How to Streamline the First Five Minutes of Class

As the saying goes, “It’s not how you start, it’s how you finish.”

This may be true in life, but it doesn’t apply to your 5th-period class.

That’s because teachers with strong classroom management understand that the first five minutes of class are critical.  If you establish a positive and productive vibe from the start, you’ll find it carries over into the rest of the period.  On the other hand, if the period starts chaotically, it requires much more effort on your part to get that train back on track.

When you reflect on which classroom management methods to try out with your “tough” class, consider the impact that the first five minutes have both on you and your lesson. 

The Perfect Start to Class: “Seated and Ready”

You can expect a class period to go reasonably well if you achieve the following:

1. All or nearly all students are seated when the bell rings.

You want a critical mass (about 90% or more) of the kids sitting down in their seats when the bell rings.  A couple of students milling about, while not ideal, are fairly easy to handle.  But if you have 8-10 kids standing around chatting when the bell rings, your first action is to deal with them as opposed to kicking off instruction.

2. The class is generally quiet when the bell rings.

Establish a routine so that when students walk into your room, they find their seat.  If students are seated, they are much quieter than when they’re standing.  A relatively quiet classroom — silence isn’t necessary — is one that can be easily and calmly managed.

3. You are ready to start class when the bell rings.

Make sure you’re ready!  That means the computer, projector/smart TV, and all materials are ready to rock.  If you consistently begin class at the bell, the students will follow your lead and will stop talking when the bell rings.  

Think of it like your faculty meetings after school.  Not to blame busy administrators, but if the meetings begin on time, the teachers arrive on time.  If the meetings always start 5 or 10 minutes late, teachers adjust to that norm and start coming in later.  The person beginning the meeting (in class, that’s you) sets the expectation. 

The Benefits of “Seated and Ready”

1. It saves you a TON of energy. 

Instead of working hard to get the class settled, you’re greeting your students or introducing the lesson.  Let’s face it: You’ll probably always have one or two classes during your day (after lunch is typical) that are more challenging to settle down. That’s normal.  But if you need to expend large amounts of personal energy to get every period started, that’s not them.  It’s you.  And it’s exhausting.

2. No need to raise your voice to get everyone’s attention. 

It’s a good idea to remove “yelling” from your classroom management toolkit.  Think of classroom management as the process of avoiding the need to raise your voice.

3. Start your lesson with positive vibes. 

You’ll discover that you enjoy your students much more when you can calmly begin class. No teacher wants to start the period by having kids ignore a polite request to take a seat.  

How to Get Your Class “Seated and Ready”

Step 1: Explicitly teach this expectation to students in the first week of school.  (If your first week is over, do this tomorrow.)

Too often, teachers are guilty of assuming that students already know how to act – this is especially true in high school.  If you want the students to walk in quietly and take a seat, you’ll need to tell them that.  You may need to show them.

It’s a good idea to reinforce this expectation every day during the first week. I know of teachers (both middle and high school) who ask their students to practice walking in, finding their seats, and getting materials out for class.  Students who didn’t fall into line were given extra practice after class or at lunch.  They won’t like this, but that’s ok.  The point is, if something is important to you, be ready to enforce it.  

When I taught middle school, I would start the year by asking groups to prepare short (30-second) skits to demonstrate the right and wrong way to enter the class. The “wrong way” skits were usually pretty funny and reinforced my behavior expectations.

Step 2: Stand at the Door

Make a habit of standing at the door to greet students as they walk in every class period.  First, this sends a subtle message to students: “Hi, welcome to my classroom.”  Second, it allows you to make a quick connection with every single student. Third, school hallways are always more orderly when a few adults are supervising.  One note: Depending on your class, it might be a good idea to stand where you can still see inside your classroom.  

Step 3: Treat the bell as the actual start of class. 

One bonus of classroom management, honestly, is that it makes life easier for the teacher.  The energy you don’t expend on rowdy classes can be spent on other, more important things in your life.  Strong classroom management boosts teacher wellness!    

I’ve typically tried to make the school bell the signal that I’m ready to start class.  For students in my class, the bell becomes their cue to wrap up those conversations and look up at me.  It’s an easy way to start class. 

If you don’t use the bell, come up with another signal to let students know that you’re ready to start.  If you’re consistent with that signal, they’ll pick up on it.

Step 4: Have something ready for them to do right away.

Whether you call it a “Bell Ringer”, a “Do Now” or just your warm-up question, have something ready for the students to do right away.  If you ask for their attention at the bell (see Step 3), you better be ready to do something with all that attention.

Step 5: Have a quick procedure for taking attendance.

Anything that asks teachers in the first five minutes of class to disengage with their students, head over to their computer, and spend even 15 seconds on something that isn’t teaching is not a good idea.  Unfortunately, that’s exactly what taking attendance asks of you.

Consider keeping a paper copy of your attendance (warning: old school technique) which can be marked in a few seconds.  Printable charts or rosters are easy to download.  With a paper roster, you can mark that at the start of class and then enter it online later.

Or take attendance while students are engaged with your “Do Now”.  Whatever your system for attendance, make it quick and easy to avoid losing that fleeting grip on class control.

Step 6: Be friendly, yet firm with this expectation.

As a student-teacher, my mentor said the ideal tone with students was “friendly, yet firm”.  When I was 24 years old, the “friendly” part came easy.  It was being “firm” that took a little practice.   

Today, the term “warm demander” is popular — it means the same thing.  Whatever you call it, this approach has served me well over the years.

If you ask students to be “seated and ready”, you might encounter resistance.  Students want to chat with their friends.  They want to delay the start of instruction.  You’ll notice students who were compliant in September but are no longer meeting the “seated and ready” expectations in November.  Address it.  Speak to them individually or provide gentle reminders to the whole class.  Be friendly, yet firm.

Brad has taught history at the middle and high school levels for 19 years, almost exclusively in American public schools.  He holds a master’s in educational technology and is passionate about elevating the status of professional educators.