Simple Classroom Transitions

20 Effective Transitions in the Classroom

“If you can’t line up quietly, then we will sit back down and try again.” I know I’ve said it over and over again. After 8 years of teaching I’ve come to a realization that lining up quietly isn’t always the best way to line up (because you don’t even want to know how many times we “try again” when the class isn’t quiet).

Transitions can be fun and loud!

Transitions don’t necessarily need to be quiet procedures. Entering the classroom in the morning doesn’t have to be done without talking. Students can have something to say as they walk over to the rug. They enjoy singing as they clean up the classroom, and love a fun lining up chant. Quiet doesn’t always equate to quick. Transitions are routines that are used regularly as a way to smoothly shift students from one activity to another in an effort to save valuable instructional time. Why not make them engaging and fun? Because, students already spend enough time listening and quietly working during a school day.

This is why we created fun and energetic transitions for the classroom. Our students love giving each other Shout Outs and they love the energetic Attention Getters, so why not let them transition in a fun and energetic way as well!

To begin, I select just a few transitions to implement. Once students become fluent in those routines, I add more transitions into their repertoire.  We designed multiple ways to use and display transitions.