Routines do not mean long, boring, teacher led actions. They simply mean organized situations where behaviors and actions are modeled and practiced for efficiency and effectiveness. They can be structured around passing out or turning in papers, collecting materials, cleaning up, even warm-ups and tickets-out-the-door or brain breaks. They are consistent and make students feel there is a structure and organization for the class. Students need to feel like there is a purpose for things, they need to have something that is uniform and stable. Stability is key for students to feel comfortable and focused, this is when learning takes place.
Rigor and grit occurs when students are free from the tedious and can focus on the creative, innovative, and curiosity that drives their motivation and determination. When they have routines for the simple things they can accomplish them quickly leaving more time for the active, authentic learning experiences designed by their teachers. A makerspace creates an opportunity for design and engineering but after the fun is over someone needs to make sure it is clean. Having this as a class job makes this more effective because there is less time needed to clean up and more time for building and constructing.
Routines are necessary but they should only be used to keep the track of the class on course. The scaffolding of a student-centered classroom is the routines and community goals set by students. The structure however, needs to be based on relevance, interest, and student choice. Rigor can only truly become the norm when a consistent routine is in place. Grit will become a natural event when students choose how to demonstrate their knowledge and when teachers become mentors, cheerleaders, and even trainers rather than leaders in the classroom. Let students be leaders and they will rise to the occasion. Routines lead to grit and rigor use them together and students will take the lead and learning will be exponential.
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