How to Stop Repeating Yourself in the Classroom

Do you feel like it’s hard to get through your lessons because you spend so much time repeating yourself? If you often feel like a broken record, you’re not alone! This is a very common experience (especially for kindergarten teachers), but it doesn’t have to stay that way! In this post, I’m going to share some tips and resources to help you stop repeating yourself all day long!

Why We Often Repeat Ourselves in Kindergarten

There are several reasons why it’s so common for kindergarten teachers to find themselves going over the same instructions and reminders throughout the day.  Here are a few of those reasons:

• Some Students Struggle with Multi-Step Directions – A very common challenge in the kindergarten classroom is that young students have a hard time following multi-step directions. They often need you to repeat each direction every step of the way. When you multiply these repeated instructions over the course of a school day, it adds up to a lot of lost instructional time!

• The Concept of Time is Challenging – In addition to repeating directions, kindergarten teachers often find themselves answering questions about the daily schedule. Since the concept of time is challenging for young kindergarteners, they will repeatedly ask about when lunch will be or if it’s time to go home yet. This means you’re answering these same questions all day long.

• Some Students Have Trouble with Whole-Group Instructions – Another reason why kindergarten teachers often repeat themselves is that students are still getting used to being one of many. They don’t really pay attention to directions that are given to the whole group.When it’s time for them to carry out the directions independently, they need to be brought up to speed. 

• The Kindergarten Classroom Can Be Distracting – Let’s face it: The kindergarten classroom can be a distracting place! It’s not uncommon to be repeating the same reminders to listen and focus throughout the day. When students are sitting next to peers who are exhibiting distracting behavior, they are less likely to hear your instructions and will need you to repeat them.

How to Stop Repeating Yourself All Day Long

Even though there are many different reasons why we find ourselves repeating the same instructions over and over, there is one simple solution that can help: Using visual supports. 

If you’ve read my other blog posts or watched my videos on YouTube, you know how much I relied on visual supports during my time in the kindergarten classroom. I’m going to show you how visuals can help you overcome the hurdles that I just mentioned.

1. Use Picture Direction Cards

The main reason we have to repeat multi-step directions for young students is that they can’t remember step two by the time they finish step one. It’s even harder when there are three or four steps for them to follow!

This is when picture direction cards can save the day. You can use these visual supports to remind students of each step in the activity or routine. These are especially helpful for centers! Students often forget the instructions for a center by the time it’s their turn at the station. The visual directions can limit the number of students who are interrupting your small group instruction for you to repeat instructions.

2. Refer Students to a Visual Schedule

Since young kindergarten students often have trouble with time, a visual schedule can limit the number of times you have to answer questions like “Is it time for lunch?”. Students are able to refer to see upcoming events on the calendar, which will help them gauge how much longer it will be until the activity they’re wondering about.

The picture schedule can also save your voice, since you can just point at the schedule to remind students to check it before asking. Sometimes that little reminder is all they need to build a habit of checking the schedule.

3. Reduce Distractions with Visual Supports

Visual supports can also help to reduce distractions in the classroom, so all of your students can attend to your directions. This can cut down on the number of times you need to repeat yourself!

Giving students a choice for how to sit at carpet can encourage them to sit in a way that doesn’t distract their peers. You can have these choices on display, so you don’t have to frequently remind students of how they can choose to sit at the carpet.

You could also have a voice level chart on display to encourage students to use voice levels that won’t distract their peers. The visual reminder is a helpful way to cut down on the number of times you have to repeat yourself. You can point to the chart and encourage students to use an appropriate voice level. 

All of these visual supports will help you get back to instruction so you don’t feel like a broken record all day!

Printable Visual Supports for Kindergarten

All of the visual supports that I’ve mentioned in this post (and more!) are included in one money-saving bundle! These printable visual supports will help you streamline your classroom management and repeat yourself less often. 

If you’d like to take a closer look at everything included in this bundle, you can find it in the Teaching Exceptional Kinders shop or in my TPT store.

These visual supports, along with many other printable classroom management tools, are included in my Kindergarten Behavior Blueprint course. This self-paced course is designed to give you all of the strategies and tools you need for effective classroom management.  

More Classroom Management Tips

Would you like some more classroom management tips that will help you stop feeling like a broken record? Check out this video!

Save These Tips for Repeating Yourself Less Often

Be sure to save this post so you can come back to it later! Just add the pin below to your favorite kindergarten board on Pinterest. You’ll be able to quickly find these tips and resources when you start to feel like a broken record in your classroom!