# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Share your videos with friends, family, and the world

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Your ESL class should always have a daily routine to follow to allow some structure. We all need routines throughout our days. They keep us focused, keep us productive, and help us know what to expect.

Your ESL class is no different - when your students feel confident that they know what to do and what comes next, you will find that class runs smoother, discipline is much easier, and the general chaos that can accompany teaching young learners fades away.

After a while, you'll often find students getting the right books out for the next lesson before you've even told them to! Here are the essential routines that every ESL classroom should have.

As soon as your students step into your classroom, they should know exactly what to do.

Since students will probably be arriving at slightly different times, they need a few things they can do self-sufficiently while they wait for the stragglers to arrive and for lessons to begin.

In general, plan on about the first 5-10 minutes of class being just for these routines and for students to settle in. Try to give every student, even the ones who arrive a few minutes late, the chance to get through all of your beginning of class routines.

Turn in homework

have a designated pile for homework assignments to be placed in as soon as the students arrive.

Planner/assignment books

Most of the time, students will be given some sort of lesson planner by the school. You can start the day with some simple things on the board for them to copy into their planner: the date, their homework assignments for that class, a few spelling words or grammar patterns, an interesting fact, etc.

Journal prompt

Some students will get to class very early and quickly finish getting their assignment book set up.

Having a daily journal prompt on the board is a great way to engage them while giving yourself the leeway to wait for late students to get settled in.

Sentences/vocabulary words to copy

If your students are not quite at a level where they can handle five minutes of free writing, you can instead give them a list of that day's vocabulary words or a simple grammar pattern to copy into their journal and practice.

Discussion question

If your students are more advanced, or if they tend to get bored with journal prompts quickly, write a simple but interesting question that you will discuss later as a class, and have them prepare their thoughts and opinions about the question.

Once class starts, having routines will make your transitions between lessons flow like clockwork, and will keep your students focused on their work instead of wondering what is coming next.

Instead of jumping right into a lesson, start out with a quick warm up. Even if it is only a couple of minutes, this is the perfect time to get your students warmed up to speaking English, and review any vocabulary or grammar from the last lesson.

Ask them questions that they answer together as a class or individually, have them turn to the person next to them and ask a few questions, or do a few quick repetition activities.

This could also be the responses to the discussion questions, if you are using that at the beginning of class.

Each day (or week), introduce a new word or phrase by writing it on the board, giving them a simple definition, and giving them a few minutes to use it in a sentence.

The idea is that it's not something they need to memorize, write down, or ever be tested on, just something fun or interesting to introduce them to, that you will encourage them to use throughout class.

It's a fun little routine that helps expand their English beyond what is in their workbooks and that can serve as a little mini-break between larger lessons, or a good transition back to class after a short break.

Transitions

Transitions between activities and subjects, or to and from break times, can be some of the most challenging times for a teacher.

Following a predictable structure in every class is a huge part of having smooth transitions. Having a set routine for transitions is crucial, as well.

For example, determine exactly what you will say to them to let them know it's time for their weekly spelling quiz, and train them to know that that means they need to clear their desks and get out a blank piece of paper.

Your dismissal routine is just as important as the beginning routine. Especially if they are going right home after ESL class, students can get pretty excited and dismissal can turn into complete chaos if you don't have clear routines set up.

Students need to have a sense of class finishing up. They also need to have time to wrap up any work or final thoughts they have, clarify any homework that they need to do, and have an organized way to be dismissed.

Here are a few suggestions for keeping the end of your class from becoming chaos:

End your lessons at least 5 minutes before dismissal

You know that once the bell rings, or once the minute hand shifts within a few ticks of dismissal time, there is nothing that even the best teacher in the world can do to keep students focused on a lesson.

Make it easy on yourself and be sure to give yourself at least a five minute cushion for dismissal routines.

You can always use a little 1-2 minute filler activity if the bell hasn't quite rung yet, but if you are still trying to get students to copy something into their assignment books at 1 minute past, it's going to be chaos.

Go over planners

If you had your students write in their planners at the beginning of class, get them out again to go over any changes to the homework assignment, double check their understanding of what they have to do, or copy down a new vocab word or phrase they learned.

Cool down routine

Just like you had a warm up at the beginning of class, it's a good idea to have a brief cool down at the end.

This can be as simple as having them repeat a few sentences, asking them questions about the lesson, or having them turn to the person next to them and have a quick 1 or 2 sentence conversation.

All that really matters is that you stay consistent with it.

Establish how they will be dismissed

Will you dismiss them one at a time to line up at the door and wait for the bell? Will you stay in your seats until dismissal time and let them gather their things and leave one row at a time?

If it's a smaller class, will you let them all simply get up, gather their things, and go on their own as soon as they hear the bell? If there is no bell, what will you say to let them know class is officially over?

The exact routine that you use will depend on your school, your class, the time of day, and what works best for your students, but what matters is that you have a clear routine for how they will be dismissed.

Every ESL class's routines are going to be slightly different, and you will find that they subtly evolve over time as well.

But creating good, solid, efficient routines in your ESL class allows you to make the best use of your time, and set up your class to run smoothly so that you can focus the majority of your energy on what really matters: teaching.

Please share!

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
ESL Class: Daily Routines - Reach to Teach Recruiting

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Your ESL class should always have a daily routine to follow to allow some structure. We all need routines throughout our days. They keep us focused, keep us productive, and help us know what to expect.

# data[].attributes.body
L

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.provider_name
BridgeUniverse - TEFL Blog, News, Tips & Resources

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
If you teach English to children, or plan to, student behavior (i.e. ESL classroom management) is probably something you've at best thought about- and at worst, struggled with. When it comes to how to teach kids English, routines are key (and downtime is dangerous!). This guide provides strategies for organizing and managing your class that you can use from the very first day, such as classroom routines for young learners, consistent prompts between activities, clear rules and consequences, and starting out strict.
If you're new to teaching, you'll want to get initial training and qualification with a TEFL certificate. You can explore our online TEFL courses to get started!
What is the importance of classroom routines?

Classroom routines have several important benefits within the young learners/teens learning environment. When used correctly, routines:

Keep students' from getting distracted or bored during downtown between activities.

Prevent students from having to ask "What are we doing?" or "What are we doing next?"

Help students' listening and comprehension skills.

Allow learners to know what to expect in class.

Provide students with opportunities to practice all four aspects of the language (listening, reading, writing, and speaking).

How do classroom routines affect ESL student behavior?

Classroom routines affect learners' behavior in positive ways! Routines that are well-crafted and consistently adhered to allow the teacher to build a comfortable learning environment for young learners.

As a result of routines, students are much more likely to come prepared to class, understand what is happening throughout a lesson, and maintain their focus during instruction.

Consider a classroom environment (or any environment) where you're unsure of what's going on and how you are expected to act. You might, naturally, be inclined to act out- not out of any sense of defiance- but rather out of confusion or uncertainty.

Watch a video from the BridgeTEFL Teaching English to Teenagers course that demonstrates problems that arise when the teacher does not have an effective class routine:

Implementing effective classroom routines is one of the most efficient ESL classroom management techniques to avoid such scenarios. You'll notice that after a routine has been done two or three times, students will begin to seamlessly transition between classroom activities with minimal, if any, disruptions or confusion.

What are some classroom routines and lesson structures? How do you create a classroom routine?

Classroom routines and lesson structures are the elements of your classroom management and lesson planning that become a consistent part of your classes. They allow young learners to develop familiarity with your practice.

Classroom Routines and Cues

Routines, or the structured activities you do in your class every day, are a valuable part of classroom management and effective learning.

The six steps in this lesson would be repeated by the teacher every day, but the activities such as "circle time" and "topic work" are tailored according to the day's lesson plan. The first two steps are done at the beginning of class, and are the "opening routine." Step 6 is done at the end of every class and is the "closing routine."

It's also useful to have some sort of a signal, whether verbal or visual, to indicate the transition into each activity in your routine. For example, as a teacher in China, I teach large classes of 4 th and 5 th graders (my students are between nine- and eleven-years-old). Every classroom at my school is equipped with a computer, a projector, and a screen, and we use PowerPoint presentations to teach, which is the norm in China.

My morning classroom routine with my students is as follows.

To begin my classes, I signal the students by saying, "Good morning, class. Welcome back to English class. This is the (first, second, third, etc.) week of the semester," while giving a polite bow, as is customary in Chinese classrooms.

Then I state and mime my five rules, while having students repeat them back to me.

Next, I ask, "How are you?" and this signal prepares my students for the next routine, in which they will each answer this question individually. This activity shows I care about them, discreetly allows them to practice the language, and even gives quieter students an effective opportunity to participate in class.

Then we go over the day's date. For a visual cue, I go to the front of the class, raise my hand and point at the calendar. I instruct a student to write the full date on the board. The rest of the class then tries to fix any mistakes, in spelling, order, etc.

To signal this new activity is starting, I project an image on the board, via PowerPoint, that shows a cartoon of a teacher and students conversing. (The same image is used each week, allowing the students to develop an association between the image and the activity.) I ask each student the same simple question, such as "What did you do yesterday?" or "What did you have for breakfast?" which helps to refresh that week or day's vocabulary. This provides good repetition for correct grammar and pronunciation.

Next, I point to the board, where I've written a breakdown of what we will do during the lesson, and we discuss what our ultimate goal or objective is, and how we will get there.

When we're done, I project an image on the board of the students' textbook to signal students to take out their books to review the last night's homework.

Of course, you'll want to be sure to create routines and signals appropriate for your students' age and proficiency level. Be patient early on and you will soon see the routines taking shape. Eventually, you won't even have to say what routine it is time for.

Lesson Structures

A lesson structure is how you consistently administer your lessons (Step 5 in the graphic above). Generally speaking, you should aim to have your lessons follow the same order each time so that they have their own routine. Structuring lessons is an effective way of teaching new material to the students, makes the lesson simple for them to follow, and allows room for your creative variations.

Four Ps and One R

A common lesson structure is known as "Four Ps and One R," which stands for Present, Practice, Produce, Review, and Prize.

In this lesson plan structure, the teacher presents new material and the students then practice it. Next, the students produce something meaningful from the new material, such as through a written or verbal activity using the new vocabulary term or grammar concept. Then, the class reviews the new material, and the teacher explains any mistakes. Lastly, the teacher may give an appropriate prize, such as stickers, candy, or movie time, for students who have behaved well throughout the class and actively participated in the day's plans.

I aim to have all of my lessons follow this "Four Ps and One R" structure because it aids in classroom management if students know what to expect. For example, when a student recognizes that the class is currently doing the practice segment of a lesson, he or she will expect that they will soon be asked to move to the produce segment.

How do you use routines to interact with your students from the first day to manage student behavior?

An old teaching adage states that your students should never see you smile until Christmas time. But, I strongly disagree. The notion is that your students ought to understand your role as the authority figure in the classroom from day one. While there is some merit to that, there are better ways to approach the impression you give your students. It's possible to strike a balance that enables discipline and fun!

Establish class rules

Come to class on day one with a set list of rules, guidelines, and/or standards that you want to see your young learners follow. Spend time discussing each one of these in detail. Involve students to provide visual examples of how to follow the rule and how to break the rule. This will be very useful for students of lower English proficiency, who may not understand, "stay in your seat," but would better comprehend a role play in which a classmate stands up without permission.

Your rules should be written in simple enough terms for the entire class to understand, and posted somewhere visible in the room. Still, go over all of them briefly at the beginning of each lesson, as a reminder. My personal set of rules for my 4 th and 5 th-grade classes is as follows:

1. Stay quiet

2. Look at the teacher

3. Listen to the teacher

4. Stay in your seat

5. Answer questions

Be clear about consequences

Of course, rules are meaningless without consequences! The consequences you use in your classroom should be in line with the policies of the school where you teach.

Such consequences can include a student having to stand up (a popular tactic in China), the student's team losing points in a competitive game, or the student being sent to the office if misbehavior is excessive enough. If a student behaves very poorly or if misbehavior persists, it may be the school's policy that you will contact the student's parents.

If a student does not abide by a given rule, you can have a routine in place for that as well, using non-verbal cues. Non-verbal cues allow you to continue teaching without interruption while still getting the message across to your students. For example, these are the cues I use in my classes:

I use a simple hand signal to let a student know to stop a behavior.

I put a finger to my lips if a student speaks out of turn.

I touch my ear when I need students to listen to me.

I point at my eyes when I need them to look at me.

I use a downward motion with an open palm when a student should be seated.

Start out strict

While managing student behavior in the classroom begins on day one, its success is dependent on your consistency in adhering to class rules and consequences throughout the term. My advice is to start the term out strict. By this I mean not to let your students get away with any kinds of misbehaviors and disruptions early on. The stricter you are from the onset, the more seriously your students will take your rules.

As the semester progresses, you can gradually allow more leniency if you feel the student or class deserves it. As you gain more experience in the classroom, you will quickly develop an understanding of how to handle the balance between being strict and being flexible.

How do I become a better classroom manager?

Few teachers would argue the importance of good classroom management in the ESL classroom, which begins the moment you and your students walk into class. Routines and lesson structures are extremely helpful in managing your young learners or teenagers, minimizing idle time and improving behavior by keeping student expectations clear.

Create a class routine and stick to it without fail, using non-verbal cues to move from activity to activity. You can also become a better classroom manager by having simple classroom rules and consequences in line with your school's policies, and firmly adhering to them, especially in the beginning, when you're setting the tone for the rest of the term.

To learn targeted skills such as classroom management, classroom routines, and other techniques for teaching English to Young Learners or to Teenagers, check out our newest courses!

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
ESL Classroom Management & Routines for Kids/Young Learners - BridgeTEFL

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
If you teach English as a foreign language, you'll most likely teach young learners or teens. Learn how daily routines can be a key strategy for ESL classroom management.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Several years ago, when I was doing my teaching practicum in my MATESOL program, I had the opportunity to teach a community ESL class. Most of my students were immigrants who were taking the course in order to increase their proficiency level. The class followed an integrated approach, and, frankly, my coteacher and I found it difficult at times to balance "the right amount" of speaking, reading, and writing. Since for both of us it was our first experience teaching ESL, we were afraid that the course would seem to appear a bit unstructured. Our practicum supervisor suggested implementing classroom routines to help us keep the course more organized. And he was right!

Establishing classroom routines not only helps the teacher organize the course, but it also facilitates learning and motivates students. In addition, for many learners studying English in a different country (so-called ESL environment), the classroom can be a new and oftentimes frightening experience, so an interesting regular activity that they do in class will help them get used to the learning context.

Here are some examples of activities that the teacher can use as routines (daily, weekly, or every other day).

In-class journal: Students freewrite (for about 7-10 minutes) in their journals on a given topic or a prompt.

A vocabulary activity: Examples are numerous.

A speaking activity: The teacher gives students a topic to discuss with a partner. Variation: A controversial topic can be used for a small class debate.

Oral presentations: Students do weather reports, news reports, social life reports (depending on their proficiency level).

A reading thought: Each Monday, students will share an interesting idea from the readings that they did over the weekend.

A pronunciation activity: Practicing a particular sound, teaching a song, a tongue twister, or a short poem.

Writing-to-learn activity: Students do an impromptu writing activity (for prompts, see my blog, "Writing to Learn Activities").

A phrasal verb presentation: Students present a phrasal verb by explaining its use and providing examples.

Reading-based freewriting: See the description in my blog, "Reading-Based Freewriting for English Learners."

A video activity: The teacher plays a short interesting video on a given topic for students to discuss. The teacher can also ask students specific questions before the video to have them look for the answers while watching the video.

An idiom of the day: The teacher (or students) presents an idiom related to the topic of the lesson and gives examples.

A joke of the day: The teacher tells a joke (related to language, local culture, etc.).

A short cultural moment: The teacher presents a small aspect of the local culture. In the case of ESL students: Students can present an interesting aspect of their own cultures.

Surveys: Surveys can be a great tool to help students practice their speaking skills and get to know their classmates. They can be done at the beginning of the class (for about 7-10 minutes). The teacher gives students a specific question and students will walk around and survey as many classmates as they can in a given time. It can be a great review of the material from the previous lesson (grammar, vocabulary, or a particular topic).

What classroom routines do you implement in your teaching? Which ones work the best for your particular context?

About Elena Shvidko

Elena Shvidko is an assistant professor at Utah State University. She received her doctorate in second language studies from Purdue University and her master's degree in TESOL from Brigham Young University. Her work appears in TESOL Journal, System, Journal on Response to Writing, TESOL interest section newsletters, and TESOL's New Ways series. Her research interests include second language writing, multimodal interaction, interpersonal aspects of language teaching, and teacher professional development.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Several years ago, when I was doing my teaching practicum in my MATESOL program, I had the opportunity to teach a community ESL class. Most of my students were immigrants who were taking the course in order to increase their proficiency level.

# data[].attributes.body
https://www.janaechevarria.com/?p=1239

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.provider_name
Reflections on Teaching Multilingual Learners

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Classroom routines are designed for efficient management of classroom tasks and procedures. Instructional routines are intended for learning academic content. Both types of routines are useful for all students, but they are critical for English learners.

Most individuals like structure and are more comfortable knowing what to expect in a given situation. The bell schedule provides schools with a structure or routine. Students and teachers alike know what to expect when the lunch bell sounds, right? Imagine working in a school without a routine or schedule. I bet the unknown would create a fair amount of discomfort and anxiety.

Classroom routines are important because they let students know your expectations. Students will likely perform better academically when they know the parameters of the day or class period. Class should begin the same way each day and follow consistent routines for tasks such as collecting homework, passing back student work, distributing materials, moving from whole class to small group, checking out technology, assigning roles in small group discussions, and so forth. For English learners, knowing classroom routines provides comfort and security thus lowering their affective filter. Predictable patterns become familiar to English learners which means that they don't have to try to make sense of oral instructions for each task or transition. Classroom routines also save valuable time that can be spent on instruction.

Instructional routines - the way that a lesson or activity unfolds - are important for English learners so that they can focus their intellectual resources on learning content and language rather than trying to figure out what the teacher said about what to do. The SIOP Model advocates for beginning each lesson by reviewing posted content and language objectives. Objectives make the focus of the lesson transparent for students and draws attention to the specific language to be learned and/or practiced. Another feature of SIOP encourages teachers to clearly explain the lesson's tasks and activities, writing the steps for students' reference. This practice minimizes students' confusion because they can refer to the board for "next steps" in the lesson.

The following are additional instructional routines that support English learners. To encourage use of academic language during discussions, the teacher explicitly teaches key vocabulary words at the outset of the lesson. By using the key words during discussion routines, English learners reinforce their understanding.

1. Take a Stand. The teacher begins by making a statement to the class related to a current event or the lesson's text such as, "Arctic and Antarctic animals do not differ significantly." Allow quiet time for thinking and then give the cue, "Take a Stand," asking students to stand if they agree with the statement and stay seated if they disagree. Students must be prepared to explain their rationale for agreeing or disagreeing with the statement. For students who need scaffolding, provide the following sentence frames for student responses: "I respectfully disagree with because." "I agree with because ." Take a Stand can also be a team activity with four to six students per team. The team first discusses the statement made by the teacher, comes to consensus on whether they will sit or stand, and on cue, the entire team stands or stays seated. They then explain their rationale for agreeing or disagreeing. An adaptation to this discussion routine is to allow students themselves to create the statements used for agreeing or disagreeing and ask the rest of the class to respond.

2. Think-Pair-Square. This discussion routine adds a twist to Think-Pair-Share by increasing accountability and participation. Sometimes teachers ask students to turn to a partner and share but the "share" is superficial. With Think-Pair-Square, the teacher asks an interesting question and students think about their answer, then they discuss their answer with a partner. Finally, the partners turn to another partner pair and share what they discussed. This process requires more complex thinking as each student listens to a partner's input, asks for clarification as needed, compares it with one's own ideas and if the partner's ideas differ, they discuss their different perspectives. Then they turn around and explain what they discussed to another group, all of which adds depth of understanding and provides a higher level of language use.

3. Elbow Partner Exchange. Initially, two students engage in a discussion about a topic related to the lesson. In math, for example, students are given a problem and together they list questions they have about the problem or note possible solution strategies. They sign their names on the paper and then exchange their information with another set to partners who address the notes the previous pair wrote. So, they might answer the questions listed or add their own ideas to the solution strategies. They sign their names next to their contributions. As the teacher reviews the Elbow Partner Exchange sheets, he can zero in on what the students know and what they still need to learn. The benefits to this discussion routine are that students practice using academic language and they clarify their own thinking as they hear the perspectives of their peers.

4. Show What You Know. This routine requires a topic that has 2 to 4 possible dimensions or qualities (e.g., animals, food, aspects of a historical event). In this example, the Food Pyramid is the topic. Each dimension, such as protein, fats, dairy, fruits, vegetables, grains, is assigned to a specific area in the classroom and is labeled with pictures or words representing the dimension. The class is divided into six groups and assigned to an area where there are resources related to the topic's dimension (e.g., protein). Students use the resources to learn about their particular food group so that they become experts on the topic. After they've read together an article or other material about their food group, students use the information to create a small poster that explains the food group. Each group of "experts" will Show What You Know by teaching the rest of the class about their food group. After presenting what they know to the class, their poster is added to the whole-class chart on the Food Pyramid.

Routines are beneficial because students have done the activities before, and since they know what to do when, who is expected to talk when, and when they are expected to write something down, they don't have to spend much mental energy on how to get it done. The structure of the routine frees them up to focus on the academic task at hand and in so doing, they also practice using academic English in purposeful ways.

Based on:

Echevarria, J., Fisher, D. & Frey, N. (2016). How to Reach the Hard to Teach: Excellent Instruction for Those Who Need It Most. Alexandria, VA: ASCD.

Vogt, M. & Echevarria, J. (2008). 99 Ideas and Activities for Teaching English Learners with the SIOP Model. Boston: Pearson.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
4 Routines That Benefit English Learners

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Classroom routines are designed for efficient management of classroom tasks and procedures. Instructional routines are intended for learning academic content. Both types of routines are useful for all students, but they are critical for English learners. Most individuals like structure and are more comfortable knowing what to expect in a given situation.