top of page

Classroom Procedures

  • Room and Hallway Use

    • Restrooms- This procedure is intended for upper Elementary School grade level students because they have the freedom to leave the classroom on their own in this procedure. Students will be allowed to leave the classroom one at a time to use the bathroom; however, it cannot be during a core lesson or activity where the teacher needs their attention. A bathroom pass will be hanging next to a notebook and the students have to sign out and take the bathroom pass with them. The bathroom pass being gone signifies to other students that they have to wait for their turn (Everston, 2013).

    • Pencil Sharpener- This procedure is aimed for the specific times students can sharpen their pencils. Students will be allowed to sharpen their pencils in the beginning of the day; however, if there are more than two people in front of them, they must go back to their seat until the pencil sharpener is free. Three pencils must be sharpened for the day so that the students do not have to constantly re-sharpen pencils during core lessons (Evertson, 2013).

  • Individual Work and Teacher-Led Activities

    • What to do When Done With Individual Work- This procedure is intended for students when they finish their assignment given by the teacher, thus keeping the student occupied so they do not disrupt their neighbors. When a student is done with their assignment, they must complete the tasks in the specific order listed: finish any unfinished work, finish any part of their classroom job (erasing the board, moving clips back, tallying the behavioral chart, etc.) and then silent reading (Murray, 2002).

    • Student Participation- Student participation is crucial in the classroom because it allows for the students to share their answers or opinions, however, it needs a specific structure in order to work smoothly and efficiently. When the students are actively participating they must raise their hand quietly and wait to be called on. If I am checking for understanding, I will have them put a thumbs up, in the middle, or thumbs down. Various signals besides just raising their hands will be implemented as well. The only time students do not need to raise their hand is if the teacher wants a chorus response or during activities, like a class discussion, where raising a hand may slow down the process or make it choppy (Everston, 2013).

  • Transitions

    • Beginning of the Day- This is a morning procedural task that the students should do on a daily basis. In the mornings, the students should enter the room respectfully, move their lunch clip, put their backpack/lunch away, turn in any homework to the homework bin, and then sit at their desk quietly and complete their morning work listed on the board (Murray, 2002).

    • Leaving the Room- The students leave the room various times throughout the day to go to specials, lunch, and other scheduled activities. For leaving the room, the students must push in their chairs, walk over to the area by the door, and line up silently. The teacher will not leave until the class is silent so that they will not disturb other classes in the hallway and the class must obtain their silent line through the hallways (Evertson, 2013).

  • Small Group Instruction

    • Student Movement Into and Out of the Group- This is a brief transition between stations or group work in which the students should be quiet and free from disruptions. Within this procedure, the students should walk silently to their group or station with their materials that they need. A timer can be used for stations or small groups to signal the students and teacher that it is time to move on (Evertson, 2013).  

    • Expected Behavior of Students Outside the Small Group- During instructional time when a teacher is meeting with a small group, the students should follow a specific behavior/guideline so that the class can run smoothly. The student’s seatwork will be posted on the board and based on the task given; the students will work within their groups or work individually (Evertson, 2013). They will be able to hand signal (2 fingers for question, 1 finger when they do not understand instruction/material) to get the teachers attention and ask their question quickly.

  • Miscellaneous (Materials, Interruptions, Drills, Helpers, Etc.)

    • Classroom Helpers- This procedure changes weekly to allow for different students to have a classroom job/task that benefits the teacher and classroom as a whole. As a classroom helper, they will be assigned their job on Mondays; during silent reading time they must read the job description card and then perform their task the rest of the week (Murray, 2002). If the student cannot handle the job (as deemed by the teacher or the student) the job will be assigned to a new person.

    • Fire Drill- This procedure is intended for fire drills, but can be adapted for the other drill processes as well. The students are expected to stop what they are doing, stand up and get in a line quickly without pushing (Murray, 2002), follow the teacher to the designated fire drill area (without pushing and staying in the line), silently listen for their name while the teacher takes attendance, and then wait patiently and quietly until it is time to proceed back inside.

Evertson, C. M., & Emmer, E. T.  (2013).  Classroom management for elementary teachers (9th ed.). Boston, MA:  Pearson Education, Inc.

Murray, B. P. (2002). 30 Classroom Procedures to Head Off Behavior Problems. In Scholastic. Retrieved from http://www.scholastic.com/teachers/article/30-classroom-procedures-head-behavior- problems

bottom of page