Katherine Callicutt- TLAC

Strategy 3: Entry Routine

Entry Routine is a strategy that is implemented after the student has entered the classroom and as they are finding their way to their seats and getting settled in.  This routine is one that can be formed through rules set in place by the teacher or it can be formed through habit as the students simply do the same thing every day until it becomes routine.  This often involves students picking up a packet of information or materials as they enter the classroom.  However, it is important that these materials are picked up from tables rather than handed out after class has started.  This maximizes class time, and it also gives the teacher a chance to greet students as they come into the classroom.  Another important aspect of the Entry Routine is that students have a specific seat that they sit in for each class session.  When students do not know where to sit they usually end up wandering around for an extended period of time and this is both unorganized and it wastes class time.  So, it is important for students to know exactly where they are expected to sit so that they can walk in, grab their materials, have a seat, and start on the activity they have been assigned.  Homework turn-in should also be organized and efficient.  Students should do the same thing with their homework each day and they should know exactly when and where to turn their homework in.  This both maximizes class time and decreases the likelihood that students will forget to turn their homework in.  Finally, the activities that students are expected to be doing should be clearly outlined on the board in an easy to understand manner.  The board should include what the students should be doing as they enter, what the class will consist of for the day, and what homework they will be assigned.  In doing this, teachers maintain an organized environment and can start class time once the bell rings.

 

The Entry Routine strategy is important when teaching students with ADHD because of the consistency in the classroom that the strategy creates.  One key strategy in teaching students with ADHD is maintaining a consistent schedule and environment.  By having a set routine that students take part in each morning, students are provided with a structured and organized environment.  Another key aspect of the classroom that is benificial to students with ADHD is preferred seating.  Students with ADHD learn better when they are seated near the front and away from distractions.  So, in giving a set seating chart that students follow each day, students with ADHD are guaranteed the seat that they learn best in.  Another reason that Entry Routines are important is evident in analyzing the stage of cognitive development that these students are in.  The psychologist Piaget asserted that humans go through four stages throughout their lifetime.  These stages are known as "Piaget's Four Stages of Cognitive Development".  Each stage outlines certain characteristics that human beings possess while in that particular stage.  The final stage, the formal operational stage, is usually presented in people over the age of 12.  People in this stage experience the "spotlight effect" which is a feeling that everyone is watching everything they do.  These people believe that there is a spotlight on them and this sometimes hinders students from speaking up or doing certain things because they are afraid of embarrassing themselves.  However, having a set Entry Routine minimizes room for embarrassment because each student should be doing the same exact thing.  So, rather than students just coming in and doing what they want, they are expected to all follow the same routine.  This helps rectify the problem of the spotlight effect as students realize that everyone around them is doing the same thing.

 

Entry Routines are an effective way to begin class time.  So, I plan to implement a set Entry Routine in my classroom.  Certain aspects of my Entry Routine will be presented as follows.

A table will be set up at the entrance of the classroom.  This table will contain anything that students will need for the day.  For example, when teaching a lesson about parts of speech I will have a guided notes sheet on the table for students to retrieve as they walk in.  In addition, there will be a basket labeled "homework" placed on the table and students will place their homework in the basket each morning.  

I will also have a seating chart that students see on the first day of class.  In addition, the seating chart will be displayed in the classroom just in case students have trouble remembering where they sit.