That's an easy one for me, because it's taken years for me to learn it. Good grief! Don't ask....
The Number One Rule to Always do:
Teach your students your routines and then practice. And practice. And practice. Don't stop practicing until they do it EXACTLY the way you want them to.
Here's why. If you teach them and have them practice it once or twice right then and there, you will spend the rest of the year correcting them. Or frustrating them. Or getting frustrated with them. Very few of us know how to do things well after the first or second try. Our students don't either.
So trust me on this one. Practice it as much as you need to, even though you might think it's redundant. It's not, until they all get it. You will be SO glad you did this!
Simple rule.
Took me ages to learn.
Have a great Sunday!
Amen! When you teach big kids, it's easy to assume that they know how to get themselves through the lunch line, to the bathroom, and all of that, but if you don't retrain them, everyone's in for a looooong fall! Rookies, even if you're working with upper el or middle school, you'll need to set aside time your whole first week to practice, then practice some more!
ReplyDeleteGreat tip and I couldn't agree more. The older kids need the practice and repetition just as much as the younger ones - sometimes more!! LOL I found this especially true if you are doing something like Daily 5 that you don't want to manage on a regular basis. Thanks!
ReplyDeleteNichole
The Craft of Teaching
So true, Nichole, especially with Daily 5 (which is more like Daily 3 in my room).
DeleteI found myself repeating, in the springtime, "Let's pick a good spot to read where you won't be a distraction to the people around you." What I should have done was revisit the anchor chart we made, and practiced it just like at the beginning of the year.
Marion
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DeleteThis is so true!!! The first week of school all we do is learn and practice the routines and procedures and after breaks we typically have to re-teach! Great tip!
ReplyDeleteLaura
www.discoveringhiddenpotential.com