1 00:00:01,080 --> 00:00:03,960 Heidi: This is episode 223 of Teacher Approved. 2 00:00:05,700 --> 00:00:08,760 You're listening to Teacher Approved, the podcast helping 3 00:00:08,760 --> 00:00:12,480 educators elevate what matters and simplify the rest. I'm 4 00:00:12,480 --> 00:00:13,020 Heidi. 5 00:00:13,000 --> 00:00:30,712 Heidi: We're so glad you're tuning in today. Let's get to 6 00:00:13,019 --> 00:00:15,845 Emily: And I'm Emily. We're the creators behind Second Story 7 00:00:15,899 --> 00:00:18,939 Window, where we give research based and teacher approved 8 00:00:18,992 --> 00:00:21,819 strategies that make teaching less stressful and more 9 00:00:21,872 --> 00:00:25,179 effective. You can check out the show notes and resources from 10 00:00:25,233 --> 00:00:27,260 each episode at secondstorywindow.net. 11 00:00:30,712 --> 00:00:34,254 the show. 12 00:00:34,254 --> 00:00:39,265 Emily: Hey there. Thanks for joining us today. In today's 13 00:00:39,265 --> 00:00:42,445 episode, we are talking about how to turn your individual 14 00:00:42,445 --> 00:00:46,765 procedures into routines that actually stick, and sharing a 15 00:00:46,765 --> 00:00:49,465 teacher approved tip for handling your own routines. 16 00:00:49,465 --> 00:00:52,705 Heidi: Let's start with a try it tomorrow, where we share a quick 17 00:00:52,705 --> 00:00:55,465 win to help you boost your classroom community. Emily, what 18 00:00:55,465 --> 00:00:56,725 is our suggestion for this week? 19 00:00:56,725 --> 00:00:59,725 Emily: Well, if you haven't already, take a couple minutes 20 00:00:59,725 --> 00:01:03,370 during your prep time today to set up a table to track positive 21 00:01:03,370 --> 00:01:07,030 communication for each student. A simple way to do this is to 22 00:01:07,030 --> 00:01:09,910 list students' names down the side and then have a column for 23 00:01:09,910 --> 00:01:12,850 each month. Then it's easy to keep track of which families 24 00:01:12,850 --> 00:01:15,850 you've reached out to recently. Making communication with 25 00:01:15,850 --> 00:01:18,430 families a positive experience and not just something that 26 00:01:18,430 --> 00:01:21,310 happens when there's trouble, can go a long way to 27 00:01:21,310 --> 00:01:24,475 strengthening the school home partnership. And I can vouch for 28 00:01:24,475 --> 00:01:27,595 this from the parent side, that I hate feeling like every time I 29 00:01:27,595 --> 00:01:31,255 see an email from a teacher that something must be wrong. So it 30 00:01:31,255 --> 00:01:34,735 would be great if sometimes it's positive communication as well. 31 00:01:35,395 --> 00:01:37,795 Heidi: Well, if you like this idea or anything else that we 32 00:01:37,795 --> 00:01:40,615 share on the podcast, would you take a second and give us a five 33 00:01:40,615 --> 00:01:43,555 star rating? Ratings and reviews are one way that new listeners 34 00:01:43,555 --> 00:01:47,140 find us. So really, truly, every rating and review is a huge help 35 00:01:47,140 --> 00:01:47,620 to us. 36 00:01:48,400 --> 00:01:50,620 Emily: So if you've been listening for a while, you know 37 00:01:50,620 --> 00:01:53,800 that we are big believers, that almost seems like an 38 00:01:53,800 --> 00:01:58,600 understatement, huge fans of strong classroom procedures. We 39 00:01:58,600 --> 00:02:02,080 have talked a lot about how to design them, how to teach them, 40 00:02:02,080 --> 00:02:05,740 using our tell try tally talk method, and how to course 41 00:02:05,740 --> 00:02:07,300 correct when they slide. 42 00:02:07,720 --> 00:02:10,885 Heidi: But, this might be hard to believe, there is actually 43 00:02:10,885 --> 00:02:14,785 one part of procedures that we have never tackled. How do you 44 00:02:14,785 --> 00:02:17,845 take all of those individual procedures that you have been 45 00:02:17,845 --> 00:02:20,845 working so hard to teach and link them into routines that 46 00:02:20,845 --> 00:02:23,545 your students can actually follow? And today we're going to 47 00:02:23,545 --> 00:02:26,365 tell you how to make those routines stick without having to 48 00:02:26,365 --> 00:02:28,045 turn into the nagging police. 49 00:02:28,525 --> 00:02:32,230 Emily: So think of a single procedure as one Lego brick. It 50 00:02:32,230 --> 00:02:34,990 does what it needs to do, but if you want something that really 51 00:02:34,990 --> 00:02:39,250 works for you, like a smooth morning start, you need to snap 52 00:02:39,250 --> 00:02:40,330 those bricks together. 53 00:02:40,660 --> 00:02:43,240 Heidi: I love that analogy, and that's perfect for your Lego 54 00:02:43,240 --> 00:02:43,720 family. 55 00:02:43,720 --> 00:02:44,440 Emily: Yes. 56 00:02:45,160 --> 00:02:48,820 Heidi: A routine is a string of procedures in a set order that 57 00:02:48,820 --> 00:02:52,540 is done so often that it runs on autopilot. The goal is that the 58 00:02:52,540 --> 00:02:55,060 brain doesn't have to think. It just does. 59 00:02:55,720 --> 00:02:57,580 Emily: Think back to how you taught your individual 60 00:02:57,580 --> 00:03:01,360 procedures. If you used our tell try tally talk method—are we 61 00:03:01,540 --> 00:03:03,985 going to start calling that the 4T method? Are we going to, I 62 00:03:03,985 --> 00:03:07,105 don't know, but we'll stick with tell try tally talk. If you used 63 00:03:07,105 --> 00:03:09,985 our method, you clearly explained the procedure and 64 00:03:09,985 --> 00:03:12,985 modeled each step. You had your students try it out with your 65 00:03:12,985 --> 00:03:16,225 guidance, you tallied how everything went and celebrated 66 00:03:16,225 --> 00:03:19,165 progress, and then you talked over what worked, what was 67 00:03:19,165 --> 00:03:20,965 tricky, what practice was needed. 68 00:03:20,965 --> 00:03:24,145 Heidi: That method works beautifully for individual 69 00:03:24,145 --> 00:03:27,745 procedures, but let's dive into how to connect those procedures 70 00:03:27,790 --> 00:03:31,750 into a seamless routine. This time we will use a three step 71 00:03:31,750 --> 00:03:35,170 process of anchoring, expanding and reinforcing. 72 00:03:35,410 --> 00:03:37,690 Emily: Wait, but there's no alliteration in that one. 73 00:03:37,930 --> 00:03:40,210 Heidi: I feel like we're really letting the side down. It all 74 00:03:40,210 --> 00:03:41,710 has an "ing," does that count? 75 00:03:41,710 --> 00:03:45,070 Emily: Okay. That is something, I guess. But you know we love a 76 00:03:45,070 --> 00:03:48,550 process, so let's look at the first step in this new process, 77 00:03:48,550 --> 00:03:51,595 which is anchoring. This is where you pick one solid 78 00:03:51,595 --> 00:03:54,235 procedure that's already working well and use it as the 79 00:03:54,235 --> 00:03:57,775 foundation for the whole routine. Think of this as the 80 00:03:57,775 --> 00:04:00,475 core of your routine. It's the one thing that, when it's in 81 00:04:00,475 --> 00:04:02,635 place makes everything else easier. 82 00:04:03,080 --> 00:04:06,380 Heidi: For a morning routine, this might be students unpacking 83 00:04:06,380 --> 00:04:09,560 their backpacks correctly. For transitions, it could be having 84 00:04:09,560 --> 00:04:12,020 students respond quickly to your attention signal. 85 00:04:12,200 --> 00:04:14,360 Emily: So the key here is to choose something that's already 86 00:04:14,360 --> 00:04:18,020 pretty solid. Don't try to anchor a routine to a procedure 87 00:04:18,020 --> 00:04:21,440 that is still wobbly. You want your strongest procedure as your 88 00:04:21,440 --> 00:04:22,100 foundation. 89 00:04:22,760 --> 00:04:25,745 Heidi: And here's where a lot of teachers get tripped up. They 90 00:04:25,745 --> 00:04:30,185 try to teach the entire morning routine as one giant procedure. 91 00:04:30,545 --> 00:04:33,965 And I have done this myself, but let me tell you friends, that's 92 00:04:33,965 --> 00:04:35,945 like trying to swallow a watermelon whole. 93 00:04:36,365 --> 00:04:39,125 Emily: Oh, that sounds miserable. That's gonna end 94 00:04:39,125 --> 00:04:42,665 badly. If your morning routine includes coming into the 95 00:04:42,665 --> 00:04:45,605 building, entering the classroom, unpacking backpacks, 96 00:04:45,785 --> 00:04:48,605 making lunch choices, getting materials, starting morning 97 00:04:48,605 --> 00:04:51,650 work, and knowing what to do while waiting for others, that 98 00:04:51,650 --> 00:04:55,250 is not one procedure. That's like seven procedures that have 99 00:04:55,250 --> 00:04:56,570 to happen in sequence. 100 00:04:56,570 --> 00:04:59,750 Heidi: And when you look at it that way, it's no wonder that 101 00:04:59,750 --> 00:05:02,870 your kids are having a hard time following through. They just 102 00:05:02,870 --> 00:05:06,770 can't master that many steps in one go. A good rule of thumb is 103 00:05:06,770 --> 00:05:10,070 that if a procedure has more than about five steps or so, 104 00:05:10,130 --> 00:05:14,255 give or take, it's time to break it down. The smaller you can 105 00:05:14,255 --> 00:05:17,375 make each task, the more deeply students can internalize it. 106 00:05:17,795 --> 00:05:20,255 Emily: And when they're shorter, they're faster to teach too. So 107 00:05:20,255 --> 00:05:24,875 that's just a little win. Okay, so identify the Keystone 108 00:05:24,875 --> 00:05:28,295 procedure in each routine and go all in on making it run like 109 00:05:28,295 --> 00:05:31,295 clockwork. That is the first step. Then you can start 110 00:05:31,295 --> 00:05:34,700 expanding. This means adding the next logical step in the 111 00:05:34,700 --> 00:05:35,420 sequence. 112 00:05:35,900 --> 00:05:38,660 Heidi: If unpacking backpacks is your anchor to your morning 113 00:05:38,660 --> 00:05:41,780 routine, the next step might be making your lunch choice without 114 00:05:41,780 --> 00:05:45,140 having to be reminded. That used to kill me every day. How many 115 00:05:45,140 --> 00:05:48,560 days are we in school? Anyway, you want that to be automatic, 116 00:05:49,340 --> 00:05:51,920 and then you would teach that procedure separately, right? 117 00:05:51,920 --> 00:05:54,260 Tell try tally talk, until it's solid. 118 00:05:54,860 --> 00:05:56,480 Emily: Then you'd start connecting them in your 119 00:05:56,480 --> 00:05:59,825 student's mind. The students already know how to do each 120 00:05:59,825 --> 00:06:03,365 piece, but you're helping them see how it all flows together. 121 00:06:03,545 --> 00:06:06,905 So first unpack your backpack using our five steps, then make 122 00:06:06,905 --> 00:06:08,705 your lunch choice using our three steps. 123 00:06:09,365 --> 00:06:11,945 Heidi: Keep expanding one procedure at a time until you 124 00:06:11,945 --> 00:06:15,425 have built the full routine. You know, plan on this taking at 125 00:06:15,425 --> 00:06:18,905 least two weeks. That is totally normal, and it's to be expected. 126 00:06:19,505 --> 00:06:21,770 Emily: If things start to fall apart as you're connecting 127 00:06:21,770 --> 00:06:24,950 procedures, pull back for a minute and try to pinpoint the 128 00:06:24,950 --> 00:06:28,130 issue, instead of plowing ahead, because you want this all done 129 00:06:28,130 --> 00:06:29,150 and out of your hair. 130 00:06:30,170 --> 00:06:33,230 Heidi: Oh, yes, figuring out a problem now will save you from 131 00:06:33,230 --> 00:06:35,570 having to deal with it for nine more months. 132 00:06:35,570 --> 00:06:40,070 And that brings us to the final step, which is reinforcing. This 133 00:06:40,070 --> 00:06:42,410 is where the magic happens, because this is when your 134 00:06:42,410 --> 00:06:45,515 routine moves from something we do because the teacher told us 135 00:06:45,515 --> 00:06:47,675 to, to something we just do. 136 00:06:48,395 --> 00:06:50,675 Emily: This is the point where your routine will either take 137 00:06:50,675 --> 00:06:54,395 off or fizzle out. The goal is to train your students brains to 138 00:06:54,395 --> 00:06:57,155 run this sequence without you prompting them every step of the 139 00:06:57,155 --> 00:07:00,455 way, and that only happens with intentional, repeated 140 00:07:00,455 --> 00:07:01,415 reinforcement. 141 00:07:02,100 --> 00:07:04,500 Heidi: Think of it like teaching kids to tie their shoes. If 142 00:07:04,500 --> 00:07:07,560 you've ever lived through that, you don't just show them once 143 00:07:07,560 --> 00:07:10,620 and then expect them to do it perfectly every time. You have 144 00:07:10,620 --> 00:07:12,780 to practice a lot. 145 00:07:13,320 --> 00:07:15,540 Emily: Yep, and it's going to take a lot of practice with your 146 00:07:15,540 --> 00:07:18,900 routines too. But that doesn't mean it has to be drudgery. Have 147 00:07:18,900 --> 00:07:21,920 some fun with it. You could set up a bingo board or a tic tac 148 00:07:21,920 --> 00:07:24,560 toe board with all of the different procedures that make 149 00:07:24,560 --> 00:07:27,980 up your dismissal routine. Every time they complete one part of 150 00:07:27,980 --> 00:07:31,160 the routine without needing instructions from you, they get 151 00:07:31,160 --> 00:07:34,700 to cross off a square. If they get a bingo or a tic tac toe, 152 00:07:34,700 --> 00:07:37,520 they get a small reward, and when the whole board is full, 153 00:07:37,520 --> 00:07:39,080 they get a larger reward. 154 00:07:39,000 --> 00:07:41,760 Heidi: Yeah, we want to make sure that practice doesn't start 155 00:07:41,760 --> 00:07:44,820 feeling like a punishment. Another thing that I like to do 156 00:07:44,820 --> 00:07:47,460 with my students was to time them. I would say something 157 00:07:47,460 --> 00:07:51,060 like, okay, yesterday, it took two minutes and 28 seconds for 158 00:07:51,060 --> 00:07:53,760 everyone to get their notebooks put away and come to the rug. I 159 00:07:53,760 --> 00:07:57,660 think we can do it faster. Can we do it in two minutes? Kids 160 00:07:57,660 --> 00:08:00,720 love racing. And the nice thing about this is that it can 161 00:08:00,720 --> 00:08:03,765 motivate them to kind of push each other to move more quickly, 162 00:08:03,945 --> 00:08:06,465 so you're not the one having to, you know, nudge them along. 163 00:08:07,605 --> 00:08:10,545 Let's let that positive peer pressure work in your favor. 164 00:08:11,205 --> 00:08:13,725 Emily: If you are doing whole class rewards for practicing 165 00:08:13,725 --> 00:08:16,665 routines or anything else, don't let a few kids ruin it for 166 00:08:16,665 --> 00:08:19,245 everyone. If you've got one or two little ones with some 167 00:08:19,245 --> 00:08:22,005 special behavior challenges, like maybe they'll go slow on 168 00:08:22,005 --> 00:08:25,023 purpose, just because everyone else wants them to hurry, then 169 00:08:25,023 --> 00:08:27,150 you can just kind of take them out of the equation. 170 00:08:27,450 --> 00:08:31,470 Heidi: Right. If all but your two most challenging darlings 171 00:08:31,470 --> 00:08:35,370 are at the carpet, count that as a win. Way to hustle, everyone, 172 00:08:35,370 --> 00:08:39,150 you made it to the carpet in one minute and 58 seconds. And then 173 00:08:39,150 --> 00:08:41,850 when someone raises their hand to point out that Dimitri still 174 00:08:41,850 --> 00:08:44,910 isn't at the carpet, just make it a non issue. You know what, 175 00:08:44,910 --> 00:08:47,130 you worry about you and I will worry about Dimitri. 176 00:08:47,310 --> 00:08:49,275 Emily: Yeah, especially because getting attention for it is 177 00:08:49,275 --> 00:08:54,435 probably exactly what Dimitri wants. And it's just a good 178 00:08:54,435 --> 00:08:56,895 reminder that most of our management plans will work for 179 00:08:56,895 --> 00:09:00,675 most of our kids most of the time. So put your focus there. 180 00:09:00,855 --> 00:09:03,795 You can set up a personalized plan for Dimitri at a different 181 00:09:03,795 --> 00:09:06,555 time, but it will only make things worse if we turn him into 182 00:09:06,555 --> 00:09:08,715 the class scapegoat. That's not good for anyone. 183 00:09:09,195 --> 00:09:11,655 Heidi: And besides making routine practice fun, you can 184 00:09:11,655 --> 00:09:15,060 also reinforce your expectations by turning it over to the 185 00:09:15,060 --> 00:09:18,780 students. Try assigning helpers for routine checks. Have a 186 00:09:18,780 --> 00:09:21,600 materials monitor who reminds classmates about getting their 187 00:09:21,600 --> 00:09:24,780 pencils, or a line leader who models proper hallway behavior. 188 00:09:25,140 --> 00:09:27,840 Emily: That's nice, because then you're not having to oversee 189 00:09:27,840 --> 00:09:31,020 everything that happens. And when routines start to slide, 190 00:09:31,020 --> 00:09:34,200 because they will, especially after a long weekend or a 191 00:09:34,200 --> 00:09:37,665 holiday, go back to practicing them just like a sports team 192 00:09:37,665 --> 00:09:38,985 runs drills. 193 00:09:39,465 --> 00:09:41,865 Heidi: Don't feel like you have failed if you need to reteach a 194 00:09:41,865 --> 00:09:45,405 routine. This is something honestly that I struggled with. 195 00:09:45,465 --> 00:09:49,365 I used to see this as a failure as a teacher, but it is just a 196 00:09:49,365 --> 00:09:53,145 predictable part of dealing with kids. They need repetition, and 197 00:09:53,145 --> 00:09:56,265 sometimes you need to refresh those neural pathways to get 198 00:09:56,265 --> 00:09:57,405 everyone back on track. 199 00:09:58,425 --> 00:10:01,170 Emily: Now you likely have dozens of routines needed to 200 00:10:01,170 --> 00:10:03,510 make your classroom run, but it's important that you're 201 00:10:03,510 --> 00:10:06,690 putting a lot of time and energy into streamlining what we call 202 00:10:06,690 --> 00:10:10,170 the core four, and these are the routines that truly make or 203 00:10:10,170 --> 00:10:11,190 break your school day. 204 00:10:11,670 --> 00:10:13,710 Heidi: And if you have taught before, you can probably guess 205 00:10:13,710 --> 00:10:18,210 what these are, but they are a calm morning start, orderly 206 00:10:18,210 --> 00:10:21,450 hallway movement, controlled transitions, and efficient end 207 00:10:21,495 --> 00:10:25,335 of day routines. If you can master these four, everything 208 00:10:25,335 --> 00:10:27,495 else in your day becomes so much easier. 209 00:10:28,155 --> 00:10:30,735 Emily: So let's walk through what it looks like to anchor, 210 00:10:30,735 --> 00:10:33,975 expand and reinforce our core four routines. And we'll kick 211 00:10:33,975 --> 00:10:36,255 things off with a calm morning start. 212 00:10:36,915 --> 00:10:39,495 Heidi: For your morning routine, your anchor might be getting the 213 00:10:39,495 --> 00:10:42,915 backpack procedure down. Once that's solid, you expand it with 214 00:10:42,915 --> 00:10:45,000 lunch choice, then getting materials, then starting morning 215 00:10:45,000 --> 00:10:49,020 work. Each step gets taught and practiced separately before you 216 00:10:49,020 --> 00:10:49,740 try to link them. 217 00:10:50,320 --> 00:10:52,300 Emily: When it comes to reinforcing your morning 218 00:10:52,300 --> 00:10:55,660 routine, visual supports are your best friend. Post the steps 219 00:10:55,660 --> 00:10:59,020 of each routine where students can reference them, or where you 220 00:10:59,020 --> 00:11:01,800 can send students to check if they've forgotten something. 221 00:11:02,000 --> 00:11:04,700 Heidi: Yeah, you definitely want to outsource the work of keeping 222 00:11:04,700 --> 00:11:07,940 kids on track as much as possible. So let a display help 223 00:11:07,940 --> 00:11:11,120 you out. You could make a chart or project slides each morning 224 00:11:11,120 --> 00:11:14,180 with the steps that you want students to follow. I was very 225 00:11:14,180 --> 00:11:17,720 analog. I used sentence strips and magnets to put them on my 226 00:11:17,720 --> 00:11:19,940 board because I didn't want to have to write it out every day. 227 00:11:20,000 --> 00:11:23,180 Emily: Yep, I did the same thing, and it definitely does 228 00:11:23,180 --> 00:11:25,700 not need to be fancy. So just make sure you're posting them 229 00:11:25,700 --> 00:11:28,685 where kids can see them every single day, even in the middle 230 00:11:28,685 --> 00:11:31,385 of May, and that they're going to know exactly where to look 231 00:11:31,445 --> 00:11:33,785 each time. It's always going to be in the same place. 232 00:11:34,085 --> 00:11:36,545 Heidi: And if they ask you what they're supposed to be doing, 233 00:11:36,665 --> 00:11:38,825 point them to the display, so they get in the habit of 234 00:11:38,825 --> 00:11:42,125 checking that instead of turning to you for the answers. 235 00:11:42,125 --> 00:11:42,965 Emily: Exactly. 236 00:11:42,965 --> 00:11:46,625 Heidi: Morning routines have to run without much teacher input 237 00:11:46,625 --> 00:11:49,490 because you're busy handling your own routine of getting the 238 00:11:49,490 --> 00:11:53,630 day started. Those posted steps give kids a way to stay on track 239 00:11:53,630 --> 00:11:56,330 without needing you to prompt every single thing. 240 00:11:56,930 --> 00:12:00,290 Emily: If you want a deeper dive, maybe the deepest of 241 00:12:00,290 --> 00:12:04,430 dives, on morning routines, check out our three part Morning 242 00:12:04,430 --> 00:12:08,870 Routine series, which is in episodes 93, 94 and 95 where we 243 00:12:08,870 --> 00:12:11,510 talk about how to set up your own morning routines, as well as 244 00:12:11,510 --> 00:12:12,335 your students. 245 00:12:13,115 --> 00:12:16,175 Heidi: For the next in our core four routines is hallway 246 00:12:16,175 --> 00:12:19,835 movement, and you might anchor this one with the signal to line 247 00:12:19,835 --> 00:12:23,195 up. Then you can expand to walking without talking, then 248 00:12:23,195 --> 00:12:25,535 how to walk while you're carrying supplies, and then what 249 00:12:25,535 --> 00:12:27,335 to do when you arrive at your destination. 250 00:12:27,815 --> 00:12:30,575 Emily: Reinforcing your hallway routine can be a lot of fun. So 251 00:12:30,575 --> 00:12:33,995 try announcing that you've chosen a mystery walker. If this 252 00:12:33,995 --> 00:12:36,560 student remembers your procedures as you travel to your 253 00:12:36,560 --> 00:12:39,440 destination, they'll get a prize, and it's easier to watch 254 00:12:39,440 --> 00:12:42,440 this if you like our strategy for walking at the back of your 255 00:12:42,440 --> 00:12:43,940 class instead of at the front. 256 00:12:44,180 --> 00:12:46,160 Heidi: That does make it simpler, or you can get real 257 00:12:46,160 --> 00:12:47,420 good at walking backwards. 258 00:12:47,420 --> 00:12:49,700 Emily: Yes, you know, both are good skills to have. 259 00:12:49,700 --> 00:12:53,180 Heidi: The prize for the mystery walker can be as simple as a 260 00:12:53,180 --> 00:12:57,500 high five or a sticker. It's the mystery of it all, not the prize 261 00:12:57,500 --> 00:12:59,840 that is going to be most influential on getting your 262 00:12:59,840 --> 00:13:03,065 students to meet your expectations. And another fun 263 00:13:03,065 --> 00:13:06,845 idea is called line freeze. Ashley from Rainbow Skies for 264 00:13:06,845 --> 00:13:09,785 Teachers, shared this with us back in episode 120. 265 00:13:10,265 --> 00:13:12,305 Emily: Oh, and you should definitely go back and listen to 266 00:13:12,305 --> 00:13:16,265 that so you can hear it in her delightful Australian accent. 267 00:13:16,625 --> 00:13:19,685 But basically it's a bit like red light, green light. You lead 268 00:13:19,685 --> 00:13:22,550 your line down the hall normally at the front of the line, but 269 00:13:22,550 --> 00:13:24,950 every once in a while, you flip around and look at the kids. 270 00:13:24,950 --> 00:13:27,410 Their goal is to freeze in place as soon as you turn. 271 00:13:27,710 --> 00:13:29,750 Heidi: That is a really fun game, and it's perfect for the 272 00:13:29,750 --> 00:13:33,170 hallway because it can be done silently. Ashley says that she 273 00:13:33,170 --> 00:13:35,870 has done it with kids from kindergarten to sixth grade, and 274 00:13:35,870 --> 00:13:38,990 that they all enjoy it. So give that one a try if you want to 275 00:13:38,990 --> 00:13:40,910 add a little whimsy to your hallway routine. 276 00:13:40,600 --> 00:13:44,560 Emily: And go back to check out episode 89 if you want even more 277 00:13:44,560 --> 00:13:45,400 hallway tips. 278 00:13:45,400 --> 00:13:48,400 But for now, let's look at how to handle your transition 279 00:13:48,400 --> 00:13:51,460 routines. A good place to start here is by anchoring your 280 00:13:51,460 --> 00:13:54,880 attention signal. When that's solid, expand into listening for 281 00:13:54,880 --> 00:13:57,880 all the directions before they start moving, cleaning up 282 00:13:57,880 --> 00:14:01,060 workspaces, then getting materials for the next activity, 283 00:14:01,060 --> 00:14:03,760 and then transitioning to the new location quickly. 284 00:14:04,360 --> 00:14:08,245 Heidi: And we did another three part deep, deep dive in episodes 285 00:14:08,245 --> 00:14:12,505 48, 49 and 50. This one happened to be on transitions this time 286 00:14:12,745 --> 00:14:15,625 because, as you may have noticed, they are tricky, and 287 00:14:15,625 --> 00:14:18,925 they can eat up a lot of your learning time. So revisit those 288 00:14:18,925 --> 00:14:23,545 episodes, and also check out episode 160 if you want tips for 289 00:14:23,545 --> 00:14:26,005 our final core routine, dismissal. 290 00:14:26,650 --> 00:14:29,230 Emily: This one is hard because you are so tired by this point 291 00:14:29,230 --> 00:14:33,130 in the day. So do what you can to automate this routine as much 292 00:14:33,190 --> 00:14:36,490 as possible. You could anchor it with your procedure for tidying 293 00:14:36,490 --> 00:14:40,210 up desks, then expand to getting take home materials, then 294 00:14:40,210 --> 00:14:42,910 packing backpacks and then getting ready for dismissal. 295 00:14:43,390 --> 00:14:45,550 Heidi: The end of the day is a great time to add in some 296 00:14:45,550 --> 00:14:48,670 student ownership as reinforcement. Besides regular 297 00:14:48,670 --> 00:14:51,595 class jobs like sharpening pencils, you can assign students 298 00:14:51,595 --> 00:14:54,775 to hand out papers, pass out lunch boxes, check that everyone 299 00:14:54,775 --> 00:14:57,595 cleaned under their desk, and really, anything else that the 300 00:14:57,595 --> 00:14:59,935 kids are capable of doing, make them do it. 301 00:15:00,000 --> 00:15:02,700 Emily: For sure, don't take it on yourself to do all of the 302 00:15:02,700 --> 00:15:05,280 work. And the beauty of this approach is that once these 303 00:15:05,280 --> 00:15:07,680 routines are solid, your classroom really does start to 304 00:15:07,680 --> 00:15:09,240 run like clockwork. 305 00:15:09,900 --> 00:15:12,780 Heidi: Now this does take a lot of time and energy and 306 00:15:12,780 --> 00:15:16,260 intention. I want to be clear about that, because we know how 307 00:15:16,260 --> 00:15:19,680 much work this is, but we promise solid routines are worth 308 00:15:19,680 --> 00:15:22,440 it, even if they're not your favorite thing to teach. 309 00:15:23,040 --> 00:15:25,680 Emily: I know, no one goes into teaching because they love 310 00:15:25,680 --> 00:15:29,700 procedures. Although maybe we do. Do we? We talk about them a 311 00:15:29,700 --> 00:15:30,480 lot, maybe we do. 312 00:15:30,480 --> 00:15:31,747 Heidi: I didn't start out loving procedures, like, I got there 313 00:15:31,747 --> 00:15:31,974 once I saw what they could do for me. 314 00:15:31,974 --> 00:15:36,585 Emily: That's I was gonna say. I think we love procedures because 315 00:15:36,585 --> 00:15:40,305 we love what they give you as a teacher. And obviously, no 316 00:15:40,305 --> 00:15:42,885 student says their favorite part of school is your efficient 317 00:15:42,885 --> 00:15:44,025 dismissal routine. 318 00:15:44,745 --> 00:15:48,345 Heidi: But it would be nice if they pointed that out. But it's 319 00:15:48,345 --> 00:15:51,645 procedures and the routines that they create that are going to 320 00:15:51,645 --> 00:15:54,945 make the good parts of teaching, the stuff you like, possible. 321 00:15:55,410 --> 00:15:57,930 They enable you to be the kind of teacher you want to be. 322 00:15:58,290 --> 00:16:00,930 They're what create consistency so students feel safe and know 323 00:16:00,930 --> 00:16:03,870 what to expect. They prevent problems by minimizing 324 00:16:03,870 --> 00:16:07,170 opportunities for kids to test your limits, and they free you 325 00:16:07,170 --> 00:16:09,750 up to focus on your students instead of logistics. 326 00:16:10,230 --> 00:16:13,170 Emily: So let's wrap up with a quick recap of how to turn 327 00:16:13,170 --> 00:16:17,130 procedures into routines that stick. First, anchor your 328 00:16:17,130 --> 00:16:20,295 routine to one solid procedure that's already working well, 329 00:16:20,775 --> 00:16:23,475 then expand by adding one procedure at a time until you've 330 00:16:23,475 --> 00:16:26,955 built the full sequence. Finally, reinforce the routine 331 00:16:26,955 --> 00:16:29,475 as a whole, not just the individual steps. 332 00:16:30,135 --> 00:16:33,915 Heidi: Focus on your core four routines—morning start, hallway 333 00:16:33,915 --> 00:16:38,415 movement, classroom transitions, and end of day. These make or 334 00:16:38,415 --> 00:16:41,655 break your classroom flow. So look for opportunities to 335 00:16:41,655 --> 00:16:45,240 reinforce your expectations, so students will want to meet them. 336 00:16:45,960 --> 00:16:48,720 Emily: And remember that this will take time. Plan on at least 337 00:16:48,720 --> 00:16:51,780 two weeks for the basic structures to stick, but there 338 00:16:51,780 --> 00:16:54,480 will still be a period of watching and reinforcing before 339 00:16:54,480 --> 00:16:56,040 it becomes truly automatic. 340 00:16:56,700 --> 00:16:59,400 Heidi: And we would love to hear how you're building routines 341 00:16:59,400 --> 00:17:02,160 this year. Come join the conversation in our Teacher 342 00:17:02,160 --> 00:17:03,240 Approved Facebook group. 343 00:17:04,080 --> 00:17:06,585 Emily: Now for our Teacher Approved Tip of the Week, where 344 00:17:06,585 --> 00:17:09,705 we share an actionable tip to help you elevate what matters 345 00:17:09,705 --> 00:17:13,125 and simplify the rest. This week's teacher approved tip is 346 00:17:13,185 --> 00:17:15,945 to create your own routines. So tell us about this, Heidi. 347 00:17:16,620 --> 00:17:19,320 Heidi: Well, have you ever noticed how satisfying it is 348 00:17:19,320 --> 00:17:22,860 when your own personal routines just click? Like when you 349 00:17:22,860 --> 00:17:25,380 develop that evening routine where you prep everything for 350 00:17:25,380 --> 00:17:29,040 the next day, and then morning you feels like you have gained a 351 00:17:29,040 --> 00:17:34,140 superpower. Well, let's lean into that. This week, pick one 352 00:17:34,140 --> 00:17:37,020 routine in your personal life that's feeling a little chaotic 353 00:17:37,380 --> 00:17:40,725 and apply the same anchoring, expanding and reinforcing 354 00:17:40,725 --> 00:17:42,105 approach we talked about today. 355 00:17:42,765 --> 00:17:45,765 Emily: So maybe that'll be your after school routine, or your 356 00:17:45,765 --> 00:17:49,305 Sunday meal prep, or even just how you unwind in the evening. 357 00:17:49,605 --> 00:17:52,425 Start with one solid step that's already working and then build 358 00:17:52,425 --> 00:17:52,965 from there. 359 00:17:53,505 --> 00:17:55,905 Heidi: And we did talk about teacher morning routines as part 360 00:17:55,905 --> 00:17:58,965 of our morning routine deep dive. So the ones that focus on 361 00:17:58,965 --> 00:18:03,270 teachers specifically are episodes 93, which is your 362 00:18:03,330 --> 00:18:06,630 getting out the door morning routine, and episode 94 that's 363 00:18:06,630 --> 00:18:09,150 like, once you get to school morning routine. So definitely 364 00:18:09,150 --> 00:18:12,390 check those out. And just like with your students, give 365 00:18:12,390 --> 00:18:16,050 yourself time to practice and adjust. Those neuronal pathways 366 00:18:16,110 --> 00:18:17,310 need repetition at home, too. 367 00:18:17,970 --> 00:18:20,490 Emily: The best part is that when your personal routines are 368 00:18:20,490 --> 00:18:23,310 running smoothly, you'll have more mental energy for all of 369 00:18:23,310 --> 00:18:23,998 the amazing teaching you want to do. 370 00:18:23,998 --> 00:18:24,058 Heidi: All right, to wrap up the show, we're sharing what we're 371 00:18:24,058 --> 00:18:29,595 giving extra credit to this week. Emily, what gets your 372 00:18:29,775 --> 00:18:30,855 extra credit? 373 00:18:31,155 --> 00:18:34,515 Emily: I'm giving us credit to the Good Hang podcast with Amy 374 00:18:34,515 --> 00:18:36,195 Poehler. Have you listened to this, Heidi? 375 00:18:36,555 --> 00:18:38,415 Heidi: I haven't. It keeps showing up in my feed, so I've 376 00:18:38,415 --> 00:18:40,695 been meaning to, I just haven't had a chance yet. 377 00:18:40,695 --> 00:18:43,575 Emily: Same, and I just barely started listening a couple days 378 00:18:43,575 --> 00:18:47,295 ago, and it has exceeded my expectations. I think Amy might 379 00:18:47,295 --> 00:18:50,640 have been born to be a podcaster, not an actress. I 380 00:18:50,640 --> 00:18:52,320 like her as an actress, too, to be clear. 381 00:18:52,659 --> 00:18:56,679 Heidi: I keep getting ads for her master class on improv, and 382 00:18:56,679 --> 00:18:59,199 she's so delightful. I keep thinking, do I need to take a 383 00:18:59,199 --> 00:19:02,639 master class on improv? I don't want to do improv, but she's so 384 00:19:02,639 --> 00:19:03,179 fun. 385 00:19:03,420 --> 00:19:07,380 Emily: Be worth it to hang out with Amy. And usually I don't 386 00:19:07,380 --> 00:19:09,900 care to watch video podcasts. I just want to listen to a 387 00:19:09,900 --> 00:19:13,440 podcast. But I got fed one of these on YouTube, and I was 388 00:19:13,440 --> 00:19:16,140 like, Oh, this is so fun. And so now I just kind of have it on in 389 00:19:16,140 --> 00:19:18,540 the corner while I'm working the last few days, and it's been so 390 00:19:18,540 --> 00:19:22,440 fun. And seriously, every episode is genuinely a good 391 00:19:22,440 --> 00:19:25,800 hang. And one thing I love that she does is at the beginning of 392 00:19:25,800 --> 00:19:28,905 each episode, she does a video chat with someone she knows who 393 00:19:28,905 --> 00:19:31,665 also knows her guest for the episode, and then they say good 394 00:19:31,665 --> 00:19:33,345 things about the guests behind their backs. 395 00:19:33,345 --> 00:19:34,365 Heidi: That is so fun! 396 00:19:34,425 --> 00:19:36,705 Emily: It's so cute. So like, before she talked to Andy 397 00:19:36,705 --> 00:19:41,145 Samberg, she called Seth Meyers, and they talked about him, and 398 00:19:41,445 --> 00:19:44,325 like, how they got to know him and what they love about him. 399 00:19:44,325 --> 00:19:48,105 And then Seth, like, gave her an idea for a joke to play on Andy. 400 00:19:48,105 --> 00:19:50,010 And it was just fun. It was so cute. 401 00:19:50,130 --> 00:19:52,350 Heidi: That's such a fun way to introduce a guest. 402 00:19:52,350 --> 00:19:56,490 Emily: I know, it just felt so, it's just wholesome and fun, and 403 00:19:56,490 --> 00:19:59,550 it just makes me smile. So if you need a mood booster, check 404 00:19:59,550 --> 00:20:00,750 out the Good Hang podcast. 405 00:20:00,750 --> 00:20:02,790 Heidi: Well, I'll definitely have to try that out, because 406 00:20:02,790 --> 00:20:04,650 I'm going to be working for quite a while today. 407 00:20:04,950 --> 00:20:08,370 Emily: Yeah, pull it up. Start with the Adam Scott episode, 408 00:20:08,430 --> 00:20:11,190 because you're a Parks and Rec-er. So start with that one, 409 00:20:11,250 --> 00:20:13,815 even though you haven't watched Severance, so you won't get all 410 00:20:13,815 --> 00:20:17,115 the Severance talk, it's still worth it to hear them talk about 411 00:20:17,115 --> 00:20:19,275 Ben and Leslie is just so cute. 412 00:20:19,275 --> 00:20:21,675 Heidi: They're so good. I do love that. Okay, I'll definitely 413 00:20:21,675 --> 00:20:22,395 have to check that out. 414 00:20:22,395 --> 00:20:24,495 Emily: Okay, let me know what you think. What's getting your 415 00:20:24,495 --> 00:20:25,215 extra credit? 416 00:20:25,215 --> 00:20:28,755 Heidi: Well, I'm giving extra credit to the Lady Stacks 417 00:20:28,755 --> 00:20:30,015 Ultimate Book Tracker. 418 00:20:30,015 --> 00:20:31,455 Emily: Ooh, it sounds fancy. 419 00:20:31,000 --> 00:20:34,420 Heidi: Now, I haven't been someone who keeps track of my 420 00:20:34,420 --> 00:20:38,560 reading, because when I tried, I would get too caught up on how 421 00:20:38,560 --> 00:20:41,380 much or how little I was reading, and then it would start 422 00:20:41,380 --> 00:20:44,440 to feel like a chore, or that I was being graded and I was 423 00:20:44,440 --> 00:20:48,580 failing somehow. So I had to stop doing that. But I kept 424 00:20:48,580 --> 00:20:51,160 seeing ads. I'm so susceptible for ads, apparently. 425 00:20:51,160 --> 00:20:51,820 Emily: Apparently. 426 00:20:51,820 --> 00:20:55,045 Heidi: But I kept getting ads for this digital reading 427 00:20:55,045 --> 00:20:59,545 tracker. And 100% I have to say, I only bought it because I was 428 00:20:59,545 --> 00:21:04,885 trying to figure out how this person, Lady Stacks, how she 429 00:21:04,885 --> 00:21:08,185 managed to get the images to work well in Google Sheets, 430 00:21:08,185 --> 00:21:11,665 because it's a whole, you get a whole little like library image, 431 00:21:11,665 --> 00:21:15,145 but it's all in Google Sheets. And I have to say, I could not 432 00:21:15,145 --> 00:21:17,005 figure it out, because those tabs are locked. 433 00:21:17,185 --> 00:21:17,905 Emily: Oh, dang it. 434 00:21:18,625 --> 00:21:21,790 Heidi: But it turns out that it has been fun to play around with 435 00:21:21,790 --> 00:21:24,730 just putting in my own reading. So what you do is you type your 436 00:21:24,730 --> 00:21:28,630 book titles on one tab and then a little book is added to your 437 00:21:28,630 --> 00:21:30,730 cute library picture on the next tab. 438 00:21:30,850 --> 00:21:31,330 Emily: Oh, cute. 439 00:21:31,330 --> 00:21:34,270 Heidi: It's very satisfying. I love seeing my little library 440 00:21:34,270 --> 00:21:38,290 grow, and there's lots of info, like page totals and graphs. I 441 00:21:38,290 --> 00:21:39,881 haven't been on story graph because I know a lot of people 442 00:21:39,881 --> 00:21:43,015 use that instead of good reads, so I think it might be similar 443 00:21:43,015 --> 00:21:45,475 to that. But I don't know that you get to make a cute library 444 00:21:45,475 --> 00:21:46,195 in story graphs. 445 00:21:46,195 --> 00:21:48,955 Emily: I bet not. And I the reason I haven't switched to 446 00:21:48,955 --> 00:21:52,255 story graph is I don't think it's free, and I don't want to 447 00:21:52,255 --> 00:21:52,375 pay. 448 00:21:52,375 --> 00:21:52,975 Heidi: Oh, that's annoying. 449 00:21:53,035 --> 00:21:55,735 Emily: Well, not, I'll pay for something. I just don't want to 450 00:21:55,735 --> 00:21:59,095 pay continuously for a tool. I could be wrong, though. The 451 00:21:59,695 --> 00:22:02,695 people listening may be like, No, it's, you don't have to pay 452 00:22:02,695 --> 00:22:04,480 for it. I have no idea. I should have probably checked that 453 00:22:04,480 --> 00:22:07,300 before I made that statement, but it sticks in my head that 454 00:22:07,300 --> 00:22:09,820 that's why I didn't switch over, was like, Oh, I don't want to 455 00:22:09,820 --> 00:22:10,180 pay for it. 456 00:22:10,000 --> 00:22:13,420 Heidi: That's good to know. Well, I did have to pay for the 457 00:22:13,660 --> 00:22:16,240 book tracker, but it has been fun. I thought, Oh, I could make 458 00:22:16,240 --> 00:22:18,820 a new sheet for each year and have my little library just 459 00:22:18,820 --> 00:22:19,660 built up, so. 460 00:22:20,080 --> 00:22:22,300 Emily: That's so cute. I'm definitely gonna check it out. I 461 00:22:22,300 --> 00:22:26,020 do use Goodreads, but there isn't an easy, satisfying way 462 00:22:26,020 --> 00:22:29,320 to, like, see everything you've read. It's kind of utilitarian. 463 00:22:29,680 --> 00:22:34,045 And I also get stressed out in Goodreads about the reviews, 464 00:22:34,465 --> 00:22:40,225 because I feel I overthink the stars, because sometimes, well, 465 00:22:40,465 --> 00:22:43,405 I really enjoyed this. So it's like a four star, but really 466 00:22:43,405 --> 00:22:45,865 it's the writing's not that great, the story's not that 467 00:22:45,865 --> 00:22:48,205 great. It's probably more like a three star, but I liked it. So, 468 00:22:48,265 --> 00:22:50,785 you know, I just spend too much effort on that. Plus, I feel so 469 00:22:50,785 --> 00:22:52,525 guilty ever giving anybody. 470 00:22:52,525 --> 00:22:53,905 Heidi: I know it's hard. 471 00:22:53,965 --> 00:22:56,950 Emily: Like, less than, yeah, I feel bad every time I give even 472 00:22:56,950 --> 00:22:59,050 a three star. I'm like, Oh, I'm such a jerk. So. 473 00:22:59,410 --> 00:23:03,130 Heidi: Well, now you can rate lowly in private. No one will 474 00:23:03,130 --> 00:23:03,550 ever see it. 475 00:23:03,550 --> 00:23:05,890 Emily: There we go. Okay, I'll check it out. 476 00:23:05,890 --> 00:23:08,410 Heidi: And there's a link in the show notes if anyone else wants 477 00:23:08,410 --> 00:23:08,950 to check it out. 478 00:23:09,790 --> 00:23:12,730 That's it for today's episode. Remember our three steps for 479 00:23:12,730 --> 00:23:15,370 connecting your individual procedures into smooth running 480 00:23:15,370 --> 00:23:19,270 classroom routines, and then you can try out those same steps to 481 00:23:19,270 --> 00:23:20,230 your own routines. 482 00:23:22,675 --> 00:23:26,515 We hope you enjoyed this episode of Teacher Approved. I'm Heidi. 483 00:23:26,575 --> 00:23:29,815 Emily: And I'm Emily. Thank you for listening. Be sure to follow 484 00:23:29,815 --> 00:23:32,395 or subscribe in your podcast app so that you never miss an 485 00:23:32,395 --> 00:23:32,815 episode. 486 00:23:33,235 --> 00:23:35,575 Heidi: You can connect with us and other teachers in the 487 00:23:35,575 --> 00:23:38,755 Teacher Approved Facebook group. We'll see you here next week. 488 00:23:38,935 --> 00:23:39,655 Bye for now. 489 00:23:39,655 --> 00:23:40,615 Emily: Bye.