Procedures – A Few Examples

A major faulty assumption of many teachers—especially middle and high school teachers—is to assume that students know WHAT and HOW TO DO what teachers desire. The following are examples of procedures that teachers should consider establishing. They should be prioritized and not attempted all at once. Procedures precede product. This simply means that the more procedures are taught before content, the more effective the teaching and the fewer behavior and discipline problems will result.

Procedures that I established include:

1. How students enter the classroom.
2. Activities when first entering the classroom. (Students should ALWAYS do something that raises curiosity; piques interest; reinforces/reviews; or  practices a skill, e.g., journal writing. DEAD TIME IS DEADLY TIME.)
3. How to take roll while students engage in some activity.
4. How to obtain students’ attention in 10 seconds or less.
5. What to do when it is necessary to use the restroom.
6. What to do when an assignment is finished early.
7. How to find directions for each class activity center.
8. What students do when they have questions or want assistance.
9. How papers will be collected and where to put them.
10. How to smoothly transition from one activity to another.
11. How to work in groups. (Who has which responsibility?  How to change groups, etc.)
12. How and when to move around the room.
13. How to use classroom materials and where to find them.
14. What to do when tardy.
15. What to do when returning from an absence.
16. How to get materials without disturbing others.
17. How to discard papers without disturbing others.
18. How to get ready for the library and other locations.
19. How to get ready for dismissal.
20. How the class will be dismissed (bell or teacher).