Chaotic. Frenzied. Loud. Yep, my mornings used to start out like that too. As it turns out, that’s not a great way to start the day in elementary school classroom! I was frantically trying to get attendance and lunch count done (please don’t call my room again – I’m sorry I forgot to send it!). Meanwhile, my students are trying to tell me their fish died…they saw a cool bug…their grandmother is picking them up…and everything in between. It. Was. Not. Working. We needed routine STAT!
First up, create visuals for the students. Especially with the younger kids, being able to see a picture to associate with the words goes a long way. I hang these posters in a prominent place in the classroom where the students can easily see them as they enter each morning.
