it is easy to go over classroom procedures at the beginning of the year and then just hope it all works out, that is not necessarily best practice. That is why we’re suggesting 4 additional times a year that you should consider revisiting classroom procedures with your students.
#1 | After a Holiday Break (either Winter or Spring)
Twice a year (or more, depending on your school calendar), students have long breaks that take them away from school for an extended amount of time.
In the days leading up to these breaks, teachers and students often become lax with their normal classroom procedures as they participate in extra activities like parties, assemblies, and other distractions.
That is why the week right after one of these longer breaks is a great time to revisit your classroom procedures. In this previous blog post, we specifically talked about Reviewing Classroom Procedures After Break.
#2 | Anytime Students Seem to have Forgotten Them
This may seem obvious, but teachers really should do a little classroom procedures refresh anytime it seems like students are slipping on them.
Don’t hesitate to bring out a procedure activity or review expectations. The more clear you are with your expectations, the more success your students will have within your system.
#3 | Through the Winter, if Students are Inside a lot
Winter months bring about a lot of extra indoor time, as students may miss out on recess time due to extreme weather conditions.
The extra time inside in non-traditional environments (like indoor recess) can cause students (and teachers) to flex the procedures and expectations a bit.
This is a good time to pause and review the classroom procedures, just to make sure everyone knows that you still have the same expectations you’ve always had!
#4 | During the Last Few Months of the Year
Once April and May hit, things start getting really exciting, and students get more comfortable. Even though it doesn’t seem like much at the time, these two months can be the longest two months of the year if your students start taking over the classroom and ignoring the systems you’ve had in place throughout the year.
Again, take some very specific time to review your classroom procedures. There may be a few that you change slightly for the end of the year, but most of them are still in place, and a reminder gives you the power to both remind students about them and enforce them as needed.
Classroom Procedure Games
We have a few different classroom procedures to choose from, and if you read through the blog posts listed above, you’ll hear about several different ideas. One of our favorites is the Classroom Procedures Game Show. This Game Show is a great full-class activity for students and teachers to work through together no matter what time of the year.
No time is a bad time when it comes to doing a classroom procedures refresh
with your students. The more firm you can be with your expectations and your procedures, the more comfortable students are. It is easier to exist in a system if you understand the rules and expectations, so clarity is important!
