This week Brittany Johnson came back to our class to share some classroom management strategies with us. I really enjoyed the advice, tools and strategies she told us about. We talked about SEL check ins, Modelling, soft starts and other helpful strategies.
Routines and SEL
Setting routines is a great way to manage a class and set expectations with students. Setting routines is also a great practice in UDL, since it helps set many types of students up for success. A specific routine Brittany shared with us is her SEL check in at the start and end of the day. SEL stands for social and emotional learning, and introducing something like the check ins we do every class, or the Inside Out one we did today. This is an easy way to understand what your students are bringing to school with them each day, rather than assuming all students are starting the day on a strong note.
Soft Starts
Soft starts and transitions are a way of easing students into class activities and learning. There are many different ways to do soft starts with students, the activities can be stand-alone or a way to transition into the lesson or activity planned. Incorporating soft starts into classroom routines is a way to get students on the same page and ready to learn. I have seen soft starts/transitions used in my link to practice classroom and they are super useful to both the teacher and students.