Rules and Procedures
Sometimes it can be a little difficult to find a good classroom management plan, but with time, it can be done easily. There will come a time when even parents are amazed at their child’s behavior compared to how they behave at home. Pre-K and Kindergarten students are very young and need a lot of structure, consistency and patience. They are also VERY capable of learning. The one way to take advantage of every learning opportunity is by establishing rules and procedures. These little ones do not come to school knowing what you want them to do or how to do it. You need to STATE your EXPECTATIONS and practice, practice, practice rules and procedures for several weeks. With the help of sites like https://www.classdojo.com/studentstories/, you may have found the answer to successful classroom management. When it comes to putting new methods into place, it can be trial and error, but it is worth giving anything a go, especially if it means having a productive classroom environment. Did you know that classroom lighting can also play a part in children’s focus and concentration (you can click if you need more information)? Having a combination of the right methods and the right learning environment will ensure that you have a wonderful school year and a classroom full of children who are ready to learn.
Classroom Management
Classroom Management and consistency are the key to a successful school year. Students must have clear expectations of rules, daily routines and center and material use in the classroom. This provides an environment of organization and calmness. Otherwise the students will feel lost and you will become frustrated with behavior problems. If you teach them good classroom management early on then they will learn to repect you, the other students and the classroom furniture and equipment.
Examples of rules and procedures:
Procedures begin the moment the student arrives to your classroom in the morning. It is ideal to display your procedures with visuals so that students always know what to do before and after they walk in.
Dismissal Time
Many teachers run around trying to get students ready for dismissal at the last minute. Dismissal procedures take time. Make sure to work it into your schedule. You have to wrap up your lesson, students need to turn in their work, everyone has to clean up and put things back where they belong and chairs need to be stacked to make things easier for the commercial cleaners who come in after school. After that students need to gather on the carpet area quietly, teachers hand out daily folders, notes and homework while the teacher helpers bring backpacks in to each student. Finally students put all their materials in their backpacks and wait to be called to line up. Implementing procedures will make the difference between last minute chaos an loud students and organized dismissal with students ready to walk out of the classroom quietly and in an orderly manner.
The Hallway
The hallway is a place where student’s behavior reflects the teacher’s classroom management skills. Teachers who take the time to introduce and practice rules and procedures the first few weeks of school have a much orderly classroom than those teachers who expect good behavior without spending the time to practice, practice, practice.
Here’s a good tip: Always walk at the end of the line to monitor student behavior. How many times have you seen a teacher walking ahead of the students? Students are not keeping up because they are too distracted by talking, playing around, touching everything on the walls and fighting. Whether you decide to walk in front or behind your class, always monitor and redirect hallway behavior. It feels good when fellow teachers and administrators compliment your classroom in the hallway!
Restroom Procedures
The main reason that you need to implement Restroom Procedures is so that students do not adopt the restroom as the hanging out with friends place. When more than one student goes to the restroom at the same time, students start playing around and losing out on learning time. Students will quickly learn that they can go the restroom to get out of learning and classroom work. The one student at a time procedure will eliminate these distractions. – Teachers, please always make sure that your students wash their hands after using the restroom. These germs can end up in their mouth, on your door knob, on your pencils and crayons, in your hand shake… Yuk.
Do not forget to teach restroom procedures. Taking the time to address your expectations makes a big difference between clean restrooms and dirty, smelly ones.
Teach them these procedures and send home a note to request emergency clothes for wetting accidents. You can find my free printable at the following link to send a note home for emergency clothes. The link:
Water Fountain
Yes. You do need rules and procedures for everything if you want your day to run smoothly. Here’s the one for drinking water in the classroom.
Lining up procedures.
I do not like to leave the classroom and come back to a messy classroom. We do not always put EVERYTHING away. When students have not finished their work, they are taught to gather their own materials and stack them neatly on the table (or on their chairs). When we come back to the classroom, everyone has their own material to continue working. This eliminates the chance of not finding their materials when the students get back.
It’s always nice for the students to greet visitors whenever they can. This will also help them learn the names of administrators since they visit our classrooms often.
Recess Procedures
Rules to keep our students safe during recess time.
Calendar time is a time for sharing and having fun by participating in these learning activities. You will see that some students are shy at first, but will come out of their shell during calendar time.
Meeting Area
Procedures for the Meeting Area whether in the classroom or at a School Assembly.
Give Me 5
Give Me 5 is such a popular attention getter. You must always have everyone’s attention before and during a lesson. This is also a quick way of redirecting student behavior throughout the day. The teacher just says GIVE ME 5 and raises her arm up so that students can see her hand with all 5 fingers spread open. It’s a good visual for students to respond quickly and demonstrate that they are following all these 5 rules at the teacher’s request.
What do I do when I finish?
We always have students asking “What do I do when I finish my work?” Here’s a procedure that you can post for your students.
And again, students want to know and need to know what to do throughout the entire day in your classroom. Some students do not know that when they finish with one activity in a center, they just have to put their things away and choose another activity. They think that they can not make a move without your approval. Teachers should always provide a variety of material in each center and pull out the ones that you expect students to use by placing them on the table. This will ensure that students are always engaged.
You should post a sign with a list of activities that students can engage in when they finish their independent work. Here is an example.
Classroom Management Clip Chart
I like to make students feel special about themselves in kindergarten. The past 16 years, I have used a the clip chart system. It is a wonderful visual for students to know where they are throughout the day. It helps them stay on track and try a bit harder when they need to.
I always refer to their behavior in royal terms. They must be following rules, procedures and stay on track with their learning responsibilities before I address them as princess or prince. It’s amazing to see how quick they change their behavior to prove that they are worthy of their royal titles. Sometimes I say, “I am looking for a princess that is looking forward” or “I wonder which prince will finish his work on time today.” This has always worked well for me.
Everyone begins with “Ready to Learn.” Then, their clip will be moved up or down according to how well they follow rules and procedures throughout the day. I have three cards above “Ready to Learn” and 3 cards below it. I never have them move their clip down on the first warning. It just serves as a reminder. We begin to move clips down starting with the second warning. Once these students begin to demonstrate positive efforts, clips begin to go up again.
I like to use colorful clothespins. Sometimes you can find some neon colored ones at the Dollar Store. Here are some in primary colors that you might also be able to find in your local stores like Wal-Mart or Target. Just use a sharpie to label them on both sides. I place the boys’ pins on the left side and the girls’ pins on the right side of the charts so that students can find their clips easier. This also makes it easy for me when I need to label both sides of the pins. Make sure that the name is not upside down when you use the opposite side of it.
NOTE:
I introduce parents to our behavior system at Open House. Then, I start sending the Behavior Recording Sheet home daily so that parents can praise and celebrate their child’s efforts every day. I do not like to contact parents only when there is concern about their child. Daily communication is a great way to keep them informed.
These are the charts that I use.
Here is a free recording sheet.
Your classroom can run smoothly throughout the day using these and many more procedures. The key is to practice these rules and procedures with your students throughout the year.
These are rules and procedures that work for me. What works for you?
I am really struggling with many of the blogs in this linky party that use a system of clips, etc for the whole class to see.
I am considered one of the firmer teachers on our kindergarten team, so it is not the rules or guidelines that are being shared but how everyone's behavior is posted for the whole class to see. My motto is "My choices dictate my consequences."
For an anxious child, having his/her clip moved in front of the entire class can be crushing and a constant visual of the a wrong choice. And more often than not that is the child who will be the talk of the dinner table that night for other families. Believe me, my son just left a classroom with this behavior system and we heard about this ONE child every day who had to move his clip. If we are hearing about this child all the time at dinner, something tells me his clip moving is not being very effective because it is a daily occurrence.
I am not sure what the answer is but it just bums me out that there are so many clip systems where the whole class can see who is making wrong choices.
You are right. It is sad when teachers do not use the behavior system appropriately. I am very patient and positive with my students. Redirection always works well. I rarely have students bring their clips down, but when they do, they know that there are plenty of opportunities to bring the clip back up. The focus of this post is the rules and procedures. If they are taught well, then there will not be much use for the clip chart 🙂 It's just there as a reminder to continue their good behavior whether the teacher or a substitute is in charge of the class 🙂
I do really like your procedure charts. Do you have them available in your TPT store? I looked but couldn't find them. Thanks
The procedure charts are great! Are they available for sale? Thanks!
Cathy
beagle2love@hotmail.com
I see your concern that no behavior chart should be aimed at humiliating students. What I think is great about this chart is its focus on positive behavior. My students feel so proud when they move their clip up! Plus, this allows me to focus on good behaviors instead of giving attention to the bad behaviors.
On another note, I love your dismissal procedures! This is always a crazy part of the day. I like the idea of them coming to the carpet and passing out folders from there. Also, very darling procedure signs!
-Amanda @
Teacher at the Wheel
I agree about the clip chart and positive outcomes…I just finished my 1st year using it and I love it! It took me a bit to remember throughout the day to clip up, but once I got the hang of it, it was wonderful! The kids loved it, and even if they had a bad morning, they knew they could move up by the end of the day.. Also, in K, the kids are pretty self absorbed and busy, so it wasn't a noticeable thing..No one was sitting and saying anything about anyone..but there was chatter about getting to the top! Always congratulating each other…making others really want to go up, too. I just had to be on top of it to really notice all the good things going on in my room!! Love it!! and love utoo!!!! Amy
Love your procedure charts! This will help me to remember all of the little procedures teachers may forget to mention and model for their students!
Andrea
Cheers To School