Opening Routines for Band Class

What is an opening routine

An opening routine is a set of procedures that students do at the beginning of class to get prepped and ready for new instruction. They can either be simple or they can be elaborate. If you have an elaborate opening routine I suggest writing it down and displaying it somewhere in your room for students to see. 

Perhaps you have it listed in any slides you display, or you can just write it on an anchor chart and stick that on the wall. Do what works for your class the best and keep doing it. 

What are some examples of opening routines

Opening routines involve getting out equipment and supplies that students might need for the day. They can include a self start (thechoirqueen on instagram has some good examples) or a bellwork about previous content or something to prime students for upcoming content. 

In my classroom, students are expected to get out their chairs, do their bellwork, get their music stand and music out, then get their instruments and warm up until the timer goes off. Then we start a group warmup that targets and reinforces our rehearsal for the day. 

Is it too late to start if I didn’t start at the beginning of the year?

It is never too late to implement a new routine, you just need to be consistent and clearly define the expectations. Give it a few weeks (about 2-6) to see if the new routine works. If you need to make a change, like not having instruments for the day, make that announcement very clear, and notate the routine for the students so that they can see clearly what to do and don’t lose their minds. 

If you need some ideas for bellwork to do, visit my Tpt store and check out the bellwork I’ve created for learning fingerings.