Classroom Transition Ideas for Effective Behavior Management

Classroom management is something teachers think about every day. Rules, consequences, building rapport, and a predictable routine all have a huge impact and keep things running smoothly.

But one of the best things you can do to create a positive classroom environment, and spend less time on discipline, is to teach your students how to transition between activities with the least disruption possible.

Let’s look at some classroom transition ideas that can help you accomplish this.

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What types of classroom transitions are used in elementary grades?

A transition period is that empty space between structured activities. Sometimes we call it down time. There are 3 different ways transitions happen in the classroom:

• Entering the room from somewhere else
• Moving from one task to the next activity or next lesson
• Leaving the classroom to go somewhere else

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Why is it important to have effective transition procedures?

Younger children thrive on routine and knowing what is expected of them. But without structured routines, students look to each other for cues on what to do – and this is not what you want happening in your classroom. Any semblance of order can quickly spiral out of control when you don’t have clear expectations in place.

There are a few key times during the day when students have the most trouble maintaining appropriate behaviors – and any transition time is at the top of the list!

One of the best ways to improve your classroom management is to set up very specific procedures and routines for your class to follow when transitioning from one activity to another. Without smooth transitions, you’ll have a hard time getting students back on task and will lose valuable instructional time.

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Classroom Transition Ideas

Now that you know WHY teaching transitions is so important, let’s look at some effective classroom transition ideas and ways you can tweak your classroom procedures.

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Morning Arrival

The first few minutes of the morning set the tone for the rest of the day. The most effective strategy for managing morning arrival is to have a specific routine for your entire class to follow every single day.

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It can be as simple as:

1. Hang your backpack on your numbered hook
2. Put your daily folder in the red basket
3. Sit down and start your morning work until announcements begin

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The trick is to keep it simple and consistent so students always know what they should be doing without teacher direction.

It’s best to keep your morning routine the same every day, but if you want to change it up (some days a worksheet, sometimes morning work bins, etc.), use your whiteboard to show your students the expectation. Have a specific spot on the board where students look every morning to find out what the task is.

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Afternoon Dismissal

Dismissal time is difficult for many teachers to manage. The kids are worn out and excited to go home – just the right recipe for crazy behavior. If you don’t have effective transition strategies set up for the end of the day, you will surely pay the price.

A good idea is to use the same strategy you use during arrival – a simple 3-step routine that students can memorize. Mine looks something like this:

1. Clean up your personal space
2. Put your daily folder on your desk
3. Go sit on the rug for afternoon meeting

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Notice that I don’t have them go get their backpacks or lunch boxes. I keep dismissal time VERY CONTROLLED. It prevents a whole lot of problems. My routine simply gets them ready to pack up and in a spot where I can run the show.

Once everyone’s desks are tidy and they are all sitting in front of me on the rug, I send a few students at a time to quietly get their backpacks and return to the rug. This is also when my classroom helpers can do their jobs. Everyone else is kept seated with every students’ attention on me for our afternoon meeting.

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Classroom Transition Ideas for the Rest of the Day

Arrival and dismissal aren’t the only times you need to plan efficient transitions. One excellent way to keep things running smoothly is to post your daily schedule for students to see. This lets them know what is happening next in their day and will give them a sense of control.

Here are a few more classroom transition ideas to consider:

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Lining Up

How many times during the day does your class have to line up? Going to specials, to lunch, to recess – at least three, right? Having a set procedure for each of these will save you a lot of time! They key is to practice until your students can do it quickly and independently.

One of the easiest classroom transition ideas is to use line spots. This is incredibly helpful with young students who will do almost anything to be first in line.

Line spots are simply numbers on the floor that tell each student where to stand. You can use masking tape to keep it simple. At the beginning of the year, assign each student a number and that’s where they stand to line up. I mark the very first spot with a star for my line leader because that person changes every week. It gives everyone a chance to be in front at some point. Whenever a child is the line leader, his or her regular numbered spot is just empty that week.

Another effective way to line up is using a special poem or chant to help students remember how good behavior looks during hallway transitions.

My favorite is the acronym HALL:

• Hands at sides
• All eyes facing forward
• Legs in line
• Lips quiet

This reminds students exactly how the line should look. I hang my HALL sign above the door so it’s the last thing we see as we leave.

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Changing Subjects

There isn’t enough time in the school day to fit everything in, so it’s important to to eliminate downtime between subjects. Switching from from one academic activity to another needs to be quick and efficient. This will preserve class time and also keep students focused on learning.

One easy way to transition between subjects is to use a countdown timer. If you want to be a little bit fancy, there are some great free online timers or you can run visual timers through Powerpoint.

You can project timers onto your whiteboard and the visual will keep students moving.

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A transition song is another great way to move students from one activity to another. This is especially helpful in the younger grades.

A few other ideas that work well are using call backs to get students’ attention and a five-minute warning (especially good for children who have trouble stopping a preferred activity).

Whatever prompt you use between subjects, make sure you teach your students exactly what steps to take at that time. Maybe they need to put away their reading books, get out their social studies folders, and sit at their desks. The point is to make the transition seamless without giving directions all the time.

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Coming In From Recess

This might be the most difficult transition of the day. Who wants to stop doing something incredibly fun to go inside and work? You’d probably avoid it too if you could. Here are some classroom transition ideas that will make it a whole lot easier.

First, make sure to use a consistent line up location. Students shouldn’t have to search for where you are.

Next, come up with a signal that means it’s time to go in. It can be a whistle, bell, party horn, whatever – as long as it’s loud enough to be heard over recess noise.

Teach your students that when they hear the signal, it’s time to stop what they’re doing and line up. This should take no more than 60 seconds unless your recess area is the size of a football field. If they are all in line in a minute or less, they get two extra minutes of recess the next day. I know… two minutes? Just trust me. The beauty of this strategy is that any stragglers will be prodded along by their classmates who want those extra minutes.

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When to Teach Transition Routines

During the first week of school, teaching routines will certainly be part of your lesson plans. Just be sure to include procedures for different transitions too. Don’t just explain them. Act them out and have your students practice them until they get it right.

Your class will learn quickly, but it’s still a good idea to revisit and review these procedures any time you have a holiday or break from school.

I hope these classroom transition ideas will make your day-to-day teaching life so much easier! It may seem like a lot of repetitive blah blah blah at the beginning, but practice makes perfect. Your transition times will get faster and smoother every day and you will enjoy the positive classroom culture they create.