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Instructional Routines: Secondary Math

Definitions of Instructional Routines

  • Instructional routines are specific and repeatable classroom structures that enable all students to engage more fully in learning opportunities that develop their mathematical thinking and reasoning. (Achieve the Core)
  • Instructional routines are “designs for interaction that organize classroom instruction” (Lampert & Graziani, 2009)
    • Reference: Lampert, M. & and Graziani, F. "Instructional activities as a tool for teachers' and teacher educators' learning." The Elementary School Journal 109.5 (2009): 491-509
  • Routines are an essential part of mathematics classrooms because they give structure to time and interactions, letting students know what to expect in terms of participation and promoting productive classroom relationships for teaching and learning. (Dr. Robert Berry III, President NCTM)
  • A well-designed instructional routine opens up conversations and thinking about mathematics that might not happen by themselves (McCallum & Nowak, 2018)

Planning and Implementing Instructional Routines

Planning a Routine

Criteria Feedback
🗹 Specific
  • Students are clear on what they should be doing and how they should be doing it
🗹 Concise
  • The language and signals used are as short and simple as possible
🗹 Sequential
  • The steps are distinct and logically sequenced
🗹 Responsive
  • The routine is aligned with what we know about our students and their developmental pathways.
  • Routine is executed in a way that maintains classroom relationships and/or builds community

Introducing a Routine

Elements of an introduction Tips to consider
🗹 Provide a rationale for the routine
  • Share why the routine is important to building a positive community
  • Articulate how the routine is related to classroom norms 
🗹 Introduce the routine, one step at a time
  • Share each step orally and visually to support learners who process information differently
  • Add images to the presentation of steps
  • Use an anchor chart as a reference to help students remember the routine as they are learning it
🗹 Model the routine
  • Model the routine yourself
  • Have a few students model the routine with you
🗹 Practice the routine
  • Provide at least one opportunity to practice the routine when it is first introduced
  • Give students specific feedback on what they did well and one thing what you want them to work on when you practice it again
  • Provide multiple opportunities to practice over time to help students internalize the routine