Duration: 15:43
About the teachers
Rachel Morrison has been teaching for a year and has taught Years 2 and 3 in a rural context. She previously worked in school administration.
Annmarie (Ally) Lehane has been teaching for 10 years in both primary and secondary settings. She has taught in rural, remote and metropolitan schools in Australia and internationally.
Dave Chettle has been teaching for 17 years. He became a teacher following a career in sales. He has taught both primary and secondary students in a metropolitan context.
Transcript
[On-screen text] Viewer advice: First Nations people should be aware that it is possible that some individuals depicted in this video may have since passed away.
Rachel Morrison, classroom teacher, Renmark Primary School: An exit routine provides a predictable, safe, organised ending to a lesson. Students know that they've got a certain amount of time to complete the exit routine, that includes winding up the lesson, packing up their learning area and getting ready to go outside.
Annmarie (Ally) Lehane, classroom teacher, Xavier Catholic College: The exit routine allows the students to understand that this is the end of the learning time. It is this set period of time every lesson, so it brings that repetitive nature to the lesson where students feel like they know what is going to happen.
Dave Chettle, classroom teacher, Woodcrest State College: The students have time to pack up, clean up, and you can have a feedback session with the students before they go and talk about the strengths of the class and what's happened in the class that day. When they leave my classroom, they're ready to go to the next lesson or they're ready to go to break in a calm, safe, consistent manner. And you have a really good, positive experience with the students as they go so they're ready for the next class.
Rachel Morrison: So when I'm about to finish a learning task, I give all students a warning of when that time's coming to an end.
Annmarie (Ally) Lehane: Then I gain all students' attention.
Dave Chettle: I remind all students of the expectations for finishing the lesson. I monitor and reinforce all the behaviour expectations while students are packing away.
Annmarie (Ally) Lehane: I then move to the front of the class and I gain all students' attention.
Rachel Morrison: I remind students of the expectations before leaving the classroom.
Dave Chettle: I then dismiss my students and monitor them as they're leaving the classroom.
I've developed this routine over many years of just making it easy and efficient for the students to understand the expectations. It's really important that they find it easy to do, and it also makes it safer in the classroom, and they're much calmer as they leave. If you make it too quick, they leave in a hurry and you don't get the outcome you want.
Okay, one more minute guys, then we're going to start packing up. Okay, 5, 4, 3, 2 … I don't want to get to 1. Okay, so it's just about lunchtime now. You guys have had a really good session. Okay. So, we're going to get packed up. So, if you have an iPad, please walk quietly and we'll see how quiet we can go and place them and plug them in. Then come back to your desk. Laptop people, pack away. Get all your stuff ready and standing behind a desk quietly. And then we'll be going out for lunch. Okay. Go when you're ready. iPads quietly. Laptops away. Stand behind your desks. I like the way Jeriah and Nick are already standing behind their desk. So is Riley. So is Flynn. So is Elliot. They're doing a great job. Margaret, Jamison and Makarena are ready. You guys are doing a great job putting the iPads away properly. I really like it. Thank you. Nick's ready as well. Good job. Hudson's just about ready. Jackson and Alex are. Nico is good. Lucas has been great this morning. Awesome. So, as we normally do when we exit, walk quietly outside. Okay. Everyone's quiet. Okay, so now we're going to walk quietly. Not going to push through the door. We're going to wait outside for the bell. Let's go. Good job today, man. Same with you. Good job. Jake, really good. Hey, good job. Good job. Just wait. Be polite. Keanu. Good job. Good. Okay. That's exactly what I want, okay? Really good today. Good job.
Okay, one more minute guys, then we're going to start packing up.
It's really important that to wrap up the final task, is that you give them enough time to complete the task. One of the important factors is to gain the students' attention. That means that they're all listening and can follow your instruction. By reminding them of the expectations to pack away, it gives them clear, consistent rules to follow.
And standing behind your desks quietly and then we'll be going out for lunch. Okay. Go When you're ready.
By monitoring and scanning the process, you are able to positively praise those students who are following the instructions, and that helps those students who are a little bit behind to then get on task.
I like the way Jeriah and Nick are already standing behind their desk. So is Riley. So is Flynn. So is Elliot. They're doing a great job.
What's really important is when all students leave the classroom, you can watch them so they leave in a calm and safe manner. By having a positive influence as the students leave the classroom, it means that next time they have you as a teacher, they're keen to come back into the classroom.
Good job today, man. Same with you.
By having a clear, concise and consistent exit procedure, the students now understand it and they are leaving the classroom calm, safe and with no behaviour problems.
That's exactly what I want, okay? Really good today. Good job.
Annmarie (Ally) Lehane: The exit routine allows me to see who’s finished their work and are they capable of organising themselves, which is a skill that as a teacher, I would like to instil in them. So it shows me some of the non-academic skills that we're doing. It also allows me to monitor the classroom behaviours so I can see them in a more social setting. We have scaffolded the exit routine. So, we have practised it in small steps over time and we've repeated it every lesson since then.
We are going to have 30 seconds left. Finish off what you're doing and we will put away our stuff. So, finish off whatever question you're on at the minute.
And girls, looking up here. We are going to put our little pieces of paper into the bin. We are going to put our books away in our little cupboards. We are going to put our pencil cases into our blue tub. We are going to put our sheets into our folders, and then we're all going to come and sit back down. So, you have one minute to do all that and then come and sit back down again. Thank you. Well done. Thank you for putting your stuff away. Thank you, girls, for putting it into the bin. You can come and sit back down when you're ready. You have 3 left. You have 3 left. You're doing so much work that you don't have enough. Well, I'll bring you another one the next day. Okay, we'll have 5, 4, 3, 2, 1. Just in time. Okay, girls, well done today. Really good work. We did our times tables, we did our mental maths and we did our discounts. So, thank you. Well done. We're going to go out for morning tea. So, if we can all push in our chairs afterwards and walk out for morning tea. Thank you, girls. See you later today.
Whilst packing away, I'm considering the stage that each student is at and an appropriate time to finish that so it's not rushing them.
We are going to have 30 seconds left. Finish off what you're doing and we will put away our stuff.
I want them to follow the expectations to ensure that they're in a safe and supportive environment. I also want to reinforce the steps of this exit routine to ensure that the material that they have worked with today is put away in an organised manner.
We are going to put our sheets into our folders and then we are all going to come and sit back down. So, you have one minute to do all that and then come and sit back down again. Thank you.
I'm acknowledging students who are doing the correct thing. I am praising those who have gone above and beyond, and I am reminding any student of something they may need to bring the next class or any notifications to individual students.
Well done. Thank you for putting your stuff away. And Miley, the sheet can go up on the cupboard there. Yeah. Thank you, girls, for putting it into the bin. We can come and sit back down when you're ready.
I want to make sure that they're leaving in a safe way. I want to make sure that they're all interacting with each other and that social communication is appropriate between them and that they're also upholding the classroom standards that we have in here, both inside and outside the classroom.
So, thank you. Well done. We're going to go out for morning tea. So, if we can all push in our chairs afterwards and walk out for morning tea. Thank you, girls. See you later today.
An exit routine brought predictability to the classroom. They know what to expect, which has helped to reinforce the classroom management strategies, so they know how to behave from the beginning to the end of the class.
Rachel Morrison: So something that I've learned in the last 2 terms that I've been teaching is providing enough time to finish your lesson is really important. And getting ready to exit the room should be something that's consistent at the end of every lesson. So, at the start of the year, I taught the students the procedures for the exit routine. We went over that every lesson, every time we exited the room, and I just did that consistently, you know, for the first few weeks and they picked it up really quickly. So, I taught them the exit routine by just going over every single step. So, breaking down the steps of the routine, getting them to act it out, putting all the bits together and then just continuously making sure that we are following those routines.
Fantastic. Well done. Okay. Pop your boards down. Okay, so can I have eyes on me, please? We are going to pack up now because we're going to get ready for lunch. Okay? So, can you please start wiping out your board?
Student: Use mine after me.
Rachel Morrison: What do you say to Patricia? Good job. Hold on, I haven't given you any instructions to move from the floor. No, not yet. Have you wiped your board out?
Class: Yes.
Rachel Morrison: Great. Can I please have the front row go put their boards away? Making sure that you're not pushing in front of anyone and you're standing in a row. Okay, last row, go put your things away. Okay, 3 lines. Thank you for the people that sat down nicely and waited for me to give you the next instruction. Hands down. Okay. Now we are going to go get our hats and you're going to come back to the floor, then you've got lunch. Okay? All right. So, if your hat is in the top row, can you please nicely and quietly walk over and get your hat? Then come back and sit down. Who am I waiting for? Ah, fantastic. Okay. All right. Great lesson. Okay, show me that you're ready to go for lunch. Brilliant. Fantastic. Okay, just wait for me to let you know when to go. Okay. All right. Can you please stand up and really quietly and nicely walk to the corridor? Making sure that you're not running. Go have a wonderful break. See ya. Yep.
Student: Yay!
Rachel Morrison: See ya.
What I'm considering when I'm wrapping up the final learning task before we use our exit routine is just making sure that they have enough time to clean up before we use the exit routine and head outside. When I'm reminding students about the expectations to pack away, I am making sure that they are packing up their learning space, moving around the room quietly and safely. Just reminding them as they go along as well.
Class: Yes.
Rachel Morrison: Great. Can I please have the front row go put their boards away? Making sure that you're not pushing in front of anyone and you're standing in a row.
As they are on the floor ready to move outside, I move myself over to the door and I can watch them get up from the floor.
Okay. Show me that you're ready to go for lunch. Five Ls. Brilliant. Fantastic. Okay, just wait for me to let you know when to go.
So, that position standing there benefits me, seeing the students on the floor inside and the ones outside, just making sure everybody's following the procedure correctly. So, I've got eyes on both sets of groups. Using the exit routine from the start of the year, it's become second nature, basically. It's predictable. They'll keep an eye out for each other, make sure they're not moving in front of each other or … and just kind of standing behind the person they need to stand behind. So, I feel like they are more aware of the space around them. I think just acknowledging the way that they are doing the exit routine, it just gives them a bit of pride and makes them want to do, you know, their best every time they are exiting the room.
Student: Yay!
Rachel Morrison: Okay. See ya.
[On-screen text] Exiting the classroom: Recap of steps
Steps for effectively exiting the classroom:
- Wrap up the final learning task.
- Gain all students’ attention.
- Remind all students of the expectations for finishing the lesson.
- Monitor and reinforce the behaviour expectations while students prepare to leave the classroom.
- Position yourself to see all students as they leave the classroom.
- Gain all students’ attention.
- Remind all students of the expectations for leaving the classroom.
- Dismiss students and monitor and reinforce the behaviour expectations as they leave, including outside the classroom.
Acknowledgements
- Briar Road Public School, New South Wales
- Renmark Primary School, South Australia
- Woodcrest State College, Queensland
- Xavier Catholic College, Northern Territory
- Tammy Kerinaiua for Tiwi translations
Keywords: student engagement, disruption, disruptive behaviour