Consider this quote from Harry K. Wong: “The number one problem in the classroom is not discipline; it is the lack of procedures and routines” (Wong & Wong, 1991).
Transition time is the time between the end of one lesson and the beginning of another. Traditionally, this is a perfect opportunity for the students to “take control” of the classroom, and waste precious instructional minutes with note passing, talking, wandering the room, and/or goofing off. One of the most effective techniques that a classroom teacher should develop is managing transition times so that little academic time is lost.
Developing well-designed procedures and routines helps the learning environment run more smoothly. Research has repeatedly shown that the teachers with the best run classrooms spend the first two weeks of school developing procedures and routines (Jones, Jones, & Jones, 2000).