Routines That Matter

by Kerrie Husband-McGregor, M.Ed.

Director of the Student Success Center, The Newman School

NEALS' Board Member

As a learning specialist, I frequently communicate about classroom management. Teachers seek advice regarding students with attentional challenges. Recently, I had the pleasure of hosting a professional conversation about how to best support these unique learners and how to effectively redirect off task behavior; it resurfaced the importance of routines. Routines work not just for unique learners and children, but for adults too. Especially as we move through seasons of challenge and busyness. Routines help us to feel grounded and foster a sense of knowing what to expect.

When I walk into classrooms and observe students, I often see teachers engaging in deep lectures and fostering conversations that stimulate my brain. But, when I look around and do not see agendas posted with class goals and built in brain breaks, I anticipate that students may not have a clear sense of the routines being applied to that class. Routines like these help manage behavior. If students walk in late or need to be redirected to the task, due to their mind wandering, agendas reduce cognitive load by informing students about what to do now and what to expect next. Additionally, this habit provides a compass for the teacher to reference and use to ensure they stay on track AND build in a break. Research continues to evidence that brain breaks are just as important for high school students as middle and elementary school students.

Modeling the use of clear agendas also teaches executive function skills that so many of our Gen Z and Gen Alpha students need to see modeled. Agendas are to educators as planners are to students. On this day, during this professional conversation, I found that sharing this simple hack not only reminded many seasoned teachers about this habit and why we use it, but it fostered the beginning of many shares. Teachers began to open up and share how they incorporate a minute of mindfulness and other healthy routines into the beginning of class, small group, or tutoring sessions.

The professional conversation highlighted research about how starting class with routines can lead to:

1. Improved executive functioning

2. Reduced cognitive load

3. Enhanced dopamine regulation

4. Better emotional regulation

Discussing these things as a team of educators choosing to spend our time together was fun and we connected, talked, and laughed. We made space for this conversation, and it was clear that we all needed to prioritize these types of professional development conversations and that we need to do it more.

Together we also ran some respectful redirection role plays that fostered deeper connection amongst as we had real time opportunity to practice these redirections. Teachers noted this as a highlight and an area that needed more time and space, which we will emphasize moving forward.

After our time together, teachers provided feedback and shared that they really enjoyed the authentic use of time as a professional conversation. They enjoyed the hacks and many began sharing with me their use of agendas, timers, breathwork, and respectful redirection examples.

We all have a wealth of knowledge as learning specialists; sitting around the Harkness table with colleagues and sharing our time and ideas was worth the time. I plan to use this refreshing PD strategy again and make it a new routine for my approach to collaborating.

Here’s to routines for each of you that reduce your cognitive load this busy season. Thanks for reading what I wrote and feel free to reach out if you would like to collaborate more about professional conversations or routines.

Warmly, Kerrie Husband-McGregor

Research sourced from https://neurolaunch.com/adhd-and-routines/