Establishing Routines by @bryngoodman

Name: Bryn Goodman
Twitter name: @bryngoodman
Sector: Primary
Subject taught (if applicable):
Position: Teacher
What is your advice about? Establishing routines

1: Decide before the start of the year which routines you want to have in place to help your classroom run smoothly.

2: Make the routines explicit to the children. Leave no room for doubt.

3: Practise the routines from Day 1. Time them.

4: Keep practising them until you are happy they are being carried out properly and efficiently.

5: Maintain your expectations with regard to these routines all year.

Routines by @alarter

Name: Ashley Larter
Twitter: @alarter
Sector:  Primary
Subject: All subjects
Position: Teacher and Maths Subject Leader
5 Bits of Advice About: Routines

1. Have high expectations from the very start. Ensure children have a task to complete during registration – this settles them and starts them off well.
2. Sounds obvious but make sure everyone is treated fairly. Set boundaries quickly and stick to these!
3. Ensure that everyone has a chance to answer through a range of strategies to keep children on their toes. Pose, pause, pounce or lollipop sticks are useful.
4. Giving roles / monitor jobs to ch gives them ownership, independence, makes transitions between lessons easier and gives them a purpose/ responsibility.
5. Taking ages for children to get home stuff ready? Play the timing game – start the stop watch, time ch and then they guess how long it took. Winner is the child/pair who is closest.

Routines by @MrsPTeach

Name: Jo Payne
Twitter: @MrsPTeach
Sector:  Primary
Subject: All subjects
Position: Year Leader
5 Bits of Advice About: Routines

1. Have routines for the start of a lesson. E.g. line up silently, instructions on board, register.
2. Establish a routine for responding to feedback in books. Use codes, initials and symbols to make this quick and effective.
3. Use pupils to complete jobs. E.g. handing out books, tidying up, sorting things, giving letters or messages.
4. Ensure each lesson ends with a similar routine. E.g. tidy things away, put books in appropriate place, stand behind chairs.
5. Create a marking routine for yourself and try to stick to it closely to avoid getting behind. Do the minimum required by your school for the maximum impact.

First lessons by @big_mean_bunny

Name: Catherine Malcolm
Twitter: @big_mean_bunny
Sector:  Secondary
Subject: English
Position: Head of Department
5 Bits of Advice About:  First lessons

1. Invest time in routines. Little things like how to enter the room, hand out papers, or answer questions in full sentences, if practised at the start, will save you time later.
2. Learn the name of every student, preferably by the end of lesson one. A seating chart can help if you think you will struggle.
3. Make students write in silence. You can get an idea of their literacy and their ability to follow instructions, and you can get to know them while they work.
4. Make your expectations explicit with regards behaviour, equipment, or anything else. Do not accept less than your expectations – make them high and clear.
5. Be the teacher. You are not their friend or their parent; remember that you are the authority in the room, not them.