Description
a { text-decoration: none; color: #464feb; } tr th, tr td { border: 1px solid #e6e6e6; } tr th { background-color: #f5f5f5; } a { text-decoration: none; color: #464feb; } tr th, tr td { border: 1px solid #e6e6e6; } tr th { background-color: #f5f5f5; } Are you an international teacher preparing to teach Pre"‘K to grade 2 in the U.S.? Do you want routines that keep curiosity alive while guiding behavior and participation? In American early elementary classrooms, relationship building, predictable routines, student voice, and structured play drive academic achievement, and expectations are taught, modeled, practiced, and reinforced to create safe, respectful, and engaging communities. In this course, Shelly Sanchez Terrell equips international educators with developmentally appropriate expectations and simple systems so young learners can focus, collaborate, engage responsibly, and participate meaningfully, and you will leave with a clear plan to design a warm, structured environment and daily routines that support independence and accountability.
Objectives
Identify core routines, signals, and expectations commonly used in U.S. Pre-K through Grade 2 classrooms. Explain how relationship building, predictable routines, student voice, and play-based learning support readiness and engagement. Implement an attention signal, a call and response, and a visual schedule within a daily routine plan. Examine a classroom layout and transition plan to determine how they affect focus, collaboration, and independence. Judge the effectiveness of selected routines using observation notes and behavior data to inform adjustments. Design a classroom environment and daily schedule that balance warmth with structure to support meaningful participation.
