Classroom Management Series #1: Entering and Leaving the Classroom

Welcome to week four of the Classroom Management Series!  This week are diving into managing the chaos of entering and leaving the classroom.  This is not for when individual students leave to go to the bathroom or anything.  This is when the whole class comes into your room for the first and leaves for the last time that day. 

Ideally, the students will come in and IMMEDIATELY be prepared for the lesson.  However, students need to time to get their materials ready, brain started up, and bodies quieted.

Here are some tips for entering the classroom using our two types of solutions.

Preventive Solutions

• Greet students at the door or be standing when students enter the classroom
• Have students do the same routine every day 
• For example: 
• take out their notebook and pencil case
•  hang their bags on the back of their chair
• put extra assignment in specified spot
• look on the board for the warm up instructions
• Have a warm up on their desks or written on the board for them to start when they sit down
• Have assigned seats for students
• Have students practice coming in the room the way you expect them to
• Give specific instructions 
• For example: 
• sit in your chair facing the front 
• walk in to the room without talking

Responsive Solutions

• If students come running in or come in loudly ask them to re-enter the room and do it again correctly
• Have them fill out the “Behavior Notice” 

  

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Why worry about how students enter your class?

How students enter your class sets the tone for the rest of the day.  If it was chaotic with students doing what they want, then it will be harder to get the students to listen to you. 

Students are watching the clock and waiting for the opportunity to escape no matter how enticing your lesson is.  However, you still need to control how and when students exit.  This allows you to teach till the last minute (isn’t our goal to use as much time to teach?) and maintain control of the classroom.  Having a set routine for students ends the day on a positive note (no yelling or signs of frustration) that they will take home with them. 

Preventive Solutions

• Students are not dismissed until you have given them permission
• Stand at the door to tell students bye
• Ask students to complete an “Exit Ticket” to give to you at the end of the lesson/day

  

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• Do the same routine to leave 
• For example: 
• complete the exit ticket
•  put supplies back in their bag
• sit facing the front till their name is called
• Call students by name to leave
• Keep the classroom door closed until you are ready to dismiss the students

Responsive Solutions

• If students stops working and packing things away before the allotted time, go to that student and tell them to get their supplies back out to continue working
• Have student fill out the “Behavior Notice”
• Have students that pack up early be the last ones to leave and/or help clean the classroom

  Why stress the importance of exiting in an orderly manner?

Students are there to learn and teachers only have a limited time with them.  Students need to be taking advantage of all the time given to them to learn.  If there is a routine, this can be done in the last minute or two quickly and without the stressful yelling.  You want your students to exit your classroom feeling accomplished and good about themselves.  This will not happen if you are screaming at them, they are scrambling to find their supplies to leave as quickly as possible.  

Next week's question:What do you do when students eat in the classroom? Please leave your tip in the comment section below.