4. Setting Learners up for Success: Teaching Routines and Expectations

Have you ever had the experience of arriving somewhere new and having no idea what you were supposed to do? Maybe this was getting off an airplane in a new country where you didn’t know the language, joining a new exercise class and not knowing the routine, or attending a religious service for a different faith. It can be anxiety-provoking when we don’t know what to expect or what will happen.

In this video, we’ll explore the importance of having clear, consistent routines and expectations, and teaching our learners how to follow these. We’ll look at an example of a theater summer camp for teens and pre-teens, and share some things to consider as you create your own routines and expectations for your program. Let’s begin.

When learners know routines, know the steps of a certain activity, and understand what to expect, they can participate more independently and in more meaningful ways. When we teach consistent routines and when our learners know the expectations, they often feel more confident and comfortable, and we also see a decrease in disruptive or interfering behaviors. Clear and consistent expectations set learners up for success. This helps them know what to expect and how to act in certain situations—something all of us can appreciate.

Let’s look at an example. Imagine you’re running a summer theater camp at the local community center designed to be inclusive for all learners, especially for those with disabilities. On the first day of camp, things are tough. As the campers enter the space, they settle into different areas of the room. It’s a bit loud as many of them are talking in small groups while waiting for the camp to begin.

You try to get everyone’s attention so you can start the class, but not everyone can hear over the noise. So you stand at the front of the room and start talking, welcoming everyone and explaining what will happen. A small group of campers seems to be paying attention; however, others are still having private conversations around the room, some are laughing, and a few teens are standing alone by the door looking uneasy and refusing to let their caregivers leave.

Those who are seated and listening to you become distracted and stop paying attention or express frustration because they can’t hear. One learner yells, “Be quiet!” which makes everyone laugh. You eventually manage to get everyone seated and introduce the day’s activities, but you can’t help but feel that this first day has been a huge failure.

Let’s talk about how teaching routines and expectations could have made this activity run more smoothly and be more accessible for everyone. In this example, no one had information on what to expect, what to do when they arrived, and how the day would begin. It’s no wonder things felt difficult—no one knew the routines or expectations.

Now imagine you spend the afternoon planning for your next camp session. To make sure everyone knows what to expect, you create a schedule for the day. Your schedule includes:
1) Find a seat
2) Announcements and warm-up exercises
3) Acting prompt for the whole group
4) Acting prompt for a small group
5) Lunch
6) Performance
7) Closing

You post this on your website, email it to the campers and their families to review ahead of time, and create a visual schedule. You display this at the front of the room and plan to start each day by reviewing it. You dedicate a space on the board to display activity-specific visual supports right next to the schedule. This way, anyone who might need a reminder can easily check in and see what the plan is.

To structure the space a little bit more, you arrange the chairs in a semicircle facing the board and provide seating options such as wobble stools and yoga balls. You gather some fidget tools in a large basket and make them available.

On the next day of theater camp, you place a sign at the entrance of the community center that reads: “Welcome to Theater Camp! Come in, grab a fidget, and find a place to sit.” As the campers arrive, you warmly greet them and direct them to the posted visual schedule.

After a few minutes, it’s time to begin, and you get the attention of the group with a gentle bell. “Welcome to Theater Camp! I’m so glad you’re here. Let’s get started.” You review the schedule, going over each activity and sharing what everyone can expect by showing pictures. You anticipate that many campers may be new to theater warm-up exercises, so you plan to provide more intentional instruction on what this looks like every day.

You invite an experienced camper to help you model a mirror exercise where campers pair up and imitate each other’s actions. Before each activity, you review the expectations and invite any clarifying questions. After each activity, you acknowledge the group for following expectations with comments like, “You all did a fantastic job with that mirror exercise. I know it was new for many of us, and I loved seeing everyone mirroring their partner.”

At the end of the session, you say, “That was a great day! We all worked together and gave our full attention during the performances. I can’t wait to see more this week.” You reference the visual schedule one last time to review the whole day and remind everyone that things will be similar tomorrow. You end by saying, “Thank you for being here today. I’ll be here for another 15 minutes if anyone wants to ask or share anything with me. I look forward to seeing you next time.”

With this structure in place, you notice that you feel much more successful and that campers were more engaged, seemed more comfortable, and participated so much more. The added organization of your clear expectations and structured routine really improved the experience of theater camp for everyone.

So what could this look like in your program? Well, consider the following things: What exactly is the routine or the expectation? What should everyone do? What are the steps within this routine? How can your environment help learners know what to do next?

Think about how you’ll teach the routine or expectation. How will you show learners exactly what to do? Will you use pictures or have a peer demonstrate?

Finally, consider how to celebrate and acknowledge learners who are following the expectations and routine. How do they know they’re doing the right thing? Make sure that everyone gets lots of positive feedback. And if a learner doesn’t follow the routine as they’re learning, well, that’s okay—just help them do so with more opportunities to practice. They will become more independent.

In some cases, learners might need individual support, such as their own schedule, a favorite fidget to hold, or a specific seating option. In inclusive settings, everyone gets the help they need, so embrace that participation will look a little different for everyone.

Having clear routines and expectations is a foundational part of an inclusive setting. By letting everyone know exactly what to expect and what to do, you’re setting them up for success.

Now think about your program. How can you create and teach consistent routines and expectations that help everyone participate?