Routines for a buzzin' classroom

No doubt you know what I mean when I say we love when our classroom is buzzing. Everything comes together. The children know what is expected. Engagement is high. There is a buzz or hum in the air.

Don't panic if you are not there yet. It can take months for this to show consistently. The great news is that when your classroom finally does buzz, there is not many places better to be. The less-great news is that it can require many days of patience, consistency and resolve to get there.

Classroom routines will be the backbone of your buzzin' classroom. Quite simply, classroom routines are 'the way we do things around here'. You set them up. The children learn them. Many potential challenges are eliminated because the vast majority of children want to do the right thing and feel part of the classroom community. This leaves you with enormous cognitive and physical capacity to teach and encourage learning.

I wanted to share 3 classroom routines with you today and some tips to make them effective.

Classroom rules

Set your classroom rules early in the school year if possible.
Take time to explain them all in detail. Ask students to act them out, or model them, so students can see what they look like in action.
Keep them simple, but encompassing - e.g. the rule 'we listen' can include listening to the teacher, listening to each other, listening during reading routines, listening to friends.
Have them on display for students to read regularly. For younger students a picture or photo of the associated actions are ideal.
Be consistent with your rules. Refer back to them. Set up consequences for avoidance of rules.
Our simple classroom rules printable pack includes 6 class rules that will cover most areas of expectation in your room.
Here is a post we did on keeping classroom rules simple.

Finishing work early

Outline to students exactly what you want them to do if they finish their assigned task
Have a place where all completed written work is placed for grading.
Keep this routine consistent throughout the day to any subject area.
If possible, make fast-finisher activities paper free.
Make fast-finisher activities quiet and independent.
Your routine could be something like this: when you finish your work place it in the finish tray, put your equipment away and go to the activity area to select a tub.
Our Bee Busy Drawers offers a solution for fast finishing students. You can set up an activity station using drawers, laminated cards and dry erase markers. These activities could also be placed in a pocket pouch chart or on in tubs on a table in the classroom.
Here is post we did about the 'bee busy' system

Student jobs

Have your students help with as many classroom tasks as possible. They love to help and build their class community.
The teachers's pet idea from Kristen over at A Teeny Tiny Teacher is very effective, fun and so simple to set up and manage.
Have a student-selection system in place for other instances where you need to select a students for a special task. Random selectors can be found online, in programs like Class Dojo or a simple 'pick me' tub with student names works very well.

From busy to buzzin'

These are just 3 of the many routines you will set up and keep running through the year. It is a huge job and the consistency that you need to keep reinforcing can become the tiring part. I suggest managing that overwhelm by taking it slow. Day by day. Little by little. Start with the ones that will have the most impact. Introducing just a few a day. Expect that things will be a little 'busy' for a while. Celebrate the small gains.