What
This week, I took lead in the morning routine. From day one, I have been watching my Collaborating Teacher (CT) do the morning routine with the students. When they come in the morning, if they are going to breakfast, they are to leave their backpacks in a pile off to the side. This allows the teacher to know the students are there when she takes attendance if they are not back from breakfast yet. If the student does not need to go to breakfast then they need to unpack their backpacks. First, they take out their agendas and give them to the teacher to review. She makes sure there are no notes from the parents and if there are, she answers them immediately. The student then puts in their green dot for the day. The student then has to take out their blue folder (This is used to send home important information and the papers from the day). This week they just added a step to their morning routine. If the student is going to return their library books, they have to take them out of their backpacks and get their red library folder. The books go in a pile by the back door to be returned to the library and their folder goes in either the red or blue bins. This lets the teacher know they need to go to the library and check out new books. Once the student is done unpacking, they put their agendas and backpacks into their cubby. If they are the first student at their table to come in, they are in charge of pulling down all of the chairs for their table. The students then get to work on their bellwork that is left on the desk for them. This is the time were students can get their pencils sharpened and get ready to start the day. The morning routine is something I have taken over for my CT so that she has a little more time to get things ready for the day or test students who have come in early. I sit at the table near the door and greet the students as they come in. I ask them if they are going to breakfast or not. I then check their agendas and blue folders. If there is a note in the agenda, I set it off to the side and let my CT read it when she is not busy. My CT has a reminder using pictures of the students doing their morning routine so the students do not forget what they are supposed to be doing in the morning.
In class, we have talked about rules and procedures. According to Levin and Nolan (2014), “Procedures reflect behaviors necessary for the smooth operation of the classroom and soon become an integral part of running the classroom.” (p. 155) The morning routine was set up by the teacher and practiced since day one. It is something the students should be doing by themselves however, there are a couple of students who need reminders from either myself, my CT or a peer in the class to make sure they are going along with the classroom rules and procedures. Sharpening of the pencil is a big one that many students need help remember. Throughout the day, if they student needs to have one of their pencils sharpened they have to move their clip down because they were not prepared for the day (Each students should have three sharpened pencils in their pencil box).
So What
This experience has taught me a lot about the students in the classroom. I have one student who, up to about a week ago, needed a verbal reminder every morning to complete his morning routine. Last week, I was able to give him nonverbal communication and he knew exactly what I wanted him to do. This is a huge step in the right direction for this student. Having a morning routine is very important to the beginning of the day. If the mornings start out crazy, then the teacher may have a hard time calming the students down at the beginning of the day which adds extra work to the already busy schedule. The morning allows them time to talk to their friends while completing the bellwork. The bellwork is set in place for the students to review things they have learned either the day before or to practice their handwriting. I find it very rewarding when the students can come in and complete the morning routine without being asked which shows that they are independent and understand the rules of the classroom.
Now What
After talking with my CT about students who were having difficulties remembering the morning routine, we discussed making a direction page to help the students remember. She then took pictures of a student completing part of the morning routine and placed it by the door. Students now see that upon entering and this has helped with the completion of the morning routine. I do still have one student who often forgets to stop by my desk. I have continued to work with him. We are now to the point where I just have to use non-verbal signals and he remembers what he should be doing.
When I am in my own classroom, I plan on having a morning routine like this one. There will be a few differences because I would like to teach intermediate where the students are more independent from day one. They will have things to do in the morning like fill in their agendas with what we will be doing for that day and what the homework for that night will be. They will still be required to empty their backpacks and put them in the proper place and makes sure all the chairs are out at the desk for them and their peers. I will still check agendas to make sure students are filling them out and to see if there are any notes from the parents. I like to see that I can give a task to my students and have it be completed every day without having to tell them repeatedly to complete it. By completing the morning routine, it shows me that they are ready to begin the day and learn new things.
This blog address FEAPs:
2a: organizes, allocates, and manages the resource of time, space and attention
2c: Conveys high expectations to all students
This week, I took lead in the morning routine. From day one, I have been watching my Collaborating Teacher (CT) do the morning routine with the students. When they come in the morning, if they are going to breakfast, they are to leave their backpacks in a pile off to the side. This allows the teacher to know the students are there when she takes attendance if they are not back from breakfast yet. If the student does not need to go to breakfast then they need to unpack their backpacks. First, they take out their agendas and give them to the teacher to review. She makes sure there are no notes from the parents and if there are, she answers them immediately. The student then puts in their green dot for the day. The student then has to take out their blue folder (This is used to send home important information and the papers from the day). This week they just added a step to their morning routine. If the student is going to return their library books, they have to take them out of their backpacks and get their red library folder. The books go in a pile by the back door to be returned to the library and their folder goes in either the red or blue bins. This lets the teacher know they need to go to the library and check out new books. Once the student is done unpacking, they put their agendas and backpacks into their cubby. If they are the first student at their table to come in, they are in charge of pulling down all of the chairs for their table. The students then get to work on their bellwork that is left on the desk for them. This is the time were students can get their pencils sharpened and get ready to start the day. The morning routine is something I have taken over for my CT so that she has a little more time to get things ready for the day or test students who have come in early. I sit at the table near the door and greet the students as they come in. I ask them if they are going to breakfast or not. I then check their agendas and blue folders. If there is a note in the agenda, I set it off to the side and let my CT read it when she is not busy. My CT has a reminder using pictures of the students doing their morning routine so the students do not forget what they are supposed to be doing in the morning.
In class, we have talked about rules and procedures. According to Levin and Nolan (2014), “Procedures reflect behaviors necessary for the smooth operation of the classroom and soon become an integral part of running the classroom.” (p. 155) The morning routine was set up by the teacher and practiced since day one. It is something the students should be doing by themselves however, there are a couple of students who need reminders from either myself, my CT or a peer in the class to make sure they are going along with the classroom rules and procedures. Sharpening of the pencil is a big one that many students need help remember. Throughout the day, if they student needs to have one of their pencils sharpened they have to move their clip down because they were not prepared for the day (Each students should have three sharpened pencils in their pencil box).
So What
This experience has taught me a lot about the students in the classroom. I have one student who, up to about a week ago, needed a verbal reminder every morning to complete his morning routine. Last week, I was able to give him nonverbal communication and he knew exactly what I wanted him to do. This is a huge step in the right direction for this student. Having a morning routine is very important to the beginning of the day. If the mornings start out crazy, then the teacher may have a hard time calming the students down at the beginning of the day which adds extra work to the already busy schedule. The morning allows them time to talk to their friends while completing the bellwork. The bellwork is set in place for the students to review things they have learned either the day before or to practice their handwriting. I find it very rewarding when the students can come in and complete the morning routine without being asked which shows that they are independent and understand the rules of the classroom.
Now What
After talking with my CT about students who were having difficulties remembering the morning routine, we discussed making a direction page to help the students remember. She then took pictures of a student completing part of the morning routine and placed it by the door. Students now see that upon entering and this has helped with the completion of the morning routine. I do still have one student who often forgets to stop by my desk. I have continued to work with him. We are now to the point where I just have to use non-verbal signals and he remembers what he should be doing.
When I am in my own classroom, I plan on having a morning routine like this one. There will be a few differences because I would like to teach intermediate where the students are more independent from day one. They will have things to do in the morning like fill in their agendas with what we will be doing for that day and what the homework for that night will be. They will still be required to empty their backpacks and put them in the proper place and makes sure all the chairs are out at the desk for them and their peers. I will still check agendas to make sure students are filling them out and to see if there are any notes from the parents. I like to see that I can give a task to my students and have it be completed every day without having to tell them repeatedly to complete it. By completing the morning routine, it shows me that they are ready to begin the day and learn new things.
This blog address FEAPs:
2a: organizes, allocates, and manages the resource of time, space and attention
2c: Conveys high expectations to all students