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Can you believe that we are already getting ready for back to school?!
The beginning of the school year is tough. Never has the struggle been more real for a teacher. Our plates are full with setting up the classroom, planning the first few weeks and getting to know our new classroom family. It’s a lot.
Teaching at the beginning of the year is especially exhausting because it feels like we are doing so much more of the talking. We have to teach our class all of the procedures. Teaching and practicing classroom procedures is a must! It is quite honestly one of the best uses of your classroom time. However, it can get so boring!
In this episode, I am going to share some fun ways to practice your classroom routines and procedures. These activities are so engaging!
- Model what NOT to do. I know this sounds like an odd idea, but having students show the class how to break the rules, is the perfect opportunity to discuss your expectations.
- Have students do the teaching. I love getting my class into small groups. It’s great for team and community building. I also allow them to get creative with the way that they teach their assigned procedure. It can be a poster, a presentation, or even a song!
- Play procedure board games. Grab some simple board games from a second-hand store and pair it with some procedure game cards. It’s a fun way to review the procedures, but students are also practicing the procedures for working in a group and playing games!
- Enjoy a game of Find Someone Who. This is such a simple review game that gets kids out of their seats and talking to their classmates. You can rest your voice!
Free Game Printables:
https://www.notsowimpyteacher.com/2017/07/fun-ways-to-practice-classroom.html
Back to School Survival Kit for Grades 2-5!
I am absolutely enjoying your podcast as I am driving to my different schools to support teachers. I love the ideas and will start to try them out! You give such amazing and valuable advice, especially the one about batch lesson planning. Masterful idea!
Thank you!
Oh man, the “model what NOT to do” idea is pure gold I can already imagine the chaos—kids would absolutely LOVE getting permission to “break the rules” on purpose. What a genius way to make procedure review actually stick instead of just another boring lecture. This whole post hits home because I’ve been thinking a lot lately about how to make learning moments feel less like pulling teeth, especially with my own kids at home. Finding that sweet spot between “this is good for you” and “this is actually fun” is the eternal struggle, right? Speaking of which, we recently discovered this bible games app that somehow manages to teach scripture without my kids realizing they’re learning. Same principle as your board game idea—sneak the good stuff in while they think they’re just playing. Highly recommend for those “I’m tired of explaining things” moments!
Making learning fun instead of a struggle is such a challenge, especially with kids at home. Turning tasks into small, engaging activities can really help keep motivation up. While thinking about “pulling teeth” literally, anyone wanting a brighter smile might also want to check here Newstardental simple ways to make dental care feel easier and more rewarding.
That idea of practicing routines until they feel natural makes a lot of sense, and I see something similar in games. The best multiplayer horror games on steam don’t just rely on jump scares, they guide players into understanding how to act under pressure. After a few rounds, everyone starts reading situations better, reacting faster, and working together without overthinking. It’s a different setting, sure, but that same structured learning shows up in a really engaging way.