This resource goes over the anatomy of transitions (students’ movement from point A to point B, entering and exiting the class, and within the lesson), and why they are important. It also includes transition strategies, tips for transitions, and how to troubleshoot your existing transitions.

The What and the Why

What Are Transitions?

Transitions are the students’ movement from point A to point B. In a classroom, there are three main types of transitions:

• entering the space/lesson;
• moving from one activity to the next;
• exiting the space/lesson.

Why Are Transitions Important?

When transitions are less structured, it allows space for students to get distracted, become anxious, or disengage from the lesson. Carefully crafted transitions allow more time for learning and maintain student engagement.

The Anatomy of a Transition

1. Get the students’ and Classroom Professionals’ attention.
2. Use a phrase like “In a moment…” to preface your directions.
3. Give your directions one step at a time.
4. Give your verbal or nonverbal “go” signal. (Note: Avoid using the word go because it can signal students to race.)
5. Observe whether or not students are following the directions.

Top Five Strategies for Transitioning

Call-and-Response

The goal of a call-and-response is to get everyone’s attention, refocus the group, or cue students. There are two types of call-and-response transitions:

• Verbal: In this strategy, the Teaching Artist will say something aloud to the class, to which students will collectively respond (e.g., “Ready, set…”/“You bet!”). More strategies can be found in the GIVE Resource: Classroom Management | Verbal Cues.
• Nonverbal: Claps, snaps, or knee slaps! Use rhythmic patterns and have students repeat the patterns back. More strategies can be found in the GIVE Resource: Classroom Management | Non-Verbal Cues.

Tips for Transitioning

• Just get started. Don’t feel pressured to wait for all students to be ready.
• Use clear, one-step directions; challenges can arise when students are left waiting.
• Maintain consistency. As much as possible, try to stick with the schedule and routines that you have laid out.
• Let go. While the urge to give reminders might be strong, added reminders might disrupt students’ focus and distract from the transition.
• Put the transitions directly into your lesson plan. Pre-plan your visual cues or signals, the length of transition, where you want students to go, and if students need to grab anything along the way.
• Never underestimate the power of positive reinforcement. See a student that is following directions? Giving a student or group of students a shout-out can help get the other students back on track.
• Practice transitions with students. A little front-loading on how to do a particular transition routine goes a long way.
• Ask your Classroom Professionals what they already use with their students in the classroom.
• Help students prepare for and anticipate a transition by giving them a five-minute or one-minute warning before ending an activity.

Troubleshooting Transitions

Sometimes, even the best-laid plans can go awry. Here are some helpful questions to ask yourself as you reflect on your lesson.

• Did I provide too many or too few directions?
• Did the transition catch students off-guard when they were absorbed in an activity?
• Was there too much or too little time between activities?
• Were there too many students who were not engaged in an activity?
• Are there specific students who struggled during the transition or created challenges for their classmates?
• Were the transitions directly tied to the lesson, our community guidelines, and/or our established rituals?
• Did the transitions take into account different learning styles and student needs? For example, did I provide a visual transition in the form of a written agenda along with my verbal instructions?