You might have said, “We don’t run, we walk!…. Remember, that paper goes in the blue basket. and that book always goes in your cubby with the pink dot facing out…Oh my goodness this bathroom is a mess!  How many times have we been over this?”  Sound familiar?

At the beginning of the school year teachers are hyper focused on setting up expectations and procedures.   Sometimes it feels like we are hitting our heads against the wall as we are constantly repeating ourselves. If you feel the same, I have an idea for you to try: Interactive Modeling.

In the first few weeks of school, we have a bazillion routines we are trying to teach. This may include getting a tissue, using the classroom restroom, sharpening a pencil, lining up, using the drinking fountain, hanging up coats, wiping off the tables, etc.  Instead of talking at your students for the first few days, use this approach which is far more engaging and meaningful.

What is interactive modeling? Mary Beth Forton, author of Rules in School explains that it is “simple and direct, it’s used to teach the nonnegotiable behaviors and routines that help keep the classroom running smoothly and safely…[it] conveys the message that in this classroom, everyone is expected to carry out all everyday activities in a safe and responsible way. And it explicitly teaches children the skills they need to do so. Through Interactive Modeling, children learn what positive behavior looks like, sounds like, and feels like.”

Interactive Modeling is a Responsive Classroom strategy used to help teach important routines.

It is simple and brief, and allows students to not only see and hear, but actually experience how to complete tasks.

Here are the basic steps:

1. Say what you will model and why.

(I am going to show you where to put your folders in the morning because I have not been getting important information from your parents.)

2. Model the behavior.

(Walk in the classroom door with a book bag on your back.  Unzip it and pull out the daily folder.  Open it up and look for any notes, and then place them in the red teacher bin that says “Notes for Mrs. Moore”. 

Put the daily folder in the red bin that says folders.  Put the book bag on the hook, and then stop and look at students.)

3. Ask students what they noticed.

(“It was the first place you went when you came in the classroom.  You opened your bookbag and then you took the folder out.  I saw that you put notes in the teacher bin.  Then you put your bag on the hook, etc.”  Keep prompting students with “what else?”

4. Invite one or more students to model.

(Who would like to show us how to unload our folders?)

5. Again, ask students when they noticed.

6. Have all students practice.

(I have literally had all students go in the hall and pretend they were coming into class in the morning.  If a whole class practice is to time consuming, have them do small groups throughout the day.  It’s important that every child has had the chance to practice.)

7. Provide feedback.

“I noticed we are putting our folders and important notes in the correct bins.  It looks like we will be ready in the morning!”

Interactive modeling is intended to be quick and often on the fly.  Allow it it to be playful and fun so students are engaged and find it meaningful. If you see something going awry, stop. Going through all of these steps might not be necessary later in the year for a quick refresh, but something I’ve always remembered, before getting mad, model. 

Here is an Interactive Modeling planning sheet you can download to use.

Here is a link to some other Responsive Classroom Printables you may find helpful.

Reply back with your thoughts on taking the time to model.  Have you found that it’s really worth it?