One of the key ingredients to maintaining an effective classroom management plan is mastering the art of transitioning in the classroom.
Transitioning in the classroom involves learners moving from one activity to the next without chaos, distractions, or confusion.
This post takes you step-by-step through essential actions you can take so that your elementary students transition smoothly from one task to the next.
Follow these tried-and-true tips, and gradually, your learners will be transitioning in the classroom with high proficiency.
Secrets to Perfect Transitioning In the Classroom
1. Brainstorm the Times of Day When Students Will Transition.
If the goal is to perfect transitioning in the classroom, begin with the end in mind.
Take out your classroom schedule, or take a look at your weekly lesson plan. Think about which times your kids will need to transition.
You’ll create a strategic transitioning plan for each.
Following are a few common times to consider…
- From “morning work” or “bell work” to the first formal lesson of the day
- One learning block to another (eg. writer’s workshop to reader’s workshop)
- Lining up to go to an elective class or lunch
- Dismissal time at the end of the day
- Fire drill
Also, think outside of the four walls of your classroom…
- How will they line up and return to class after recess?
- What is the process for dumping lunch trays, lining up afterward, and then returning to class?
- Will they wait to be called before standing up to meet you after an assembly?
These details matter because a lack of planning for these moments in the school day can have negative consequences on your overall classroom management plan.
See this complete list of classroom routines and procedures that you need to consider as you plan to transition in the classroom ideas.
2. Decide How You’ll Manage Transitions.
Now take time to figure out how each transition will take place.
Here are the key elements to include…
- Quick Notice – When transitioning in the classroom, it’s ideal to provide students with a warning in order to alert them that in a few moments, they’ll be moving to the next task.
- A reminder of Expectations – When sharing the quick notice, include a brief reminder of the behaviors, procedures, and/or routines you expect to see. The C.H.A.M.P.S Classroom Management plan provides a clear structure for doing tasks such as this.
- Present Signal – Once it’s time to transition, give a cue to prompt students into action. Consider using hand signals, a call and response phrase, or choose from several fun attention-getters.
Now learners will complete the transition.
The following are effective methods that help students transition swiftly.
Play music or recite a song/chant.
Students know that when the song ends, they should be done transitioning.
Limit time.
Show a countdown or hourglass timer. Learners only have that amount to move to the next activity or task. See this fun kid-friendly digital timer.
Incorporate table group competitions.
Consider giving points or a reward to students from the table group that transitions smoothly and quickly.
Transition in chunks.
If you have a large group of students, have them transition in chunks instead of all at once. For example, for a class of 25, five learners begin to transition. One by one, additional groups of 5 stagger for about a minute or so before transitioning.
Avoid being too rigid.
While we do want kids to transition swiftly and without chaos, it’s still necessary to allow them breathing room. This is the time for them to stretch a bit. There’s no need to create a military-like atmosphere.
Be prepared.
Make sure you’re prepared, too! Double-check that all the materials and photocopies that students need for the next activity are present.
3. Review Transitions With Students.
Before putting transitions into practice, first discuss your expectations and the process of how they’ll work.
- What will each transition look like? Sound like?
- Which cues will the teacher use to signal that it’s time to move?
- How much time will learners have to complete each transition?
- In addition to the classroom, what will moving from task to task look like in other areas (e.g. cafeteria, library, assemblies, electives, etc.)?
Review every period of the school day where students transition. This step keeps everyone on the same page, and gives students an opportunity to ask questions.
4. Practice Transitions.
This step of transitioning in the classroom is arguably the most important. Now is the time to put theory into practice!
Rehearse transitioning routines and procedures thoroughly. Students need to know exactly what to do, how, and when.
Ideally, you want to establish your expectations for transitioning in the classroom at the start of the school year. However, each time your students perform a transition is a practice session.
With time, students become so good with transitioning that your routines and procedures run like a well-oiled machine.
5. Be Consistent.
Above all, be consistent with the attention you give to transitioning in the classroom.
Starting strong but then with time allowing students to become sloppy is a recipe for disaster.
Whichever type of transitions you decide to use, keep those methods consistent within your daily schedule so that learners know exactly what to expect at certain times of the day.
Generously praise those who consistently perform well.
On the flip side, give consequences as appropriate for those who willfully choose to transition with chaos and distraction.
Over time, you’ll observe which transitions are working and which aren’t. Tweak those that need it, and seek students’ feedback on how they feel things could be improved.
Transitioning In the Classroom: Frequently Asked Questions
1. How do I transition in a classroom?
Transitioning in a classroom requires a strategic game plan. The plan includes…
- Brainstorming the times within the school day when students will need to transition,
- Listing the actual transition methods you’ll use with learners,
- Reviewing plus practicing those procedures with students, and then…
- Tweaking the transitions throughout the school year as needed.
Following the detailed steps within this post will help students with transitioning in the classroom with success.
2. How do you create a smooth transition in the classroom?
To create a smooth transition in the classroom, you need to do two key things well: plan and practice!
Plan exactly which transitions you’ll use with students.
Songs/music, countdown timers, and call-and-response attention-getters are the most popular and arguably the most effective methods used to create smooth transitions.
Observe teachers in your school who seem to have mastered smooth classroom transitions, and adopt similar actions to use with your own learners.
Once you have selected your preferred transitions, practice them with students consistently.
Technically, every transition performed throughout the school day is a practice session because each provides students an opportunity to improve.
If an aspect of a transition isn’t working (e.g. too much disruption and/or chaos), tweak the task until it functions the way it should.
Feedback from students can be helpful.
3. How long should classroom transitions be?
Ideally, transitions should take no longer than 5 minutes to complete as you want them to be relatively quick.
They should have clear beginnings and endings with minimal “downtime” between tasks.
When students are learning new transitions, you may allow them more time to complete the actions as they become accustomed to the routines.
4. Why are smooth transitions important in the classroom?
Chaos-free transitions are important in the classroom because they help educators maximize instructional time, minimize disruptions, and safeguard a healthy learning environment.
Additionally, smooth transitions create an atmosphere of respect.
Why?
Because as students move from one activity to the next, they are doing so with minimal noise and disruption.
This helps everyone arrive to his/her final destination safely and without incident.
Wrapping Up: Secrets to Great Transitioning In the Classroom
Any good behavioral management plan includes effective solutions for transitioning in the classroom.
If you follow these tips step-by-step, the procedures and routines that your students perform daily will run more smoothly.
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