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First week of school: routines to teach (free printable checklist)

Twelve routines down the page and Monday to Friday across the top, with a box in every square. Edit the routines to your room, print and tick each one off as the class learns it.

Printed on the sheet. Leave it empty to write by hand.
Colour
First Week Routines, page 1First Week RoutinesClassDateRoutineMonTueWedThuFri1Entering and unpacking2Lining up and walking inthe hall3Getting the class'sattention4Using the restroom5Sharpening a pencil6Asking for help7Turning in work8Moving between centers9Cleaning up10Fire drill and safety11Packing up and dismissal12Using classroom materialsTick a box each day you practice a routine.Free at teach.peabody.kids

To save a PDF, choose Print, then “Save as PDF” as the printer. Only the sheet prints.

About this sheet

The first week of school is the one week when time spent on procedures pays back all year. Children who know how to line up, ask for help, put things away and move between activities need far less direction later. This page turns the week into a list: the routines you mean to teach down the side, the five days across the top, and a box to tick on each day you practice. A glance on Wednesday tells you which routines have been taught once and which still need a second go. The twelve defaults are common ones, and each can be edited to fit your room. Pin the page by your desk, and let it remind you that a routine is taught and practiced, not announced.

Best in: August, September.

How to use it

  1. Edit the routines so they match the ones your room needs most, one to a line, up to sixteen of them.
  2. Print the page and pin it by your desk. After each day, tick the boxes for the routines you practiced that day.
  3. On Friday, look for routines with only one tick and decide which to repeat first on Monday of the second week.

Five ideas for class

  1. Teach a routine in three steps: show it, practice it with the whole class, then praise the class when it is done well without a reminder.
  2. Choose no more than three new routines a day. A day with eight routines teaches none of them, and tires everyone.
  3. Practice the routines that need a moving class, such as lining up and fire drills, early in the day while children have the most energy.
  4. Photograph or draw the finished state of the room, such as a tidy table, and keep it as a reference to show what done looks like.
  5. Keep the page and compare it next year. Seeing which routines took longest tells you where to start the next time.

Related

Questions

How many routines should I teach in a week?

Twelve is a lot for one week, and most teachers keep teaching the rest through September. List the ones you cannot do without, and tick them first.

Is it for students to use?

No. It is a planning page for teachers. For a page the children can fill in, use the morning routine checklist or the all about me page.

Can I use it for a mid-year new student?

Yes. Edit the list to the routines a new arrival needs, and use the boxes for the days of their first week.

How do I save it as a PDF?

Choose Print, then pick “Save as PDF” as the printer. Only the sheet prints: the page around it is hidden. You can also save a sheet as a PNG image under the preview.

Can I print it in black and white?

Yes. Switch to Black and white beside the sheet: fills turn white and lines turn black, so it saves ink and photocopies cleanly.

Is what I type saved or sent anywhere?

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