I used to use 2 lines years ago to line my students up (boy/girl usually) but then eventually went to just one line when I changed schools and that was what everyone else did. I had 27 first graders last year and that is one long line!!! Also I think there are more line behavior issues when the line is soooooo long!! Just curious do you use one line or two???
I teach 5th and still escort them most places in the school building. I use two lines, boys and girls. I have 28 kids this year, with more girls than boys.
I don't know what they were thinking when they built our school five years ago. We could NEVER do two lines because the hallways just aren't big enough. I had to have my kids stand at the door to go downstairs today for five minutes waiting for the 5th and 6th graders to get where they needed to be. (They were also being rowdy and I didn't want them to accidentally push one of my guys down the stairs!) Needless to say, we use one line.
We would NEVER be allowed to separate lines by gender--we are expected to balance how we call on kids by gender, etc. and would never be allowed to do that.
In fact, we have been told that separating groups by gender is the equivalent of having a "white" line and "colored" line--that we should NEVER let gender be what makes groups.
That being said, I have a "line order" that is posted. I make it so it friends are separated, etc. and it tends to be nearly boy-girl in order. Each week the first person becomes the last person. The first people in line become the door holders, etc.
Line order is great--they never race to the door b/c they have a set spot...and we have 25 or so kids per class.
I use two everywhere we go. I have 28 students and the line would just be too long to control the back end without yelling and I dont yell so I do two line.
Hmm...I have never heard of or seen anyone use two lines before. Everyone in my school uses one line. I don't think two would work with the narrow hallways.
I had a class one year that had to have 2 lines and they had a set spot in line. They even sat at the lunch table in their line.
Another thing I would do was boys line up in one line, girls in another. Both lines are by the door. Then they would merge. If it was the girls' week, a girl would start it off. She would go out the door then the first boy would go out the door, and on and on. When we made it all out into the hall I would pretty much have a girl boy line. They LOVED doing the merge. Restroom breaks would be a girl line and a boy line so that I could let the right number go in at a time. Then they got a kick out of merging and watcfhing the two lines weave together if they were at the back of their gender line.
We've also lined up alphabetically, by the number of letters in our name, by answering a simple math question, you name it. I also used a line leader and a caboose. Caboose was the cool job because you were also the keeper of the keys and got to lock the door when you made sure everyone else was out.
It's posted by the door--but after a few days they know it....they simply must know who they are behind.
After we go through the class with everyone being first, I shuffle them up and we get a new order. It takes a while...it has REALLY cut down on the pushing, rushing, "me first....", "he budded", etc.
I won't go back to the old way...
Kids know who holds the doors, etc. and even say THANK YOU as they pass!
Julie P, I love those ideas. I have one line for 17 first grade students. I really hated the fact having a boy line and a girl line. Plus I can't do it this year because I only have 5 girls.
I've heard of people putting kiddos in their number order in line. Mine do that for assemblies. We go in to assemblies in 1 line number order...random enough that it mixes them up and they're not too chatty!
not enough room to go by twos in our hallways if another group is coming by. i try to walk in the middle of the line (or near by "best friends").
my class has a few "stopping points". if going to our room from gym, they stop at drinking fountain to make sure everyone is with us---if we are going to or coming from the primary hall, they stop at the corner. this keeps us from being too spread out.
In the classroom we line up in two lines because of the layout and the problems that were happening at the end of the line. When we leave the classroom we leave and form one line in the hallway. There just isn't enough room for two lines. I generally walk in the middle of the line.
Everyone in my school uses one line. Some days I think two would be easier as I have 26 students but it's just not done around here. I do have two different people at the front each week as they are our door holders but other than that, it's always line order (abc order).
I have always used 2 lines. I do not have a girl's line and a boy's line. I have 2 lines, and they can go into whichever line they want as long as the lines are somewhat even. I do that to keep kids from not lining up behind someone they don't like. If I have a line of 2 and a line of three, the next person has to join the line of 2. It helps with hurt feelings.
Wow! Thanks for all the feedback and great ideas on line order and special spots. I am going to try putting them in a line order and I am going to see if I can also have 2 lines to keep it shorter and sweeter! Thanks for the good ideas!!! You guys are great!!!!! Who needs idea books or anything else besides PT to teach effectively!!!!
We walk in two lines, evens and odds. In that order we start with the tallest in front and the shortest in back, it cuts down on walking on peoples heals because the long legs are in the front!
I have my students line up in alphabetical order by first name in the beginning of the year, then in alphabetical order by middle name in the middle of the year, and finally in alphabetical order by last name in the end of the year. It definitely helps with behavior.
I use one line when I take my students to the restroom. Once we get to the restrooms they line up in two lines: boys and girls. When they go to reading and specialist we use one line. The only time I use two lines is for going to lunch. I have one line for pack lunches and one line for hot lunches. I only have 18 students in my 2nd grade class, so my line isn't very long.
I have 30 students and only use one line...they're too big to walk in two lines. Our Kindergarteners divide up though in two lines and I always feel like they're in the way when we're trying to get somewhere. They're really cute, but it gets on my nerves because we're moving so fast and they're not. We have over 1300 students in our school so I guess that's partly why.
My kids line up in number order every time. Lunch, recess, assemblies, etc. It prevents behavior problems.
I use two, and so does just about everyone at our school. I have had class sizes that have ranged from 30 to 15 and no matter what size, I have used two. It depends what/where we are going whether I have boy and girl lines or mixed. Occasionally I will do one single line. For the most part, though, my lines are boy and girls lines. I am thinking about having assigned spots next year, but am not sure. Two different years, I have had that child who just needs to be at the end no matter what. This year my kiddo will find some excuse, from tying his shoe, to knocking papers down and picking them up so that he can be last. It is almost this obsessive thing. Has anyone ever had that? I do not have a caboose job, thank goodness, or I think it would cause a problem. Every now and then I will hear some grumbling from someone that so and so always has to be last, but for the most part, the kids just accept that he will be there. Hmmm.
We stop the line at a number of points along our journey....corners, exit signs, etc. This allows for those wayward souls to get caught back up with us.
I learned this from a teacher when I first started teaching at this school several years ago. He had all the children line up by fire drill order as it was in the class register. (By grade, alphabetically by last name)
I teach it to them at the beginning of the year when we are learning procedures and that is ALWAYS the way they are to line up. It saves a lot of jostling to be first in line. It's also great during fire drills!!!
I have a "student-of-the-day" who gets to lead the line so they all get a chance to be "first" sometimes. Once kids figure out this is "life", it ceases to become an issue with them.
I only have 15 students this year (10 boys and 5 girls)
We go to lunch in abc order by their last name, but other than that we just line up.
dmamac--I am just wondering, Could you mix the groups and just have 14 in a group? What if they just naturally separate into boy/girl groups? Would you still get in trouble for that?
I wouldn't leave them to develop their own lines...but I don't know what would happen since we are a "one line school"! I guess I wouldn't want to find out. My kids are very used to working with other kids no matter what their gender, etc. as a large majority of the time my groups are made by pulling popsicle sticks...in fact, if I tell them to form groups of three or four, they frequently ask me to "pull sticks" to take that pressure off picking friends, etc. Groups may be 2 boys and a girl, or all girls or any combination....they just accept the groups and get to work.
AZTeacher07, my son is very short and very self-conscious about it. He would HATE lining up in height order and would consider it adding insult to injury that he always had to be last in line because he's the shortest. I don't think that letting him be first would make it better though. He would probably never say anything to his teacher about it because that would just draw more attention to his height.
I wonder if you have students like my son who are feeling this way. Just something to think about.
I use # order and have the first go to the end the next day. This way there is no running or arguing in line and everyone gets their chance to be the leader. I also always tell my kids, "I take a quiet straight line in the hall," and then I wait. I only need to wait for a few seconds. This is sixth grade. When I had the little ones I said a little chant that they chanted with me: Hands are at my sides; I do not talk. Looking straight ahead; I'm ready to walk.
I always practice line etiquette. We walk for safety reasons, we use a straight line to make room for others in the hall, we don't talk to respect other classes in session.
I tell kids if they are stepping on people's heels that they are going to fast and need to slow down. We do not step out of line. They are often reminded that this will be the last year they need to walk in line in the hallways. This cheers them a little, but much of the etiquette remains the same even when they are in a middle school.
Many teachers in our school use different methods. Some use two lines, some one, some with hands clasped behind their backs and so on.
03-19-2008, 04:32 PM
My students line up by groups! 
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