We have been fine tuning some of our procedures since Day 1 and I really mean fine tuning. Like only 4 feet on the purple carpet at one time. That means only 2 people can be in their cubbies at the same time....all about crowd control. And stacking chairs and balls BEFORE specials rather than rushing afterward made a huge difference. My personal favorite was what to do while we are waiting for everyone to come to the carpet to share after Reading Workshop. That proved to be the perfect time for kids to update their reading logs in their Reader's Notebooks; something that was never done consistently in the past. It's the little things!
It is soooo important to take time to teach procedures at the beginning of the year. Someone (can't remember who) said: "If you consequate, you must educate". How can we hold kids accountable for things we have not taught them?
Like I said, today things fell into place. So much so that we physically came together in a huddle before they left to go to the buses and gave a loud "team on 3" with high 5s all around! As I looked at the kids I saw lots of smiling faces. Kids really do want to do the right thing. I think we will add that celebration to our dismissal every day!
What are some routines and celebrations you practice in your class?