Whether it is the week after a long break or the day after you have returned from a Fred Jones Workshop, the time is right to teach Rules and Routines. Just think "fresh start." Here are some tips from Fred:

Classroom Routines:

A classroom routine is simply a well-rehearsed response to a teacher's directive. The alternative is usually noise, milling around, and time wasting on the part of students, as well as nagging on the part of the teacher.

A classroom routine is, therefore, one of a teacher's primary labor-saving devices. Yet, classroom routines are not free.

• They are not simply to be announced.
• They must be taught and practiced.
• The time invested is an example of Proactive vs. Reactive Management.
• Prevention is cheaper than remediation.

"Pay me now, or pay me later.

Do it right, or do it all year long."

By this Time Students Know How to Behave. True or False?

Students, of course, know how to behave in class. The question is do they have to? Students adjust their behavior to match the standards of each teacher.

Your Rules and Routines

We never tell you what your rules and routines should be, but we do tell you that for students to get it, you need to "Practice, Practice, Practice." And then there is Fred's favorite saying by Vince Lombardi: "Only Perfect Practice Makes Perfect."

Given the above, make a list of what you expect your students to do routinely. It might include where to put their coats when they walk in the door, how to take their chairs off the desk, where to put their homework, etc. Include how you want them to respond when you ask them a question and how you want them to gain the floor and relinquish the floor during a discussion.

If it is something you do routinely, doing it efficiently can save you a lot of learning time and a lot of stress.

Now that you have focused on what rules and routines you want to reteach and reinforce, here's the next step.

Say, See, Do

Say:

The strength of the verbal modality is its unique ability to convey information. But, don't stop there. Saying only loads the information onto the auditory modality in which storage is poor. In one ear and out the other.

See:

The visual modality is capable of producing immediate comprehension almost effortlessly. Therefore, let them see what you want them to do by modeling and providing a VIP. A picture is worth a thousand words.

Do:

The physical modality produces a unique depth of understanding. Hence the saying, "We learn by doing." So now get them up on their feet and have them practice.