Explaining classroom procedures to your students and providing practice in using them will result in effective classroom routines that students will do automatically. Classroom routines can save time, reduce distractions and interruptions, and allow you more time to do the most important thing - teach. You should establish routines for each of the following situations:

• entering the classroom
• end of a period
• behavior when there are visitors
• responding to fire drills
• getting to work immediately
• listening to P.A. announcements
• handing in papers and other work
• changing groups
• hall behavior
• making comments
• responding to questions
• behavior when there is a substitute teacher
• behavior at assemblies and other school events

It takes hard work to establish classroom routines, but the end result is worth it.