Introduction and Integration of Classroom Routines by Expert Teachers

Successful teachers use the first days of school to establish and rehearse routines which permit instruction to proceed fluidly and efficiently. Routines, shared socially scripted patterns of behavior, serve to reduce the cognitive complexity of the instructional environment. Identified routines were divided into three classes: management, instructional support, and teacher-student exchange. The establishment of routines was examined in the classrooms of six expert teachers, focusing on: (1) the role routines played in the evolving classroom structure; (2) the similarities and differences among teachers in the use of routines; (3) the retention of routines in each of the three identified classes by the teachers; and (4) a detailed look at the most pervasive routines. Teachers were observed to build on their simple routines to form more elaborate strings of action, thus increasing the variety and complexity in the classroom.