This week many teachers are returning to school after a well-deserved winter break. And, many teachers will want to dive right back into their content.

This is understandable as many teachers have mid-terms exams coming up and many teachers have their dreaded state exams coming up as well. Therefore, it is easy to see why many teachers would want to dive right back into their content.

However, in my opinion I do not think this is the best way to get the second half of the school year off to a great start.

My approach to the second half of the school year is to basically start it the same way I started the first half of the school year... by teaching, or in this case re-teaching, the classroom procedures.

Personally, I do not think this is a waste of time. In fact, I believe that re-teaching the classroom procedures will pay off big in the long run.

As many teachers will agree, one of the best approaches to classroom management is to have your students consistently follow your classroom procedures. If you can do that then everything else becomes much easier. This is why so much time is spent on classroom procedures during the first week of school.

However, teaching procedures is not something that is done on the first day of school only. Remember, students usually have several different classes with different teachers, different rules, different expectations, and different procedures to follow.

So if you want your students to follow your procedures then you are going to have to re-teach those procedures from time to time. And, coming back from an extended break is the perfect time to do just that.

However, you must also remember, that teaching is NOT just telling. Teaching your classroom procedures is a 3-step process:
1. Tell the students the procedure.
2. Model the procedure for the students.
3. Have the students practice the procedure.

For example, when my students return to school next week we will go over my top five procedures. I will put them up on the board as well as give them a handout. We will read through each procedure. Next, I will actually pretend I am an 8th grade student and I will model the procedure so they can visualize it. Finally, I will have the students practice the procedures.

This can be done for any procedure whether it is how to walk done the hallway or how to take a seat when they enter the room.

When finished, there is no question that all the students know exactly what is expected of them in terms of following the classroom procedures. This works very well in establishing a classroom that runs smoothly and it is a great way to get the second half of the school year off to a great start.

Adam Waxler is a middle school social studies teacher, adjunct education professor, and author. Visit his blog for FREE teaching tips, articles AND videos @ http://www.Teaching-Tips-Machine.com/blog