Establish and consistently enforce procedures and practices that keep students on-task

1. Teachers need to clearly delineate and reinforce on-going classroom housekeeping procedures that students can assist in implementing and monitoring such as: 

a.     Using the bathroom and the water fountain

b.     Distributing & collecting materials and assignments

c.     Maintaining bulletin boards

d.     Maintaining a homework place where students place/retrieve homework

e.     Taking attendance, monitoring tardy arrivals, as well as students entering and leaving the classroom

f.       How and when students can make up missed work, get the teacher's attention, etc.

2. Teachers can provide reinforcement for school attendance and punctuality (e.g., praise, points, monthly certificates, within-class competition)

3. Teachers can minimize interruptions by: 

a.     Scheduling specific times for managerial, non-instructional activities, such as collecting money, cleaning up, and making announcements

b.     Establishing and consistently enforcing explicit rules

4. Teachers should allocate group instructional time and short time blocks for individualized practice, assistance, discussing grades, etc.

5. Teachers should ensure that classroom instruction and assigned tasks match student's interests and instructional level. If this is not done, off task behavior because of frustrations, boredom, etc., are more likely to occur

6. Teachers should utilize a variety of structured, interactive, fast-paced and directive teaching styles that maximizes students' attention during whole school instruction and individual seatwork

7. Teachers should clarify, reinforce, and monitor instructions and performance expectations

8. Teacher’s feedback to students should be primarily positive

9. Teacher’s instructional strategies should seek to maximize the involvement of all students in teaching and learning activities, such as:

a.     Choral responding

b.     Calling on all students

c.     Asking students to comment on other's responses

d.     Giving students sufficient time to answer teacher questions and appropriate cues to prompt correct answers.

10. Teachers must clearly delineate and reinforce procedures to address transitions