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Effective classroom routines have purpose and meaning far greater than simple management. As you strive to establish good routines toward a communicative language classroom environment, your students will increase in learning and use of the target language. This module will help you explore different classroom routines you can apply to your teaching context while using English. You will learn the purpose and examples of classroom routines to enhance the use of English in your communicative classroom.

By the end of the module, you will be able to:

• describe the purpose and process of good instructional routines using English to maintain a well-managed and communicative learning environment. 

• apply some of the new classroom routine expressions in the classroom

• share some of the effective instructional routines you want to use in your current classroom to increase the use of English

Click here to download the Module 1 Packet.

1.1 Watch

Explore ideas for building routines in English by watching two videos.

1.2 Read

Explore ideas for building routines in English by reading at least two articles.

Articles

Article 1: Routines for Everyday Language 

This article describes few simple interactive activities you can use daily to help your students learn and use essential basic language structures and vocabulary.

Source: U.S. Department of State, American English. (n.d.). Routines for everyday language. https://americanenglish.state.gov/files/ae/resource_files/september_teachers_corner_week_1_final.pdf 

Article 2: Involving Students in Classroom Routines 

This article shows how to involve your students in the process of establishing and maintaining good classroom routines to promote effective classroom management. 

Source: U.S. Department of State, American English. (n.d.). Involving students in classroom routines and processes. https://americanenglish.state.gov/files/ae/resource_files/topic_1_-_students__class_routines_final.pdf

Additional Resources 

ESL Classroom Routines | TESOL Blog by Elena Shvidko  

Source: Shvidko, E. (2014, November 28). ESL Classroom Routines. TESOL Blog. http://blog.tesol.org/esl-classroom-routines/ 

Classroom Mingle 

Source: The Teacher Toolkit. (n.d.). Classroom mingle. http://www.theteachertoolkit.com/index.php/tool/classroom-mingle 

1.3 Search

Explore more web resources for building routines in English classroom. You can also search these websites for more teaching resources:

• TESOL blog 

• The Teacher Toolkit 

(Hint: Try using these keywords: ESL/EFL, classroom routines, mingle)

1.4 Think

What is your favorite classroom routine that you regularly use when teaching? What part of the class do you use this routine - in the beginning, when transitioning, or at the end of a lesson? Why is it your favorite? 

What do you do to involve your students in the daily routines in your classroom? 

1.5 Create

This module introduced several different classroom routine ideas. Based on what you learned, create a new or adapt an existing classroom routine you would like to use regularly in your current teaching context. Briefly describe who your learners are, when would you use this instructional routine, and why you believe it would be effective.

Note: This will be added to your Portfolio. 

1.6 Share

Share in the group chat the routine that you have created or you might create after watching the module videos and or reading the article. You can create a word document, PDF, or a simple PPT slide.

you may use the following message as a template:

Example

Hello, Colleagues! The  (activity/video/routine/ instructions) I want to share is called __________________________ (activity  title).  This activity is effective because________________________________________________________________________________________________________________. (Be sure to attach your activity  file.)

1.7 Apply

After you share a routine in the group chat, read through your colleagues' posted routines. Find at least one or two new routines in the group chat that you can use in your next class. 

Consider these questions when selecting a routine to apply in your classroom instruction:

• Which of the suggested routines do you think can be adaptable to your teaching context? Why and why not?

• How did the other teacher use it and what made this routine effective?

• How do you plan to apply them into your daily instructional routine?

1.8 Reflect

Write 1-2 paragraphs to reflect on Module 1 (300-500 words). You may use what you have created, shared, and applied in the previous tasks. You may also use the following as a template and fill in the blanks. 

• Before this module about classroom routines, I used to   (think/believe/use) ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________.

• Now I (think/believe/plan to use) ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________.

• This is important because ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________.

• I (created/found) a classroom routine in Module 1 that I could use in my class to increase the use of English in the classroom. It is called (activity/routine title) _______________________________________________________________________ and I could use this during ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________(when?/how?/why?). 

• I like it because (apply Module 1 content) ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________.

• I might need to modify the (activity/routine) for my classroom because ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________.

Note: This will be added to your Portfolio.