Classroom Management in Kindergarten

Classroom Routines for Classroom Community 

I think the most important classroom management tip is to focus on building classroom community. And yet, it's also one of the most vague statements.  A community is built on relationships, but how do you build a relationship with a child when you have 20+ others also wanting your attention AND you still have to teach lessons?! The key that I've found is to introduce little "I see you" rituals throughout the day. These are moments when the students KNOW that you are focused on them and interested in what they have to say. Sometimes its during morning greetings, when I anticipate which greeting they're going to pick because I know Isabella always goes for the high five or Asher always wants a fist bump. It might be at the end of the day during our farewell ritual when I tell them goodbye in a special way. Sometimes its during calendar time when I ask about a sibling or let them tell about a trip or activity they did. It might be during writing time when I let them choose to make a card for their parent's birthday and spend a moment chatting with them about dad's favorite colors and helping them fold the construction paper. It's definitely when I rotate around during free play and participate in their game - eating fake food, taking care of a baby doll or rolling a marble through a Lego maze. These little moments add up throughout the day for most children, and they feel seen and loved. 

Today I'm sharing these FREE Rhyming Farewells: 

My students leave out my back door, so right beside it I have my farewells posted. Each child gets to pick a farewell for me to say to them as they leave. They look forward to the ritual and often spend those last few moments in line discussing with their friends which farewell they'll pick. Some students choose the same farewell all year long, others try out a new one every day, some go in order from the top of the list down and still others have a couple of favorites that they rotate through.

Not only is it a great end-of-day routine, it helps with rhyming and reading as well! Since the farewells are always by the back door, students frequently go over to look at them - sounding out the words or copying them down for write the room. When I first introduce the farewells to my kinders, I gather them at carpet and show them each one and discuss that they all rhyme. Sometimes later in the year I notice that they'll glance back at the farewells when we're doing rhyming activities. I have quite a few ELL students, so we need all the rhyming we can get in our day!

I usually post up two sheets at the beginning of the year and then add the next two after the first semester. This helps to prevent my kinders from being overwhelmed by choices in the beginning of the year and also refreshes the ritual midway through the year. 

I hope your students enjoy these Fun Farewells as much as mine always do! Taking those few minutes at the end of the day to reconnect with each child as you say goodbye is an easy activity for building classroom community!