As teachers, we all want to build connections with our students and make them feel welcome in our classrooms. What if we had routines to do these things that were easy to implement and easy to remember? These Day-of-the-Week routines require very little prep, are customizable for teachers in any subject area, and are a fabulous “soft launch” to get students engaged in what’s happening in class. They can take as little as 5 or 10 minutes. I like to change mine up weekly and have had students suggest questions as well.
Getting started is easy. First, decide on what you want your students to be doing for each of the five days. Reading? Writing? Discussing? Solving a problem or riddle? See our list below to get some inspiration (You don’t have to use alliteration, but it does make them easier to remember
Next, figure out a reliable place and way you’ll notify students of what their task is. Teachers can devote a section of their board, say prompts verbally, or create Google Slides for each day. If one of your routines requires sticky notes or another item to share their responses, you’ll want to have those ready for students to pick up too.
Here are some ideas for Day-of-the-Week routines to get you started.
Monday
- Mindset Monday: What is something that you are working hard to improve this week?
- Make-a-Word Monday: Add a word to the scrabble board. Make sure it links up.
- Missed You Monday: What is something memorable you did this weekend?
- Take-a-Minute Monday: Tell me about your favorite _____.
- Motivational Monday: Mondays can be tough. Take a sticky note and write a motivational note to a classmate.
- Make-a-Change Monday: How can you make the world more awesome?
- Mystery Monday: Can you solve this riddle?
- Mood Monday: If you were an emoji, which would you be today?
- Marvel Monday: If you could have any superpower, what would it be and why?
- Manic Monday: What’s something that drives you crazy?
Tuesday
- Time for a Vote Tuesday: What is your favorite ____?
- TV Tuesday: What TV show are you enjoying right now?
- Top 2 Tuesday: Choose a paper with someone’s name and write two great things about them. Put it on their desk.
- Tasty Tuesday: What is one of your favorite foods?
- Talk to Me Tuesday: What is something that a lot of people don’t know about you?
- Tell Me Something Good Tuesday: What is something good you have seen someone else do?
- Tuesday Treasure: What is something that you treasure?
- Triangle Tuesday: Draw a triangle and turn it into something.
- Talented Tuesday: What is something you are good at?
- Teach Us Tuesday: What is something you can teach someone to do?
Wednesday
- Well-Done Wednesday: What is something great that you have done this week?
- What Would You Do Wednesday: What would you do if _____? (e.g., … you were 6 inches tall, you won a million dollars, you were invisible for the day)
- Wishful Wednesday: If you had one wish, what would it be?
- World Wednesday: If you could travel anywhere, where would you go?
- Wacky Word Wednesday: Use the letters to see how many words you can make.
- Warmhearted Wednesday: Describe one random act of kindness you have done or seen lately.
- Would You Rather Wednesday: Would you rather _____ or ______?
- Words of Wisdom Wednesday: Share a piece of advice someone has given you.
- What’s Playing Wednesday: What’s a song that you can’t stop listening to these days?
- We Love To Read Wednesday: What’s a great book you have read recently?
Thursday
- Thankful Thursday: What is something you are thankful for this week?
- Time Hop Thursday: If you could travel back in time, where would you go?
- Throw It Out Thursday: If you had to throw out everything, what is the one thing you would keep and why?
- Throwback Thursday: What was one of your favorite things you did this year?
- Thumbs-Up Thursday: What’s something really great that’s happened to you this week?
- Three Things Thursday: If you were stranded on a desert island, what three things would you want to have?
- Things To Do Thursday: What is something we should all do to make the world a better place?
- Totally Thursday: The total is _____. How many ways can you think of to reach it?
- Think Fast Thursday: What’s the first thing you think of when you hear the word _____?
- Thank You Thursday: Grab a Post-it and write a thank-you note to someone in your life.
Friday
- Finish the Sentence Friday: Give students a sentence starter to finish. (Ideas: Our classroom is _____. One thing I really like about school is _________. Something I would like to learn about is _____.)
- Freaky Friday: If you could trade places with someone, who would it be and why?
- Funny Friday: Share a funny joke with us.
- Fun Fact Friday: Share a favorite fact about yourself or something you know about.
- Freezing Friday: What is something you like to do when it’s freezing outside?
- Furious Friday: What is something that makes you furious?
- Fantastic Friday: What is something that was great about this week?
- Future Friday: What is something you want to do in the future?
- Figure It Out Friday: Can you solve this math problem?
- Finally Friday: What is something that you are excited about for the weekend?
These Day-of-the-Week routines are a great way to make students feel welcome in class and learn more about one another. In my classroom, it has helped students, and they learn more about me as I participate too. My students enjoy seeing what question is posted each day—they have even come up with their own ideas for questions.
What other ideas do you have for Day-of-the-Week routines? Let us know in the comments.
