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Classroom Procedure Checklist for the Start of the Year - FREE

Make sure you have all your procedural ducks in a row with this handy classroom procedures checklist. A must for any first year teacher and a great reminder for those who have been around for awhile too!

Happy Teaching!

Rachel Lynette

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Classroom Procedure Checklist for the Start of the Year - FREEMake sure you have all your procedural ducks in a row with this handy classroom procedures checklist. A must for any first year teacher and a great reminder for those who have been around for awhile too! Happy Teaching!Rachel Lynette...

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Establishing classroom procedures tops the list of almost every teacher around back-to-school season. This post lists 10 fun ways to teach classroom procedures that are easy to implement and effective!

**This post contains affiliate links that pay a small commission to the site owner. I don't recommend or include affiliates that I don't love! Please see the full disclosure for details. **
What is the Purpose of Classroom Procedures?

Procedures and routines help students know what they can and cannot do in your classroom.

When I first starting teaching, my mentor said, "If you don't do anything else, Tanya, you need to establish clear procedures for EVERYTHING."

She was SO right! Establishing procedures effectively impacts classroom management in a major way, no matter what grade you teach.

But teaching procedures in a lecture-style with a long list of do's and do-not's will backfire!

Here are the goals I set at the beginning of each school year:

Begin teaching academic content as soon as I can.

Build community and form relationships.

Teach procedures starting on Day One.

So each idea below combines all three of these goals for creative and fun ways to teach classroom procedures!

Back to School Procedures Task Cards...with a twist!

One fun way to begin teaching procedures while also reviewing learning standards is with pretend letters and notes through task cards.

Click image for these fun Classroom Procedures Task Cards.

Students get letters and notes about back to school procedures written with tons of grammatical errors. The goal is to work as a team to edit and re-write these procedures correctly.
Not only are students learning new classroom procedures in a fun way, but they are also reviewing important grammar and writing skills.
Interactive Bulletin Boards

I keep my back-to-school classroom decor simple and minimal. It's important to me that students' work fill up the walls and bulletin boards, instead of just having pretty decorations.

We learn classroom procedures through our first days of school bulletin board crafts and activities.

For example, each year I choose a class theme that stays on one bulletin board all year, like our Play Nice-Work Hard-Stay Kind theme from a couple years ago.

Click either image to grab this interactive bulletin board activity set.

Students collaborate to discuss what the theme means, practice the procedures which model that theme, then complete fun follow-up activities with it.
Back to School Read-Alouds
Read-alouds are an excellent fun way to teach classroom procedures!
Plus, they allow students to collaborate AND begin practicing academic content, like working on reading comprehension skills.

Here are some ideas on how you can use read-alouds to creatively teach procedures and routines:

Grab a full set of back-to-school read aloud activities HERE.

Choose books and characters that break common classroom rules and have students "act out" the story. This models what NOT to do and leads to discussion on what students SHOULD do.

Have students re-write sections of the story pretending that character were a student in your class. The requirement is that the character has to follow your classroom procedures in the re-written version.

I also use fun, free learning tools like Blabberize with my back-to-school read alouds. Students take a picture of a character from our book and record themselves explaining our classroom procedures as if they are the character. Students LOVE this fun way to review our procedures!

Need book ideas for Back to School? You'll LOVE these: Back to School Read-Aloud Book Ideas with FREE Printables
Play Classroom Procedures Partner Match

Getting students out of their seats really helps them have fun learning classroom procedures. That's why my kids LOVE playing Procedures Partners.

I type our classroom procedures on index cards. Then I mix them up and give each student a card. They move around the room to find their "procedure partner."
For instance, one card will say "When my pencil breaks, I..." and the matching card will say "...Get a newly sharpened pencil from my pencil basket."
This also gives students a chance to collaborate with one another while learning our classroom routines.

See details of this popular resource HERE!

Classroom Procedures Ideas for Pencils:
Show Classroom Procedures with Videos

Another creative way to teach classroom procedures is to use interesting videos about classroom routines.

I use BrainPop Jr. often for learning topics. (No affiliate or sponsorship!) The site also has fun back-to-school videos like this one.
The fun part is that the videos list rules of what to do and not to do in school. Students can compare and contrast these lists with our classroom procedures lists.
Plus, I will be honest...with so many things that need to be completed for back-to-school, I need a few minutes to get organized while my students quietly watch the video. #Don'tJudgeMe

Use Technology for a Fun Way to Teach Classroom Procedures

In addition to using videos, incorporating technology can be a fun way to teach procedures as well.

My two favorite technology games for procedures are Plickers and Kahoot. (No affiliate or sponsorship for either!)
Plickers are a lot like QR Codes and each students gets their own Plicker. I create questions in a game-style format like Jeopardy. Students form teams and use their Plickers to answer questions about our classroom procedures.
You can use this same idea with the free online system Kahoot. Students LOVE the high-energy format of Kahoot, which keeps them engaged.

Since they're engaged, they are more likely to remember the procedures.

Especially when you consider that most teachers are covering LOTS of procedures during the first days of school.
Related Posts You'll Enjoy!
Post Classroom Procedures Checklists on Students' Desks

This idea may not seem as fun to students initially, but they will be HAPPY to have these! You will be happy to have these too...trust me!

I attach our classroom's entrance and exit procedures on students' desk with small velcro strips.

These Editable Desk Checklists are FREE! Grab them HERE or click the image!

Students practice following our procedures for entering and exiting the classroom by following the checklist on their desk. Since it's printed for them, they have no excuse for not learning these procedures quickly!

Back to School Procedures Exit Tickets Using a Twitter Board

Another creative and fun way to teach classroom procedures is to use exit tickets, which review and reinforce all the procedures you teach.

I post a fun Twitter-themed board in my classroom that stays up all year. Each student is assigned a number where they get to post their "tweets."

Click the image to grab the complete Twitter Exit Tickets Board Set.

This board is our exit ticket board for just about everything we do in class. Students write their responses on sticky notes and post it on their Twitter number.
Here's why it works great for reviewing classroom procedures:

Each "tweet" follows the 280-character limit which forces students to be concise.

I can easily see who understands the procedure and who needs more practice.

Students enjoy the idea of "tweeting" in class, which is great for schools that don't allow classroom social media use.

Use Charades to Model Procedures and Routines

As I mentioned earlier with the back-to-school read alouds, acting out procedures is such a fun way to reinforce your routines.

Charades is a game where a person acts out a word or phrase without using words. Everyone has to guess what is being acted out.

I incorporate this as a fun way to teach procedures by having students act out certain tasks. BUT I revised the rules to keep my students under control while we play. Here's how it works for us:

Only one student acts while another student gets to talk in order to guess the action. I do this to prevent everyone screaming out at the same time.

Everyone gets a spoon with Y on one side and N on the opposite side. Y=Yes and N=No

They participate in charades by holding up the spoon to vote on whether the procedure is being acted out correctly or not.

With charades, I try to kill-two-birds-with-one-stone by addressing correct behavior WHILE we play the game.
Not only are we reviewing other classroom procedures, but I use the game as an opportunity to remind them of my expectations of behavior when we have high-energy classroom activities.
Transform Popular Board Games into Classroom Procedures Games
Fun board games are fantastic for teaching classroom procedures!

Those same index cards I mentioned earlier where I type our procedures are the same cards I use with my board games. #EfficientTeacherPrep!

Students follow the normal board game rules, but have to answer the classroom procedures cards I include.

Here are my favorite board games to use:

Most students are already familiar with the rules of these games, which is less prep and teaching for me. They can just jump right into this fun way to learn and review our procedures!

Back-to-School Classroom Resources

If you are looking for more classroom procedures or back-to-school resources in general, you will enjoy the options listed HERE!

Each resource and activity is designed to help you and your students have an easier and smoother flow to your routine during those first weeks of school.

Get ready for Back-To-School with this mega bundle of printables, activities, bulletin board supplies, and MORE!

These ten ideas featured in this post will help you and your students have fun with establishing classroom procedures.
Be sure to share this post on your favorite social media site to help other teachers!

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10 Creative and Fun Ways to Teach Classroom Procedures | The Butterfly Teacher

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Establishing classroom procedures tops the list of almost every teacher around back-to-school season. This post lists 10 fun ways to teach classroom procedures that are easy to implement and effective! **This post contains affiliate links that pay a small commission to the site owner. I don't recommend or include affiliates that I don't love!

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the first days of school: how to be an effective teacher

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education / teaching methods & materials / general

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teaching methods & materials - classroom planning

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education / teaching methods & materials / general

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teaching methods & materials - classroom planning

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The First Days of School: How to Be an Effective Teacher

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The First Days of School: How to Be an Effective Teacher [Wong, Harry K., Wong, Rosemary T.] on Amazon.com. *FREE* shipping on qualifying offers. The First Days of School: How to Be an Effective Teacher

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Here is a resource to help you create a substitute teacher binder for when you are out. There are sections to include in your binder as well as a form for your substitute to fill out about how the day went. Included sections: the basic stuff, important procedures, behavior management, our daily routine, lesson plans, & while you were out. If you are interested in this, but want a different theme, e-mail me! I will create a custom theme and list for $3.00

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Here is a resource to help you create a substitute teacher binder for when you are out. There are sections to include in your binder as well as a form for your substitute to fill out about how the day went. Included sections: the basic stuff, important procedures, behavior management, our daily rout...

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This is one of our favorite classroom procedures because it's easy and cuts back on a big problem. "The no-name papers will disappear," says Kristin B.W.

Learn more: Free Highlight Your Name Poster at Teachers Pay Teachers

12. Greet every student at the door

"They behave better when they feel cared about," says Debra M. Don't we all?

13. Use a visual timer

A Time Timer or visual timer shows how much time is left in an activity, letting students answer the "how much time do we have" question on their own.

Buy it: Visual Timer at Amazon

14. Streamline hall passes

Having a hall pass that works for your class will make your day infinitely easier as students will know if they can leave your class, and other teachers will know the students are permitted to move around the school.

Learn more: Paintbrush Hall Pass/Create Art With Me and Hall Pass Ideas

15. Stamp your feedback

Get a set of self-inking stamps that you can use to give feedback on student work. Or for students who are working on completing work independently or improving behavior, use rubber stamps that address common concerns as well as data tracking for students with IEPs.

Buy it: Rubber Stamps at Mrs. D's Corner

16. Get their attention

Having a selection of attention-getters that you can alternate, depending on your and your students' moods, will help you direct students throughout the day.

17. Set up a cell phone charging station

It's important to establish classroom procedures for cell phones from the beginning. Having a cell phone charging station solves the problem of students checking their phones during instruction. Set up the expectation that students store phones in the station so there's no back-and-forth about how much charge they have (their phones charging is not the point).

Learn more: Tips and Tricks for Managing Cell Phones in Class

18. Prep task boxes to keep kids busy

Having a set of boxes with coloring sheets, worksheets, extra practice, and games that students can play quietly or independently gives students a way to stay busy and learning while other students are finishing work.

Learn more: Swoop Into Kindergarten

19. Assign classroom jobs

Assign class jobs so that every aspect of the day is taken care of, and so students have ownership over what happens in your room during the day. Set up a way to rotate the jobs each week, and once students have their preferred jobs, keep tabs on who is doing what so it feels fair.

Learn more: Big List of Classroom Jobs

20. Have students apply for class jobs

Once students know what the class jobs are, have them apply for a job to have for the semester or year. You'll have consistency from week to week, and students will get the experience of applying and managing their responsibilities.

Learn more: Free Student Job Application at Teachers Pay Teachers

21. Communicate with cups

Provide students with a set of green, yellow, and red cups. As they work, they start with the green cup on top. If they feel like they need help, they switch the cup to yellow. And if they are totally stuck, they put the red cup on top. You can respond to the red cups first.

Learn more: Ingenious Ways To Use Solo Cups/K Teacher Tiff

22. Make bulletin boards work for you

Interactive bulletin boards can help you collect exit tickets, give you information about what students think about a question, and provide a fun procedure for students to complete each day.

Learn more: Our Favorite Interactive Bulletin Boards

23. Tighten your exit ticket procedures

Create a predictable way to collect exit tickets so students can spend their time showing what they know instead of figuring out how to pass it in.

Learn more: Exit Ticket Ideas

24. Be strategic with seating

A Double E, Pairs, Four Square-these are all ways to arrange your classroom. Your classroom routines and procedures will go much smoother if the class is set up to facilitate everything from passing papers in and out to lining up and finding groups and partners to work with.

Learn more: Student Desk Arrangement Ideas/Lucky Little Learners

25. Organize classroom procedures around a theme

Who says your theme can't incorporate procedures? Choose a classroom theme and get creative. If your theme is "Under the Sea," have seashells on the wall where students can post exit tickets, an octopus cell phone charging station, and a paper return tray decorated like a coral reef.

Learn more: Our Favorite Classroom Theme Ideas

26. Sort students into groups creatively

If students are going to be working together at all, you'll save time by having a quick procedure to move them from whole group to pairs or teams. One idea: Use pairs of cards to have students match up with their partner. Another idea: While students are seated, place a colored button (one color per group) on each desk. Then, have students stand and find the people who have the same-color button. After they're finished, have students return the buttons to a jar up front. You can use buttons or any other materials (colored sticks, tiles, etc).

Learn more: Clever Ways To Put Students Into Groups

27. Simplify grading

For informal assessments, let students know if they did or did not meet the assignment expectations. This is easier on you and gives students a quick update that they don't have to calculate (7/10) or respond to (letter grades).

Learn more: Creative Ways To Check for Understanding

28. Make transitions magical

As students move from place to place in the room, use a "magic" wand and turn them all into snowflakes, unicorns, or yetis. Get silly with it, and as students get more familiar with this procedure, put them in charge of the magic wand.

Buy it: Magic Wand at Amazon

29. Post a visual schedule

A visual schedule outlining your classroom procedures is a great way to help students know what's coming next. And for students who process visual information easier than auditory, it's helpful to be able to see the schedule and refer to it throughout the day. An individual visual schedule for a student with autism or processing needs can help them move throughout the day as well.

Learn more: Free Visual Schedule Templates

30. Bring nonverbal reminders wherever you go

Hang nonverbal reminders around your neck/lanyard and use them to prompt students to follow procedures, anywhere you go.

Buy it: Pictoral Communication Cards at Twinkl

31. Buzz in answers

Once students are in groups, have them use answer buzzers to chime in. It reduces noise and calling out.

Buy it: Light and Sound Buzzers at Amazon

For more teacher tips, tricks, and ideas, be sure to sign up for our free newsletters to find out when they're posted!

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31 Must-Teach Classroom Procedures and Routines

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These seriously cut your stress. We've compiled the best classroom procedures and routine ideas from our community and around the web.

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Better Than Carrots or Sticks: Restorative Practices for Positive Classroom Management
By Dominique Smith, Douglas Fisher, and Nancy Frey
ASCD, 2015 ( Learn more)
Reviewed by Glenda Moyer
As a literacy coach who frequently works with first year teachers, I was eager to read a book that offered alternatives to rewards and punishments. The table of contents highlighted classroom procedures and expectations, bringing to mind Harry Wong's practical tips in The First Days of School.

Instead of lists of procedures to post, authors Smith, Fisher and Frey describe what students want from teachers, addressing attitudes, challenges, and sensitivity. Routines and procedures can establish order in the classroom, but the emphasis here is on "the value of establishing relationship-building procedures."

Students are going to misbehave as they learn and grow-it's how we respond to their misbehavior that matters. We believe that students should have a chance to learn from their mistakes and to restore any damaged relationships with others." - Smith, Fisher and Frey

Broken relationships and violated people present daily challenges in our schools. Restorative practices invite teachers to switch their energies from rules to relationships and provide meaningful instruction. How many teachers would volunteer to spend their few minutes of free time sitting behind a sign that says, "How can I help you? I have the time," making themselves available to students? Such impromptu conversations are investments in relationship building.

Smith, Fisher and Fry urge teachers to search for patterns of behavior - keys to anticipating and hopefully preventing subsequent misbehavior. They describe the ABCs of behavior: analyzing what triggers the misbehavior (its antecedent), the behavior itself, and the resultant c onsequence.

Avoiding escalation whenever possible is their best advice to counter overreacting to students who are out of order. Teachers can respond to problematic behavior on a continuum that changes in intensity and severity: simply making eye contact; privately naming the problem to the student; asking the student to name expectations; informing the student of appropriate behavior; physically preventing more problems from occurring.

As essential as positive relationships are, instruction must be purposefully engaging and relevant, too. Teachers who shape lessons with formative assessments, gradual release of responsibility, collaborative learning, AND listening carefully to students are maximizing interactions and influencing students' academic growth. Teaching empathy and self-regulation impacts the school climate and the academic achievement levels.

An inviting, peaceful classroom culture

Students are quite perceptive about the attitudes of the adults who lead classrooms. Recently, I was quite impatient with students who did not respond attentively to my specially prepared lesson. Reflecting later, I realized I had not considered their mental state before starting.

I had changed their normal procedure and used a very stern, sarcastic voice when I reacted to their questions. I had not acted as an intentionally inviting teacher.

So I was intrigued to read the second half of the book centering on peace. As violence dominates the daily news, teaching students to be peacemakers seems to be critically counterculture. Titles for chapters 4 and 5 struck me as philosophical, so I hoped they also included practical advice on how to teach "Peace Building" and "Peacemaking." I was not disappointed.

Using restorative practices, the authors note, the community is empowered to resolve problems and not simply focus on the victim and offender. Cultures the world over are characterized by procedures to create peace. Traditionally, schools have dealt with behavioral issues through rewards and punishment, which affect only temporary change in controlling student behavior.

"Rewards and consequences don't work-or, at least, they don't teach," they say. I am guilty of reducing playtime by minutes for misbehavior. Shame and humiliation also fail to produce lasting change. Children have extended this behavior control by bullying, as they follow the model of adults who misuse their power.

A climate that focuses on problem-solving

By contrast, setting the stage for positive behaviors, the authors recommend creating a school climate that focuses on teaching problem solving. Three tiers describe:

1) supporting preventative behaviors,

2) designing supports for the few students who misbehave frequently, and

3) describing time-intensive interventions for the few students who exhibit intractable difficulties with behavior.

Restorative practices are built on teaching students how to solve problems, how to be responsible for their own behavior, and how to put themselves in another's shoes, forgiving each other.

Everyday activities, like developing the vocabulary for discussing differences and solving problems, are integrated into visible curriculum, not hidden or assumed.

Language strongly influences how students feel about themselves, and words are powerful tools to separate the action from the actor. Substituting "I felt..." for "You..." focuses the comment on how the behavior affected others, not the violator's character. Sitting around a circle minimizes hierarchy, inviting everyone to participate.

Nancy Frey set up a peace table in her classroom, requiring students with conflicts to go there first, providing them with "I" statement sentence stems to write about their feelings before conferencing with the teacher. Expressing their anger in writing can lead students to recognize their own feelings, cool down, own the situation, and move toward forgiveness.

Peacemaking begins at the front door

Creating a welcoming mindset starts at the school's front door, where the receptionist greets and directs visitors. Even tardy students are greeted, and those who enroll after the school year has begun are given a day to tour, observe, and ask questions, getting oriented to adults and the school climate, before settling into routines.

In setting goals to improve a school, data collected about visits to the nurse's office, phone calls to parents, interventions, and referrals can complement academic data.

Smith, Fisher, and Frey testify to positive changes they have experienced since actively adopting the mindset of restoration and restitution replacing punishment and consequences. Watching for warning signals of potential trouble, aiming to prevent crises rather than react to them, and cultivating team efforts to build up students empowers teachers who in turn empower students, giving them greater hope for their future.

I recommend teachers and administrators reflect seriously on how to practically apply the message of this book to teach the next generation how to manage conflicts and create peace before they become adults.
Read Chapter 1 of Better Than Carrots or Sticks Glenda Moyer has served in an English-immersion Christian school in Bogota, Colombia for two decades. After teaching lower elementary student for 15 years, she "graduated" to literacy coach six years ago. Earning her TESOL certificate and teaching SIOP has increased to her sensitivity to ELLs. Her favorite task now is encouraging and supporting younger teachers.

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Replacing Carrots & Sticks with Restorative Practices

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Better Than Carrots or Sticks: Restorative Practices for Positive Classroom Management By Dominique Smith, Douglas Fisher, and Nancy Frey ASCD, 2015 ( Learn more) Reviewed by Glenda Moyer As a literacy coach who frequently works with first year teachers, I was eager to read a book that offered alternatives to rewards and punishments.

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Based on my popular Outrageous Teaching and Teach Like a PIRATE seminars, this book offers inspiration, practical techniques, and innovative ideas that will help you to do design an incredibly engaging class that will have students knocking down the doors to get in.