Can you think of a specific age grop that you teacher when answering teh questions and let

me know the age, as I need a sample of diffrent ages

from 4-11 (especially need the upper and lower end of this now..). Thanks so much, really appreciate it! 1) What routines do you use in your classes?
2) How long does it take to establish the routines and is there anything that you do that helps to establish them? (e.g. do you use L1 when introducing
routines to ensure that students understand?) 3) How do you think routines help you with classroom management with young learners? 4) Are there
any aspects of routines that you haven’t tried yet that you would like to try in the future (e.g. things that you have read about or seen other teachers
do?) Also, can I use a photo of your lovely face to put with your ansers as am going to mke them into mini case studies...

Hi Rachel!!!!

Here are some wee answers for you.... hope they’re useful. The class I’m thinking of are 5-7 year old
beginners.

1. I use routines in all of my classes and in pretty much every stage of the class. There is a
routine for entering the room, for sitting down, doing the register, starting the class, setting
the homework, and ending and leaving the class.
2. With beginners like this I definitely think it’s ok to use a bit of L1 the first time or two to back
up the demonstrations of the routines, it saves a huge amount of time and confusion. The
routines are primarily established by demonstration and repetition, but brief back-up in L1
isn’t necessarily a negative. The times necessary to establish the routines vary, but I’d say on
average 2 or 3 classes. The routines should also always be a developing thing, extending the
learners’ use as they gain more and more knowledge. For example, a routine that starts
practising numbers 1-10 is extended to 1-20, and then to the alphabet, then days and months
etc.
3. I think that the most important function of routines is helping the kids feel comfortable in the
classroom environment, especially for the youngest learners. The repetition of “real language”
rather than just “book vocabulary” is essential for the learners to actually be able to use the
language. I often find that the opening routines of the class are the only time that the teacher
has the opportunity to interact naturally with the learners. In stages of the class when the
kids really need to listen and focus on the teacher to understand the task theat they are about
to do, for example setting the homework, a strict repeated and clearly established routine is
essential.
4. Stealing parts of, or complete routines from other teachers is something that I am a massive
fan of! Sharing ideas, seeing if they work in your situation and with your learners and their
needs, and of course also sharing your ideas with other teachers is one of the basics of what
we do!

Entrance Routine

 I have to collect the kids from downstairs where they are waiting quietly in line (hahaha) They march up the stairs
counting to 10 and then chanting the alphabet, once they know it.

 They line up outside the class and then as they enter I assign them a seat which has a previous class’ flashcard on
it. As they progress, they choose the card writing the first letter on my hand with their finger. As the remaining
kids enter they are all getting “2 books and a pencil case” out of their bags and settling down.

 The register is done with ClassDojo. Each kid is called on in turn, they bring me their flashcard, and tell me
something about the card, (“it’s a happy yellow train”) or are asked a question about it if they need a bit of a
prod.

 The homework is checked. Generally we try to do this communicatively with the kids asking each other “what
colour is YOUR car, Marta?” etc..... but sometimes I just run around the room with a felt-tip scrawling smiley
faces.