Classroom Management: Second-Fifth Grade Procedures

Hello everyone!! In the last few posts I shared some information important to my procedures for Second-Fifth Grade but here I wanted to lay out the overall procedures so you could "see" how I use the information I previously posted about. See more information about Leadership Roles here and Goals here.

Alright so all classes regardless of grade level line up outside my classroom. They do not enter until I invite them in. I ask the first person in line to lead us in the room. Table Captains pick up their tags on the way into the classroom. I follow behind the last person in line. If the class is working on a beginning of class goal (being ready for class in a certain amount of time) then I have the goal already posted on the screen and a timer ready to start. I go right to my computer, start the timer and wait. I do not remind them because the goal is posted and they have already been introduced to this goal many times. If the class is ready under their time goal then I mark that (the objective is to stay consistent, a goal met means they have consecutively been ready in their time limit for 4 art class). If the class isn't working on that goal then I wait patiently, selecting students who are ready in dojo, saying reminders as needed, "I am looking for calm bodies, in our seats, voices, show me you are ready." If those reminders don't work then I start to address students individually, "Johnny voices off, please fix it." and then make notes to parents in dojo if the student isn't "fixing" it. Eventually those who are disrupting class get it together, if they don't I send them to the hallway (I typically only do this if it is one student who is incredibly disruptive), I give a brief introduction and play a demo/instructional video (more on that here) and head out to the hallway to speak to the student I sent out (if I had to send anyone out). Once I'm back in the classroom or the video is over I check for understanding, repeat any important information or have students repeat important information. If they are working on a clean-up goal at some point at the beginning of class I remind them of their goal and how they need to go about achieving their goal.

Then invite Table Captains to get their materials. (More on where materials are located and organized in a future post). Meanwhile I choose an Art Teacher in Training to pass out folders. Everyone without a job/role is in their seats waiting for their materials. Table Captains bring their materials and everyone gets to work. I haven't found a way to minimize voice level yet in a way that works for my students in my school environment. But everyone is working (for the most part) even if they are a little noisy.

I have alarms programmed on my computer for clean-up. They know when they hear the alarm it is time to clean-up (whether they follow through is a different story). Sometimes I have my computer on mute and I don't hear the alarm but I'm normally watching the clock and will notice or a student may see the alarm pop up on my computer.

Most classes are working on a clean-up goal. So when the alarm goes off I start a timer (the amount of minutes depends on the goal they are working on, more details here.) First step it to put artwork in the appropriate place (generally their folders). Next they organize their materials at their tables (put specific materials in their bins at their tables) Then Table Captains put away their materials (more about materials organization in a future post). Art Teacher in Training collects folders. Table Captains and Art Teacher in Training should be the only ones out of their seats. Everyone else should be in their seats with their voices off and their bodies calm. When everyone has cleaned-up and back in their seats with their voices off and bodies calm I stop the timer. The hope is that the timer will be stopped BEFORE getting to 0. If it was paused before it got to 0 then they met their goal (and potentially will move onto cleaning up in a quicker time or moving on to a new goal). We have a brief silent celebration if they met a clean-up goal. If time I will debrief on how class and clean-up went (where they too noisy, did clean-up go well or could it have been better?). Then I have the last job of the class period, Line Caller. They will call tables one at a time to line-up.