Give your students something to look forward to and the discipline to follow through.
Morning routines help get the day started out right. Students ease into projects because they’ve had time to fire up their brains, hold discussions about their discoveries, and prepare for harder tasks and projects that require greater involvement. How you choose to approach mornings in the classroom could very well set the tone for the learning environment you teach in.
Here are some of the things that are achieved through dedicated morning routines.
Students see value in familiarity.
Established morning routines save time and valuable resources. They give students a set of expectations to follow. Morning routines are initiated without much thought or persuasion, too. You don’t have to coax students into getting busy because they are already familiar with what to do and how to do it.
Procrastination goes by the wayside because students know what it takes to get started.
Even when new lessons are introduced, your class know who they’ve been partnered up with. They know where to find their supplies. They’re acquainted with how much time they must complete certain tasks. There isn’t a lot of wasted time first thing in the morning because your students are procrastinating completing tasks or projects.
Your class is taken care of while you are away.
In the event of your absence, you have fewer things to worry about. Your substitute can take advantage of the Morning Work book you’ve left for him or her to view. Your students are prepared because they’re doing similar work throughout the rest of the year, so they’re ready to help the sub as much as they can.
Your classroom benefits tremendously when following a morning routine. It prepares students for the day ahead of them especially in the event of your absence. It gives them time to mentally prepare for other subjects, projects, and tasks with greater ease. It also requires discipline because follow-through is required to complete the routine and move onto the next area of focus for the day.
