Having a routine in place to start each day is so important for classroom management! Students know what to expect and appreciate the structure in place. I have daily routines I use in class that change for each day of the week, but we start every day the same way!

Check-In

The first slide I have projected is a slide to check in with them on how their day is going! I ask them as they come in or just circulate around the room checking in with them. Now that we’ve been doing it for a while, they kind of circulate and chat with each other too before the period starts!

Once the period starts, the expectation is that they’re in their seats, then I ask a few of the class members I didn’t get to during the passing period or the last few students who came in. Some days I poll the class and have them raise their hands to show how they feel.

Depending on how responsive they are, sometimes we take turns asking and answering in a circle as a class, although we didn’t start this until it had been several weeks so everyone was pretty comfortable with the answers!

We’re not limited to those feelings – we’ve definitely been using “cansado/a” and “enfermo/a” more as we have gotten further into the school year. Students also add descriptors like “muy” and “un poco” depending on how they feel!

We also add in “¿Por qué?” to talk about things a little more in-depth, again, all varying depending on how it seems like the student is feeling. Sometimes they’re open to sharing, other times not so much!

Calendar Talk

After we check in, we do a quick Calendar Talk! What day is today? What day was yesterday? What day is tomorrow? Then we talk about the date- today’s date, yesterday’s date, tomorrow’s date. Date, date, date.

Ohhhh is today’s date special for anyone? How? If it’s their birthday we talk about that, how old they are, and if they’re going to celebrate. Sometimes it’s their friend’s birthday, or their cousin’s. Whatever reason it’s special, if they want to share, we’ll talk about it! Sometimes it’s special because there’s a game or a concert. Sometimes it’s special because it’s Persona Especial!

I’ve heard a lot of great things about using passwords to have students enter the classroom. I think that would be a great way to build classroom community, but I travel between classrooms and I often don’t beat the kids into the room!

Your Turn

How do you like to start your classes? Comment below and let me know, or tag me on Instagram @Srta_Spanish!

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