9 Powerful Class Routines for Spanish Class

Having class routines for Spanish class is so important! First, you want to have order instead of chaos. Second, you want to maximize the time you have with students to provide the most learning possible. If you are new to teaching or feel that establishing routines would improve the classroom environment, this post is for you!

The First of Class Routines for Spanish Class

Starting on Day 1, the first routine I teach my students is to greet me at the door. There are so many ways to do this… it doesn’t require anything fancy! The main reason teachers greet students at the door is to get a read on each student as they come in. You can often see if someone is having a hard day or if someone is very excited. It also sets the expectation that their teacher is happy that they’re present, and that they are required to interact with you.

Some teachers get creative. They use a password that students have to say (i.e. a phrase or word in Spanish). You can post these next to your door, and for a few days or a week, students need to tell you that phrase to get into the room. The benefits of this method are that you can challenge students to use them in their work for the week, and you can help them learn helpful phrases or slang. Here are mine.

Some teachers offer a choice of how students want to be greeted. High five, handshake, fancy handshake, and the younger students may even be offered a hug.

But if these are “too much” for you, a simple hola is all you need to do!

The Second of Class Routines For Spanish Class

The second routine I set right away, from day 1, is that there is a task to complete as soon as the bell rings to start class. On the first day of school, my students are given a paper with my “non-negotiable” expectations to read. When students have a specific routine to start class, you have less wasted time and you can use your Do Nows very strategically to boost learning! Meanwhile, you can do housekeeping tasks like taking attendance and organizing your papers or thoughts. I have a whole post on Warm-ups here, if you are interested in that!

Handling Absent Students and Make Up Work

There is rarely a class period where at least one student isn’t absent. I teach five classes a day, so I’m dealing with at least 5 students (but often more) a day who come back and want to know what they missed. I have a whole post about how I manage this here, but this is one of those class routines for Spanish class that you should instill.

How would you like your students to get their make up work? Should they ask you, ask a friend, or find it in a particular place? Teaching students the routine will save time confusion. It may even result in better make up work completion!

Group Work Routines

One of the ways in which we can lose a lot of instructional minutes is when we are organizing into groups or pairs. Those transitions can be invitations for confusion or chatting. Establish a routine for how students will work together.

My room is very small but my desks are very large. The safest way to organize is to have rows. But, we move the desks a lot. Sometimes students just scootch over to work with a partner. Sometimes we work in groups of 4. Either way, I teach students how to quickly move into the formation I want, and I reinforce this quick movement over the first month of school.

This allows very little lost work time in the future, and I can even leave partner and group work with a sub because my students are so used to this routine.

Other Class Routines For Spanish Class

There are so many parts of your class that can be taught and automated with students! Here is a list of some other routines you might think about having this year.

-Using the lav

-Turning in finished work

-Passing back papers

-How we take tests

-Asking questions about grades

I hope that this year having some routines ready to put into place will lead to more calm, less chaos, and more time on task!