Typically, when I walk a class across campus I let them do so without my input.
With as much independence as possible.
It’s something I begin teaching on the first day of school and then slowly release to them as the days and weeks go by. It’s intentional and reflects the independence I push for inside the classroom.
The way I expect them to walk is taught in detail—uniform spacing, fast pace, head up and proud.
The first week or so I stay close. I move up and down the line as they head to their destination ensuring the routine is performed as taught. I may stop and reteach.
But as they get better, I move further away and rarely say a word. Eventually, I send them on their way as I watch from a distance. Students love this. It makes them feel special and part of something bigger than themselves.
It gives them purpose, agency, empowerment, independence, pride.
They also get loads of compliments from parents and teachers they pass by, which they acknowledge with a polite head nod or clipped “thank you” (also taught). Students from other classrooms watch in awe. It all feels great, which encourages even better performance.
You have to trust and hand over responsibility for students to grow and mature.
The reason I put effort into a mundane routine is because it transfers to everything they do, including most importantly their work and study habits.
But I don’t just stop there.
As the year goes on, I like to push the maturity envelop by challenging them even more. Once they have the standard routine down, and I have full trust in them, it’s fun to mix it up. For example, I’ll send them off to the library and then watch without them knowing where I am.
I’ll hide behind trees or sneak looks between buildings as they make their way. I’ll also draw a map on the Smart board and have them take a roundabout way to the lunch room or out to recess.
Once this is commonplace, we’ll walk in a herd instead of a line. I’ll lead but we’ll walk in one giant mass, again with speed and confidence. I’ll turn and zigzag without warning and they’ll have to stay as tight and reactive as a school of fish.
My favorite, however, is to sneak across campus like highly trained ninjas. Tiptoeing, hiding, crouching, laying behind bushes, stuck to walls around corners. Very, very serious, as if rescuing a castle-held hostage.
The other teachers think I’m bonkers. But the kids love it beyond imagination. And so do I.
It something that not only transfers to academics and improves attentiveness, maturity, and focus, but it raises the bar of excellence.
It builds comradery. It’s great fun. It creates a classroom culture students love being part of and are thus intrinsically motivated to push their own limits and look out for one another.
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Oh I LOVE this idea so much!! I can’t wait to give it a go with my class. Thank you for your consistently practical, transformative advice.
Best post I have ever seen from you.
Agreed! Playfulness and high expectations CAN go hand in hand, and this is a perfect example of that!
As an old veteran retired teacher let me just put out there that THIS is how’s it’s done, friends! Start with clear expectations, taught with purpose, reinforced as needed, put in place consistent boundaries that support student growth both socially and academically, and add crystal clear consequences that are managed with fairness and in a calm atmosphere. Then – let the fun begin! And you can have so much fun in a classroom that is managed with respect and fairness and security for all. I used to tell my students that I was the teacher who had so much fun teaching that I was the happiest teacher in the whole school. Michael, thank you for all the tips and strategies you give teachers. It is not an easy job.
I love these ideas. Can you address large classroom sizes? I have 34 third graders. I have worked HARD using your techniques since September. However, it’s hard doing games because there are SO.MANY.STUDENTS.
Hi Melodie,
Here is an article that may help: https://smartclassroommanagement.com/2014/02/15/how-to-manage-large-class-sizes/
Indeed a very good post.
I am implementing sort of same strategy and I really enjoy .Got to know even more from this post.
Thank you
This is so tricky ours admin wants us to have eyes on kids the the entire time elementary school is a little different rtc. What your suggestion
Thank you! Fantastic ideas! I’d love a video demo of the first couple of times how you teach this and then the later results. So awesome!
Fantastic!
When outside and far from the classroom what should we do about the class clown(s), defiant, or turtle (at least one turtle each year) who drift away from the line?
I believe students earn a certain euphoria when they have achieved that level of self-direction. Wonderful!
I actually teach my students how to walk in line just as you described. I had to learn that all on my own. Trial and Error. I don’t hide places but I do begin to walk behind the class and they are trained not to look for me because I trust them to walk as expected with out me standing right next to them. They do get compliments and feel good about themselves. What I didn’t understand in the article was why change to walking in a pack and not in a line? Please clarify the reasoning behind this. My class will walk like this the whole year long, including getting on a bus, going on a field trip.