Classroom Ideas
As a new school year approaches, teachers continue to reflect on past practices and how to shake things up a bit to find even more success in classroom routines. After all, there are so many routines to teach that teachers have even begun to make checklists for the beginning of the school year. Lining up to leave the classroom for specials, lunch, recess, or dismissal is one routine that seems to need re-teaching more than others throughout the school year. Students tend to fool around in line, but with the right expectations set early on, lining up can be much less of a headache.
Use one or more of these fun, proactive strategies to get your students in a lining up routine that everyone can get behind.
1. Secret walker
Secretly choose a student for the day to be the “secret walker.” If this student follows all lining up and hallway expectations, reveal who the secret walker was at the end of the school day. Consider using a small reward, like a computer sticker, pencil, or brag tag as an incentive for successful secret walkers.
2. Lining up chants
Creating and using a short chant that is routinely used when the class is ready to enter the hallway sets very clear expectations. For example, try leading the class in chanting, “My hands are hanging by my side, I’m standing straight and tall. My eyes are looking straight ahead, I’m ready for the hall.”
3. Catching a bubble
This is simple but effective, even for older students. Prompt students to “catch a bubble” when it’s time to enter the hallway. This means that students blow their cheeks up to prevent them from talking.
For older elementary students, we suggest offering “catching a bubble” as an option for students who have difficulty keeping quiet in the hallway. Simply say, “For those who are concerned about their voice level in the hallway, it’s time to catch a bubble.” This allows students choice in the necessity of this practice.
4. Beat the clock
When you’re in a time crunch, it might be fun for your class to make lining up into a little bit of a game. Set a timer for students to clean up, line up, and be ready for the hallway. Before the timer goes off, students have to be in line silently waiting to enter the hallway. If you have a class reward system, you could reward the class as a whole if they beat the clock.
5. Voice level fingers
If you use voice levels in your classroom or school, lining-up is a perfect time to enable this strategy and reminder. Have students hold up fingers to show the voice level being used in line (students should hold up a “0”). This also serves as a reminder for students who are not at a Level 0 if they see neighbors holding up this signal.
6. Ready classmates
If you are not in a rush, only call on students who look and sound ready to line up first. The rest of the students should catch on quickly. It is also fun to allow a teacher assistant or any student to be the one to call ready classmates. To take it a step further, you can also ask students in line who backtrack and appear unready to sit back down and wait to be called again.
7. Different line up modes
When it’s time to line up, call students to line up like sloths, stealthy ninjas, snakes, or any other mode that occurs to you. Whichever mode is chosen, expectations for quiet, calm bodies should be set. To make it more fun, have the class pick the student who does the mode best.
8. Assign a classroom “tapper”
On your job chart, assign one student as the “tapper” of the week. They are in charge of making sure all students are ready for the hallway while waiting in line. If some students are talking or facing backwards, the tapper can gently tap the student’s shoulder. This student should proceed to the back of the line to try again. The tapper will tell you when the whole line looks ready.
9. Two teams challenge
Split your class into two groups. The front half of the line is Group 1 and the back half is Group 2. If members of one group talk, the other group gets a point. At the end of the week, the winning group can receive a small reward, like choosing a class game or a piece of candy out of your candy jar.
10. Teacher is caboose
Show your class that you trust them by being the caboose of your line. They will know you’re watching, but you are also part of their line. Encourage those who have more difficulty in line to stand near the caboose so that they can help you watch.
With any of these strategies it is key to set the expectations and stick to them, especially at first. Model what is expected and practice often during the first few weeks of school! It will be worth it as the year progresses.
