Beginning of the School Year

The first week is an important week for your classroom management. Children/Teens need structure to be successful. Routines are an important part of that structure. Teachers need to practice their policies with their students. Students also need practice with classroom rules.

Examples of classroom routines may be:

• Attendance procedures
• Warmups or Bellwork
• Seating Charts
• Where to turn in their papers
• Where to turn in their late work (if you want a different place than classwork)
• Sign Language for the classroom
• Leaving/Entering the class procedures
• End of class procedures

Attendance is vital! This is a legal obligation you are required to do each class. Personally, I have seen many teachers allow tardies (without penalty) and absences to go unmonitored. We are responsible for our students. If a student leaves school and commits a crime or is injured, we are held legally liable and may be prosecuted. I have seen this happens to teachers and principals before. Students may not like you for holding them accountable for their attendance, but we are not here to be their friends. We are teachers to enlighten our students the importance of responsibilities and becoming productive citizens. Many companies make their own attendance (record) books, or you can make your own on a spreadsheet or document.

Warmups are important for your procedures. I prefer the word “Warmup” over Bellwork. Bellwork has a negative connotation. The purpose of these short questions or practice skills is to reinforce previous content or to prepare for the day’s new lesson. During this time, teachers may take attendance while students are working on their Warmups.

Seating Charts are a time saver for taking attendance. You will have students with 504 or IEPs that need seating preference. These are a good way to not show any revealing information regarding each student’s needs. Seating Charts are a good way to document your classroom discipline, as well. When you move a student, regardless of discipline or for a disability, keep your old seating charts. Your administration or their parent may ask if you have followed their 504 or IEP (Federal mandated policies).

Many teachers I know have one bin for students to turn in their papers. I like to be more organized than that. I have bins for each class to turn in their classwork on time. However, if the student turns work in late, for whatever reason, I have a date stamp that I stamp every late paper. The student must put their late work in my hand. This prevents students from saying, “You lost my paper”, “I turned it in before that”, “I turned it in on time”, etc. I then put their late paper in a separate folder. This saves me time and I document in the grade program when it was turned in, if it was late.

Many teachers use sign language in the classroom for requests such as restroom, water, nurse, etc. This prevents classroom disruptions.

I do not recommend you to allow students to line up at the door waiting for the bell to ring. Lining up at the door allows peer pressure to wrong-doings.

I hope these tips help your school year start off the best!