Setting a Classroom Routine (Virtual or In-Person)
If you're a teacher, school psychologist, paraprofessional, or related services professional, implementing a clear, consistent, and concise routine is crucial for creating structure and reducing anxiety for both students and educators. The Good Teacher, Book One explores a classroom structure that The Good Teacher recommends as it is often met with praise from administrations and provides quality structure and support beneficial to students.
As a consistent practice, TGT uses the following flow throughout the class.
Do Now:
Mini Lesson:
Classwork:
Exit Slip:
Closure:
The Do Now section of the class is an effective way to engage students, assess their prior knowledge, and provide context for the lesson. It is recommended that these bell ringers, warm-ups, or personalized activities last between 3-5 minutes. To encourage enthusiasm and curiosity about the lesson, it is suggested to use engaging questions such as "Would you rather" questions. For instance, a digestive system lesson could be “What tastes better - french fries or ice cream?" “What is one food you could eat for breakfast, lunch, or dinner?" or "If you were a food, what food would you want to be?". You can have fun with these do-now activities!
The Mini Lesson is a crucial opportunity to prime students for success in class by providing information, encouraging critical thinking, and using engaging activities, visuals, and videos. This section, also known as "the time we work together," should last 15-25 minutes depending on the length of the session. To maximize its impact, avoid lecturing and instead prompt students to share their thoughts and perspectives. Encourage them to step into the shoes of historical figures, scientists, mathematicians, or other relevant characters as you explore the topic together.
After ensuring that our students are well-prepared, it's time for Classwork - the moment to ‘showcase your smarts’! This is when I encourage students to work independently or in groups. As an educator, I switch gears and become a facilitator of their learning, not the key player. Utilize this time for reading activities, experiments, projects, and conventional classwork. Remember to move around the classroom, provide additional support when needed, and broaden their knowledge.
To effectively assess students' understanding and identify areas of confusion, it's time for an Exit Slip. This type of assessment provides valuable data to drive future lessons and offer constructive feedback to teachers. For instance, if a majority of students answer a question incorrectly, it's important to reflect on the lesson and ask important questions like, "What caused this confusion?" and "How can I reinforce this topic in the next class?" Exit slips can be as formal or informal as necessary to gather helpful information.
Do you ever find yourself waiting until the very end of class to make your point? While it's critical to teach from bell to bell, it's also essential to wrap up our lessons effectively. But what exactly is closure, and how does it differ from an exit slip? While an exit slip collects feedback and data, Closure helps students grasp the bigger picture of what they've learned throughout the lesson. As educators, our ultimate goal is to prepare our students to become valuable members of society. So challenge yourself to take your lessons further by incorporating closure. Asking open-ended “If you were running for president, what would your top three policies be?" can be an excellent way to provide closure during a government class.