Before every shot, professional golfers follow a very specific procedure, unique to them, called a pre-shot routine.

From the moment they pull a club out of their bag to the moment they take their swing, they follow the exact same set of movements.

Like a well-choreographed dance, these pre-shot movements are repeated dozens of times throughout a round of golf.

The best golfers in the world use a pre-shot routine because it helps them eliminate the mental clutter that can interfere with making a good shot. It frees them to focus on the shot itself and not on peripherals, making the task of getting the ball into the hole easier.

It’s that important.

Peak performers in every industry, including sports, business, and education, follow routines in order to focus on the things that matter most. Students, too, benefit from the use of thoroughly taught, well-established classroom routines.

In fact, they are the lifeblood of a successful classroom.

Routines—also known as classroom procedures—rid students of distractions that waste time and interfere with learning. Guesswork is minimized. Minor frustrations and inconveniences are fewer, as are opportunities for misbehavior. The students, then, are left to focus on learning.

If your students know what to do and how to do it during every transitional or procedural moment of the school day, they can more easily attend to what is most important. Furthermore, adding more responsibility and purpose is a surefire way to boost morale.

Well-executed routines also save time and lessen a teacher’s workload.

For everything your students do in your classroom repetitively, there should be a routine.

By: ARLENE G. ANGELES | T-I | MABATANG ELEMENTARY SCHOOL