For many students, routines at home have changed (or fallen off the long list of priorities at home) over the summer, and transitioning back to ‘school routines’ may be an additional stressor that families are not ready to address before the new year starts. In order for us to begin the school year successfully, we must keep two things in mind: there will be an adjustment period and students will need to be explicitly taught all routines we want them to perform according to our expectations.

When we are thinking about routines and procedures, it is important that we teach everything, just as we want it completed. By taking the time to explicitly teach, and providing opportunities for students to practice, we demonstrate to students that the routine is important and ensure they feel competent in completing the routines independently. Coupling the explicit teaching of routines with language that highlights success and reinforces for students that the behavior exhibited is helpful leads to greater success, feelings of accomplishment, and ultimately greater learning. 

To help you identify what routines should be taught first, consider the most important routines for you: These questions will guide you in thinking about the many routines that will need to be taught at the start of this school year.

• What routines are your non-negotiables?
• Which routines will lead to success on day one of the school year?
• What routines will set a positive tone for the entire year? 

We must balance the many routines that are important and need to be taught immediately with the fact that students cannot focus for six hours a day of learning routines only. Below are some sample timelines of what routines you might teach during the first few days of school. 

When it comes to teaching routines, it is important that we teach, revisit, and reinforce them throughout the year, not just in the first week of school. To learn more about how to model different routines and procedures to successfully launch the school year, visit the  positiveschoolsolutions.com course page.