Whenever your students are performing a routine, you must observe them closely. There are three reasons for this: 1. Knowing that you’re watching keeps them on track. 2. It’s the only way to confirm expectations are being fulfilled. 3. It allows you to enforce … Read more
This time of year things tend to get sloppy. Students are feeling the lazy pangs of summer approaching. It’s in the tea, the daily grind, and the changing weather. Left alone, this feeling will morph into poorer and poorer performance. Only you can do … Read more
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 … Read more
Well-taught routines eliminate the need for narration. They also . . . Save time. Fill students with purpose. Support independence. Increase responsibility. Improve motivation. But each of these benefits can be enhanced and made more effective with one small adjustment. It’s an adjustment very … Read more
Routines make everything easier. Because they . . . Transfer excellence to everything you do. Cut way down on misbehavior. Save loads of time. Keep students on task and purpose-driven. Free you to observe and supervise. Which is why anything and everything you do … Read more
Routines are the lifeblood of a well-run classroom. Because, done right, they save tons of learning time. They keep students focused and on task. They cut way down on misbehavior. They also make your teaching life a lot easier. For everything you do as … Read more
It is one of the most common questions we get here at SCM: “When do I enforce a consequence and when do I redo a routine?” In other words, if there are students misbehaving while entering the classroom, for example, do you hold them … Read more
During transitions, it’s common to focus on moving your students from one thing to the next as quickly and painlessly as possible. But in doing so, you pass up an opportunity to ensure that that next thing goes according to plan. You pass up … Read more