The best advice I can give other preschool teachers about classroom management is to create and follow a schedule (Routine). Following a schedule and being consistent will help children know what comes next.
Children need to know what to expect from day to day. It gives them a sense of security and enables them to thrive.
I don’t only have a daily schedule for the whole day, but I have a routine for all the small chunks of the day.
Group/Circle time is one of the most important parts of the day; your preschoolers will enjoy circle and walk away more fulfilled if they know what comes next through the circle time process. To insure this I follow the same circle time routine everyday. (the order of the circle is the same every day) This helps the children know that when they are done with calendar they will be able to sing a song. When following routines it helps children be able to maintain themselves during circle time because they know what is coming next. The children will know when they can sing, talk or even get up and move around. They know when to listen and when to answer questions. So if you are having a hard time at circle, try to follow the same routine.
When you have a routine for the small chunks of the day it makes the day more enjoyable for the children and it gives them an optimal learning environment where they can succeed.
Remember if you are having trouble with classroom management, step back and take a look at your daily schedule and routines through out the day.
• Are you following a daily schedule?
• Do you have routines?
• Are there to many transitions throughout the day.
• Do you have a large chunk of the day for uninterrupted play?
• Do you have to much sit and wait time?
• If you ask the children what comes after snack can they tell you?
It is also nice for the children to have a picture schedule so that they are able to refer to it.