Transitions​

Page 6

Transitions can be the hardest time for even experienced teachers to manage a classroom. Everyone has their own idea of how it works best for them. Timers, countdowns, songs, etc. All of these are great options to keep in your “tool belt.” The downfall is that most teachers will find one that works for them and a new set of children come in their classroom and suddenly what worked before doesn’t work anymore. That “tool belt” of transition ideas can come in handy when that happens.   

Here are some ideas that you can add to your own “tool belt”:

If the children aren’t big fans of cleaning up their toys or areas, create a song out of it. Pick up the bucket for one particular toy. Let’s use Legos for example. Hold it in front of you and walk around the classroom singing: 

“Where have all the Legos gone, Legos gone, Legos gone? Where have all the Legos gone? Where, oh where could they be? Dean found a Lego! A Lego! A Lego! Dean found a Lego. Now where does it go?”

Continue the song with all of the children who pick up toys and put them away. In almost all cases, the children will quickly clean up because they want you to say their name in the song. You can use any familiar tune to create a song. This even works with toddlers!

If the children don’t want to come inside, make the activity inside WAY more fun than whatever they were doing outside. Hype it up! Are you going inside to play with playdough? Talk about how you want to show them something really cool! Get them excited about it. Are you going inside to read a book? Tell them about the character or about how you have a friend who is a dinosaur and you want them to meet your friend too. You can even bring whatever they were doing outside into the classroom. Were they playing with chalk? Give them paper and let them do it inside. Were they playing with a ball? Bring it inside and roll it around the classroom.  

Transitions are hard for everyone!
​Try to remember that. Ask other teachers what worked and hasn’t worked for them. You could get some ideas from both.

Course Navigation Menu

1. Course Agenda
​2. Classroom Management
3. Where to Begin?
4. Goal Setting (1/10) ​
5. Setting Routines
6. Transitions​
7. Real Strategies
8. Transition Technique (2/10)
9. Appropriate Expectations
10. Setting Expectations
11. Expectations Scenario (3/10) ​

12. Setting Rules 
13. Involving Students
14. Behavior Management
15. Behavior Management
16. Guidance Techniques
17. Sign Language for Classroom
18. Management Motivation
19. Group Motivation
20. Individual Motivation
21. Classroom Analysis (4/10) ​
22. Mistaken Behavior

23. ABC Chart
24. Behavior Patterns​ (5/10)
25. How to Make your Own ABC Chart
26. ABC Chart – Scenario 1 (6/10)
27. ABC Chart – Scenario 1 (7/10)​​​
28. ABC Chart – Scenario 2 (8/10)​​​
29. ABC Chart – Scenario 2 (9/10)​​​
30. ABC Chart to Prevent Behavior
31. End of Course Quiz (10/10)
32. Course Evaluation Form​
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