Why it works
Classroom management research, from Kounin onward, finds that smooth, well-practiced routines, not reactive discipline, are what distinguish orderly classrooms. Procedures taught explicitly and rehearsed early reduce transitions, lost time, and the low-level disruption that eats into learning.
The research: Kounin on classroom management; Wong on procedures.
The run-of-show
Choose your slot. The agenda, timings, and length update to match.
The core activity: design and teach one routine
Teachers leave with one high-frequency routine designed and a plan to teach and rehearse it.
- Pick a high-frequency moment that currently wastes time or causes friction.
- Write the exact steps of the routine.
- Plan how you will teach it: model, practice, feedback, not just announce it.
- Plan how you will reinforce it until it is automatic.
Teach routines, do not just announce themA procedure told once is a wish. Model it, have students practice it, give feedback, and rehearse it until it runs without you.
Facilitator notes
- Teach routines like a skill: model, practice, feedback.
- Start with the highest-frequency moments.
- Reteach without drama when a routine slips.
Practice is not optionalThe classrooms that run themselves spent time early practicing routines. Skipping the practice is why routines fail.
Adapt it
- <b>Elementary:</b> visual step charts and lots of practice.
- <b>Secondary:</b> quick, respectful routines framed as how we work here.
- <b>Students who need support:</b> visual cues and consistent language.
Participant handout
One page for every teacher. Print it, or save it as a PDF.
K12 Academics · Professional Learning
Routines & Procedures: design it, teach it, rehearse it
<b>Teach the moments that run the day:</b> entry, transitions, materials, attention, dismissal.
- The high-frequency moment:
- The exact steps:
- How I will teach it:
- How I reinforce it:
- How I reteach when it slips:
Make it stick
Rehearse until automatic:
- Practice routines until they run without you.
- Reteach calmly when they slip.
- Bring a routine that reclaimed time to the next PLC.
Common questions
Aren't routines just for elementary?
No. Secondary classrooms benefit just as much. The routines are more grown-up, but the payoff in reclaimed time is the same.
Isn't it too late to start routines mid-year?
No. You can teach and practice a new routine any time. Be explicit that you are resetting an expectation.
How many routines do I need?
Focus on the high-frequency moments first: entry, transitions, getting materials, getting attention, and dismissal.
Go deeper
- Teach Like a Champion, Doug Lemov