3 Classroom Systems New Teachers Swear By

Professional development is an integral part of being a Rocketship teacher. As we kick off the school year, our educators wanted to share advice for new teachers so everyone feels more confident this fall! As a first year teacher, establishing a smooth and productive classroom environment can feel a tad overwhelming. Thankfully, these simple strategies can go a long way. From practicing routines to fostering student responsibility, we’re confident these tips will help you create a structured, motivated classroom where both you and your students can thrive.

1. Practice your routines again and again.

   At the start of the school year, set expectations for how you want your classroom to flow.This is a critical tip for new educators! Repetition is crucial for young learners to internalize routines and expectations. Consistently reinforcing these procedures from the start sets a positive and predictable structure in your classroom. Plus, routines reduce disruptions and help with smoother transitions between activities.

   Show your students what you expect of them. How do you want them to line up, put away their materials, or get ready for the next activity? For instance, if you want your students to stay quiet as they put away their materials and bring out the next subject, make that a norm and practice it again and again. Most importantly, make sure you celebrate those students to show others what is important to you. When you celebrate the things you want to see, it sends a message of what is valued in your classroom.

2. Create a point system that leads up to rewards.

   Use a student celebration chart or ClassDojo to reward students and help them accrue points. Some teachers opt to hand out physical tokens or keep a tally that results in an end-of-week prize pick from a box of goodies, or an end of the month class party. Having a reward and end result to track towards can help your students stay motivated when attention starts to stray.

3. Have your routines in place? Assign classrooms jobs.
   

   When students have classroom jobs, they feel more part of a community and more investment in the upkeep of their spaces. Ask yourself, what are some things that need to be done daily? What tasks are both easy enough for your elementary students to do, but also will help them build autonomy and responsibility? Some examples could be someone who picks up scraps off the floor, another tidies up the reading area, another puts items back in the supply shelf. Set aside 10 minutes before dismissal to tidy up the room. This not only helps your students transition out of the classroom, but also gives you back time to prep for the next day.

Looking for more advice for new teachers? Check out our Beginners Guides for Classroom Systems & Routines and How to Build a Strong Classroom Culture!

Published on September 30, 2024