41 Best Classroom Procedures Examples!

Looking for an amazing list of classroom procedure examples? This is the best list you’ll find! It will help your classroom run smoothly.

Every classroom needs procedures! They are SOOOOO important. I’ll give you all the reasons why you should have them in a little bit.

For now, let me tell you a little about my teaching history. I taught third grade for three years and second grade for three years. Every semester I would speak at the university to all of the student teachers about classroom management.

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I want to repeat, EVERY classroom need procedures!

Here you’ll learn what procedures are, the benefits of procedures, 41 procedure examples, how to teach them to your class, as well as transition ideas.

You’ll have a well running classroom after adding these procedures. Everyone will love being in your classroom!

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21 colored pencils laying on their side in rainbow order.

Table of Contents

What Are Procedures?

So what exactly is a procedure? A procedure is the correct way to do something.

Procedures let students know exactly how to do things in your classroom and elementary school. There are so many things your students will need to know how to do in your elementary classroom.

Don’t worry if you don’t have many procedures or if you don’t know how to teach them. You’ll learn it all here!

Benefits Of Procedures

There are SO many benefits of having great classroom procedures.

Without procedures, your students won’t know what to do. They’ll just stand around the classroom looking confused. And no one wants that!

Procedures help encourage positive behavior and minimize behavior problems. They help you have effective classroom management and a good classroom management system.

Procedures also save time and resources. They also stop you from having to answer the same questions over and over again.

Because of procedures and good classroom management, students will LOVE being in your classroom. The culture in your classroom will be amazing. They’ll feel comfortable and safe because they will know what to do and what to expect.

Having my classroom run like a well oiled machine brought me so much joy. I loved sitting back and watching them do what they should do. I also loved that my entire class knew everything about how our classroom worked.

I know adding these procedures in your classroom will help you so much!

How To Decide What Procedures To Have

I made a list of 11 questions for you! Think about these when you’re trying to decide what routines and procedures you’d like in your classroom.

How will you gain student’s attention?
What are your procedures for turning in homework and passing homework and assignments back to students?
How will students signal that they want help or attention?
What are the procedures for students needing to use the restroom or getting a drink of water?
How will students obtain needed work materials and books?
What are your procedures for turning in late homework?
How will students transition to cooperative group work?
What will students be expected to do when they finish assignments early?
What are you procedures for tardies or early dismissals?
How will you make sure your student understand the expected behavior?
What will the consequences be in your students don’t follow the classroom expectations?

Don’t worry if you need to change a procedure in your classroom. It’s totally fine to change up your routine multiple times a year, or even mid year, if things aren’t working. If it’s not broke, don’t fix it!

But on the other hand, if it’s not working, change it. Just go over the new procedure multiple times on the first few days you introduce it to help students get used to it.

The girls are sitting at their desks in a classroom and the girl in front is raising her hand.

List Of Classroom Routines And Procedures

Here is a huge list of all the important classroom routines and procedures you’ll need in your classroom. I hope you love them!

Entering/Exiting the classroom
Hanging backpacks and coats
Morning meetings or morning routine
Lunch count and making a lunch choice
Pencil sharpening at the pencil sharpener
Assigning classroom jobs
Getting and what to do with bell work
Desk organization
Working in small groups
Carpet time
Getting a drink from the drinking fountain
Washing their hands
Getting supplies
Handing out papers
School-wide expectations and rules
Eating, drinking, or chewing gum
Emergency drills and emergency procedure
Heading papers and assignments
Dismissal
Getting the students’ attention
Field trips
Substitute teacher
Bathroom policy
Turning in assignments and late work
Assigning homework
Attendance
Absent or tardy procedure
Lunch procedure
Recess and getting sports equipment
Finishing work early
Unfinished work
Raising your hand
Classroom disruptions
Use of classroom library
Getting extra supplies- white boards, markers, erasers, or construction paper
Independent work time
Instructional time
Use of technology-desktops, laptops, tablets, and cell phones
Transitions in the classroom
Moving in the classroom
Behavior management

Teaching Classroom Procedures

Some of my biggest is to start teaching your classroom procedures on the very first days of school. I spend a lot of time going over and over them on those first few days and first weeks of school at the beginning of the school year.

I show the students exactly how to sharpen their pencils or how to enter the classroom and hang up their backpacks. I show them what it looks like to quietly raise my hand.

Then, I call on a student to show how to correctly do the procedure. Next, the whole class practices. Make sure you practice the procedure next day, too.

Anytime something isn’t working in your classroom, just come up with new procedures and go over them many times so the students know what to do.

Then, you can review them whenever the kids need a reminder during the rest of the school year.

I like to have all of my procedures taught by the third or fourth day of school. That way they know how to do everything and will feel like they belong in their new classroom for the year. At the beginning of the school year, your students may need reminders of how to do things.

Transition Ideas

Here are a bunch of transitions to help you signal it is time to change activities. Having fun transitions will help your students move more easily to the next activity.

Hand Signals– I loved having a hand signal and a sound signal in my classroom. Hand signals are convent, because you can use a hand signal whether you are inside the classroom, somewhere else in the school, outside at recess, or on a field trip.
Sound Signals– I love sound signals because they’re run to listen to and they’re different from always using your voice to communicate to your class. You could ring a bell, play a social instrument, or play part of a song. Kids love sound signals!
Timer– I love using timers in my classroom. Tell the students how much time they have for an activity. When the timer goes off, it’s time to move to the next activity immediately. You could also just set a timer for the transition time in between activities. If everyone is where they should be when the timer goes off, they could earn a classroom party point or something fun as a reward.
Quiet Signals– Quiet signals are a great way to get attention because you don’t have to say anything. You can choose what you want to use as your quiet signal.
Bell Signals– You or a student can ring a bell to get the students attention. When the bell rings, students should stop what they’re doing exactly and look at you. I love having students do it, because they get so excited when it’s their turn to ring the bell.
Calendars– You should always have a calendars of the daily schedule in the front of the classroom for all the students to see. This will help the students know what is next. It provides comfort for the kids to know what to expect. I don’t like having the time of each subject listed, because you won’t always start math, for example, at the exact same minute every day. Some students will get upset if you’re not starting at the exact listed time. If it works for you, feel free to list them! You could also have a monthly calendar somewhere in the classroom to help the students keep track of the days of the week.

Five students are sitting at their desks in a classroom and are working on their school work.

The Bottom Line

Properly teaching classroom procedures will make your job so much better! You students will be happier, things will run smoothly, there will be a great feeling in your classroom, and your classroom management will be much easier. I highly recommend classroom procedures!

Here is a huge list of classroom jobs that will help you too! Jobs will help your students have a part in the classroom and it will help your classroom run so smoothly.

Here is a giant list of attention grabbers for your students. They are so fun and they also help with classroom management.

Both my classroom jobs post and the attention grabbers post will help you set up your classroom. With classroom jobs, attention grabbers and these classroom procedures, you’re sure to have a successful school year!

FAQs

What are classroom routines and procedures?

So what exactly is a procedure? A procedure is the correct way to do something.

Procedures let students know exactly how to do things in your classroom and elementary school. There are so many things your students will need to know how to do in your elementary classroom.

How do you establish classroom procedures?

Start showing your students exactly how you want them to do things starting on the first day of school. Throughout the year, it’s a good idea to practice them to remind your students.

What are teaching procedures?

I show the students exactly how to sharpen their pencils or how to enter the classroom and hang up their backpacks. I show them what it looks like to quietly raise my hand.

Then, I call on a student to show how to correctly do the procedure. Next, the whole class practices.

Why are procedures important in a classroom?

There are SO many benefits of having great classroom procedures.

Without procedures, your students won’t know what to do. They’ll just stand around the classroom looking confused. And no one wants that!

Procedures help encourage positive behavior and minimize behavior problems. They help you have effective classroom management and a good classroom management system.

Procedures also save time and resources. They also stop you from having to answer the same questions over and over again.

Having my classroom run like a well oiled machine brought me so much joy. I loved that my entire class knew everything about how our classroom worked.

I know adding these procedures in your classroom will help you so much!