We all know that children thrive on consistency, especially our K-5 students. We strive to start every class, every year, in a similar manner so the students know what to expect. It has made for better class management, student engagement, and improved SEL goals. Here are four routines you can add to your classes that only take a few minutes but provide a lasting impact for your students!
1. Warm Welcomes at the Gym Door
The first part of our routine begins at the gym doors. Our students wait outside the doors until a PE teacher welcomes them in with one of three greetings, which is student choice. Students have the option of giving us a fist bump, they can place their hands together and give us a Namaste, or they can say “I need a hug”. There is a small poster attached to the gym door as a reminder.
2. Larger Circle Over Squad Lines
As soon as the student passes the teacher they head into the gym and sit on the large circle. We prefer the circle over squad lines because we feel the students can see us and hear us better. We also like to see who they sit next to, who their friends are, and who might seem to be sitting alone. No, we do not have to take attendance.
3. Daily Joke and Quote: Sparking Joy and Thought
Once the students are sitting we walk over to the circle and tell the joke of the day. Students may submit a joke themselves or we will take one out of our many joke books we have. Students LOVE the joke of the day! The joke can be projected or written on the board, or just spoken. In addition to the joke of the day, we also have a quote of the day. Usually the quotes are about teamwork, being kind, being a friend, listening, etc. This whole process takes less than 3 minutes each day!
4. Special Celebrations: Singing Sto Lat for Birthdays
In addition to our starting routine, our students receive a birthday ribbon from the principal to wear on their special day (regular birthday, weekend birthday, or halfway to my summer birthday). If we see that a child is wearing their ribbon or if the class reminds us of a birthday, we will all sing to a child. However, it is not your typical Happy Birthday tune, we sing the Polish Version, Sto lat! The students look forward to this each time it is their birthday!
While this all may seem like common sense and fairly simple, we hear this feedback from parents more than anything else. They will tell us their child goes home and tells the family the joke of the day, or they will sing Sto Lat at family events. No matter how creative our lessons are, it is our starting routine that we hear more positive feedback from!
One Response
This is EXCELLENT! Thank you for sharing!