Conversation
I teach 3 and 4 year old special needs students in a fully self-contained class, and love it. The never-a-dull-moment, always-on-the job pace continues to energize, mesmerize and challenge me. After 17 years, I’ve come to believe that children this age are magnetic, to other children in particular. Consequently having routines that work is essential to providing a pleasant environment for optimal learning.
One thing that I’ve established to help ease transitions in my class is our lineup routine. It’s important that the students have a unique place to be. On the floor near the door, I’ve set up a line up area using large (5”x8”), different colored shapes for the students to stand on. I’ve taped the side of the shapes line up area with red on the right and blue on the left as a way to work on those directional concepts. We chant: “My blue hand is my left hand, A...N....D...., switch, my red one is my right.” (drawing out “and” and “switch” adds a giggle factor) Each shape corresponds to a number in the numbered squares I painted on the sidewalk outside my class.
I have a Line-Up chart on my door with the weekly assigned shape and number for each student to stand on when lining up, each position corresponding to the child’s job for the week. It’s great to see the independent problem solving of students checking the chart to verify his/her shape/number, or to point out that someone is in his/her spot. (The laminating machine and lamination pouches I received via a Donors Choose project were perfect for setting up the chart and protecting the shapes that get a lot of foot traffic.) We use this system throughout the day so the children are exposed, just as a matter of course, to colors, shapes and numbers. The children’s understanding of these concepts can also be quickly assessed through various “stand on the …” games.
My class size generally ranges from 6-8 students, and I have a daily job for each student. We don’t have plants to water or animals to feed, so I have assigned:
- Line leader (yellow rectangle)
- Sign helper (blue square) (posts laminated signs, i.e. “We are at the library.” on our “Where is Mrs. Takahama’s class?” sign hanging outside the door)
- Table helper (brown diamond)
- Lunch helper (purple trapezoid) (passes out lunch tags)
- Lights helper (red oval)
- Receptionist (pink hexagon) (My students, despite speech challenges, LOVE to answer the phone, “Good Morning, just a minute please.” One child added, “My teacher’s coming,” so that’s now part of the greeting. I stand by the phone and coach the receptionist so the unsuspecting person on the other end isn’t bewildered by the less than distinct verbalizations.)
- Soap helper (orange triangle)
- Substitute (green circle) (fills in for students who are absent or unavailable to do a job.)
Once everyone in on his/her shape, we chant a rhyme, echoing back each phrase “army style” (I taught on an US Army post for 12 years).
“Standing in line is easy to do.” (Marching feet)
“When you take care of only you.” (Marching feet)
“Feet are forward, hands to your side.” (Stand, stretch arms out and lower to sides)
“Lips are closed.” (Motion to zip lips)
“We walk with pride.” (Sign “walk” and “pride”)
This catchy chant prompts the not-quite-ready students to finish up and join in the line without the need for prodding and a lot of attention on my part. Of course, sometimes I add, “Let’s see who is lined up and ready to pick a tricycle to ride to lunch.” (Thanks to my first DC project, I was able to add an 8th tricycle to our fleet. Now there is one for every child to ride. And ride we do, all over campus. It’s great fun!)
Share a routine that works for you.
As a teacher who has taught Pre-K in the NYC Board of Ed, routines were a lifesaver in my clasroom. The routines that Meg has posted seem awesome. I taught a general education classroom, with 18 children. With that many little ones, especially for the beginning of the school year, it was important that they learned what needed to be done for them to do eveything on their own one day. They would come in in the morning and read while students were trickling in, then we would do our morning message, while some students helped to hand out the breakfast trays, milk and sporks. There was a chart that showed students whose job it was for the week (that didn't mean they didn't all still want to have that particular anyway). After breakfast, they all learned to take turns emptying their trays and milk and then using the bathroom. Using the bathroom was particularly as we shared with the adjoining classroom, which meant that there were two classes using the bathroom. These two classes learned how to share using the bathroom and that wouldnt be possible without routines for following rules.
All these rules and routines are now helping my former Pre-K students in Kindergarten, as they learn routines in the cafeteria and in the playground with many more kids.