The window of opening and closing routine has a greater impact on students' engagement and their ability to integrate major concepts in their learning. Routines at the beginning allow learners to know what to expect when they enter the classroom. And like the opening routine sets the welcome tone, the closing routine also helps the teacher to bind the lessons together with each phase of the entire lesson that has been delivered in a session.

The learning goal is majorly influenced by how the beginning and closing instructions are framed. All in all, learners need to have a good grip on connecting with ideas and build a larger concept from their lessons. Starting from the warmer, to context setting each step must allow students to connect the dots. Hence, the commencement and the closer of class can potentially act as effective moments for such connection.

For novice teachers who are soon to begin their teaching journey, Teacher Training Courses in Hyderabad to strengthen skills on how to approach 21st century classrooms.

Opening Routines

From the moment a teacher enters the classroom and the first five minutes is the most crucial moment to lay the foundation of lesson delivery as well as classroom management. Initiating the class with a positive attitude can go a long way.

Here are a few basics you need to know about opening routines –

Greeting

Greetings is often an underappreciated gesture. Entering the classroom with a proper greeting from the doorway is an action that you can take to encourage learners to feel welcome. It can also give them a sense of awareness that the teacher is here now and allows them to feel prepared for the learning.

Warmers

Warmers are the key to promoting students' motivation and engagement. Warmer is basically a short task of 5 to 7 minutes of activity to help energize students' minds. These activities can be a game or physical movement or songs to help learners get relaxed and comfortable. Use this time as efficiently as possible to make children feel centered to raise their focus.

  • Asking Questions – especially if you teach adult learners, asking questions at the beginning of the lesson can help you to prompt learners about the content they are going to explore. This will allow students to be more attentive and jog their minds a bit on the topic.
     
  • Reviewing previous lessons – another way the teacher can help brainstorm learners' content knowledge is by discussing the previous lessons they had. Not only it can help students to recollect their prior lessons, but it also can create a sense of alertness.
     

Closing Routine

Wrapping up activities does more than summarizing the lesson. It ensures learners to get organized with their thoughts on their activities, clear doubts if they have any and it is also an opportunity for teachers to provide feedback and set a positive tone for ending the class.

Summarizing, discussing the homework, and cleaning up routines are equally essential at the end of the day. Closing routine is an opportunity for the learners to extend their knowledge and even set a goal about the topic/learning they have explored during the session. It also allows them to reflect back on the lesson as a whole. It can be done by –

  • Reviewing or revisiting the class learning objectives.
  • Asking students to summarize what they have learned from the lesson.
  • Giving feedback and cleaning any confusion they have on the subject matter.


Routines in general are the way to manage the classroom. It sets the expectation for learners to flow through the lessons during the session. Routines and consistency matter is an absolute necessity for creating a smooth learning environment for your learners. It helps them to self-regulate, create a sense of community, and maintain the code of conduct in the classroom. And when it comes to opening and closing routines, they are the foundational pillar for each lesson you deliver in the class.

Building your skills from the stretch and to hone teaching strategies, Teacher Training Courses in Hyderabad for designing lessons with age appropriation and context relevancy.


Written By : Aditi Rao