Summary
This YouTube video from “Tips for Teachers” discusses effective strategies for teaching students classroom routines. The core argument is that simply explaining a routine isn’t enough; teachers must actively incorporate retrieval practice to help students remember and automate the steps. The video uses examples of integrating routine retrieval into math homework and starters. The speaker emphasizes the importance of remembering the rationale behind each step of the routine and encourages viewers to consider how to implement this strategy in their own classrooms. It’s presented as a follow-up to a previous video on justifying routines.
Time-stamps
- 0:48-1:54: Routines can increase time dedicated to learning because they free up working memory that would otherwise be used to think about the routine itself. This allows students to focus on the learning task.
- 1:55- 2:42: Teachers should use retrieval practice to help students remember routines. Retrieval practice involves revisiting information at different intervals in the future to help strengthen memories.
- 3:05-4:17: Examples of how to build retrieval practice for routines into lessons are given. These include:
- Including questions about routines on homework assignments.
- Using “Do Now” or starter activities to review routines.
- 4:18-4:49 The speaker asks viewers how they help students remember routines and encourages viewers to share their strategies.
What are the key implications for teachers in the classroom?
- Teachers should treat classroom routines as important content to be learned and remembered. Just like math facts or historical dates, classroom routines need to be taught, practiced, and retrieved in order to become automatic.
- Explanation alone is not enough to help students remember routines. Teachers need to go beyond simply explaining the routine and its importance.
- Retrieval practice is crucial for automating routines. Teachers should provide regular opportunities for students to retrieve the steps of a routine.
- Retrieval practice can be embedded in regular classroom activities. Teachers can incorporate routine retrieval into homework assignments, starter activities, and other parts of the lesson. Examples include:
- Asking students to recall the steps of a routine as a homework question.
- Including questions about routine justification in a starter activity.
- Teachers should help students understand the rationale behind routines. When students understand why a routine is important, they are more likely to remember it and follow it.
By following these implications, teachers can help students automate classroom routines, which can free up cognitive resources for learning.
