K-8 Teachers Procedures for Carrying Recurring Activities Coursework

Observation and Description

At the beginning of the year, the major occupying task for teachers is that of organizing the classroom and establishing a management system that will run throughout the year (Evertson, Emmer, & Worsham, 2006). Once the teacher meets the students, he establishes his role as the leader and gives them directions on how to begin the year. Some routines are inevitable and the students must be accustomed to them. Some of these include routines on how the students should handle study books, how they should sign out of a class, how they should get supplies in class, and how they should leave for lunch. The routine of handling study books help the children take care of the materials all year. Signing out of class procedures prevent interruptions, as students will not have to ask for permission. Collecting supplies is another task that requires procedure so that the student will not have to ask the teacher if they need the materials. Another routine that needs procedures is leaving for lunch. It includes how the student should line up to ensure orderliness and respect for one another. These routines ensure smooth running of events and the teacher will not have keep on giving instructions to the students (Colvin & Lazar, 1997). The students will also be required to continue carrying out these routines throughout the year and that they will be actively engaged in executing the procedures.

The first and most important step in the implementation of routines and procedures is teaching. The observed teacher teaches and demonstrates each routine and its procedures allowing the students to participate. This step ensures that the students understand the requirements of every routine and the expectation that they should be responsible for their actions.

Analysis, Exploration, and Reasoning

The expectation is that the students will be highly involved in the learning process. Active learning is one of the rules that have been set for the class and furthermore, the students have laid down the foundation for teamwork. The observed teacher chose a routine for the students to follow when they want to drink water during a lesson. The purpose of this routine is to organize the class and avoid unnecessary commotion during the class (Colvin & Lazar, 1997).

Connections to other effective teaching practices

Routines are very important for classroom management because they enhance the efficiency of the learning process and the also promote the students sense of responsibility (Colvin & Lazar, 1997). Routines also provide the most needed structure for doing things.

Section B & C

The aim of routines is to make the execution of situations smooth in that they will not require supervision or instructions every time these situations arise (V. Jones & L. Jones, 2004, Kauchak & Eggen, 2008). Some of the selected situations and their respective routines are as below.

Situation: Beginning of the day

Routine: Preparing for the day’s activities

Procedure:

1. Take the book bag
2. Put the homework in the book bag
3. Carry the book bag to school

Situation: End of the day

Routine: Returning study materials

Procedure:

1. Put the crayons in the small basket
2. Carry the small basket to the table
3. Empty the crayons in to the crayon basket
4. Return the small basket to the pack

Situation: Transition between activities

Routine: Changing subjects

Procedure:

1. Take the book bag from the cubby
2. Take out the subject book
3. Return the bag to the cubby
4. Walk back to the seat

Situation: Distribution of materials

Routine: Handling study books

Procedure:

1. arrange the books in size order
2. put the books in your desk
3. push them to the left corner of the desk

Situation: field trip

Routine: dressing appropriately

Procedure:

1. Walk to the cubby
2. Take the field clothing
3. Walk to the wash rooms
4. Put on the field cloths
5. Return the uniform to the cubby

Situation: Recess

Routine: preparing to play

Procedure:

1. Arrange all the study materials to the desk
2. Walk calmly to the play field
3. Stand in your teams

Situation: Fire or disaster drills

Routine: Evacuating the building

Procedure:

1. Shout fire
2. Walk calmly towards the door
3. Do not push the person in front of you
4. Walk to the fire assembly point

Importance of routines

For children, routines are important as they give them a sense of security and order. Most importantly is that the child’s confidence is built- an important aspect n building leadership and acceptance of responsibility in the child (V. Jones & L. Jones, 2007, Emmer, Evertson, & Anderson, 1980). Routines are important tools in helping children manage their behavior.

Preparing for the day activities

Mornings are very important in determining the rest of the day, it is important to create a smooth start for the child, which will go a long way in shaping their academic lives. For this reason, a morning routine is what the child needs most for a start.

Returning study materials

It is important that the students learn to return all the materials they were using to their respective places at the end of the day. This builds a sense of responsibility in the child. It also reduces the requirement for another person to collect the materials and return them to maybe the shelves. To achieve this, creating routines for the children to follow at the end of the day is crucial.

Changing subjects

Many movements within the class can characterize the transition between subjects thus affecting the smooth flow of events. A smooth transition is important to avoid commotion and a lot of confusion. This is only achievable if and only if there is a routine that the children can follow when changing subjects.

Handling study books

Children can be careless and disorganized when it comes to handling study materials. This means that it is of paramount importance that the children learn to handle study materials responsibly and they can only learn best when a routine for performing those tasks is available.

Dressing appropriately

The need to go to the field between classes may require a change in attire, which may leave the child confused and frustrated if there are no routines on how to go about this transition. To avoid these frustrations it is important to give a routine for this task that the children may be confident during the transition.

Preparing to play

Playing is an important aspect of a child’s life. However, if not approached well it can be frustrating to some children. Creating a routine for this task ensures teamwork and participation of all children. This will help eliminate discrimination, which is important for the learning process.

Evacuating the building

Having a routine for evacuating the building in case of fire is important for safety. Fires cause a lot of panic whenever they occur and worse still if there are no routines for evacuation. Therefore, this routine is important in safeguarding the children from danger and from panic.

References

Colvin, G., & Lazar, M. (1997). The effective elementary classroom. Longmont, CO: Sopris West.

Emmer, E. T., Evertson, C. M. & Anderson, L.M. (1980). Effective classroom management at the beginning of the school year. The Elementary School Journal. Boston: Pearson.

Evertson, C. M., Emmer, E. T., & Worsham, M. E. (2006). Classroom management for elementary teachers. Boston: Pearson.

Jones, V., & Jones, L. (2007). Comprehensive classroom management (8th Ed.). Boston: Pearson.

Jones, V., & Jones, L. (2004). Comprehensive classroom management (7th Ed.). Boston: Pearson.

Kauchak, D., & Eggen, P. (2008). Introduction to teaching: Becoming a professional. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Education.