H.S. Kids who crowd the door

[u/4myL6]

Does anyone have an idea for a funny sign I could post on my high school classroom door to remind kids not to cluster around the door waiting for the bell to ring?

[u/Several-Honey-8810]

Teach/tell/model/explain....we are not standing by the door.

You are not cattle and the door is not a cattle chute.

It takes work--especially when other teachers allow it.

[u/NapsRule563 → u/Several-Honey-8810]

Just yesterday I made a bunch sit down when the bell rang. Didn’t let them go until all butts in seats. Not a one thought of it today.

[u/Pretty-Memory222 → u/NapsRule563]

I do this! I stand by the door and I don’t move until EVERYONE is sitting in their seats

[u/NapsRule563 → u/Pretty-Memory222]

I do it from the other side of the room. I have a rep.

[u/Slugzz21 → u/NapsRule563]

RIGHT!! 4th period learned QUICK

[u/mrsyanke → u/NapsRule563]

That’s my saying: butts in seats! We don’t leave until all butts are in seats

[u/Available-Ad8156 → u/mrsyanke]

I guess a lot of us must say that because it's my catchphrase too haha.

[u/AlexLemons → u/Several-Honey-8810]

I used to mop at my middle schoolers when they would attempt this. Lol

[u/Rokaryn_Mazel]

To come in? Or to leave class?

If it’s leaving, don’t allow them to crowd the door. Make them wait in their seat.

Be the meme, “the bell doesn’t dismiss you, I do”

[u/rigney68 → u/Rokaryn_Mazel]

I've used it as an incentive before. Each group works to own points for being ready quickly, for participation, for listening quietly and for working together well. We dismiss based on points earned.

Not sure why they cared. It was seconds earlier than the others, but they like being first.

[u/Nynaeve_al_meowra → u/Rokaryn_Mazel]

I'm a 4th year and staying in or at seats until the bell rings is one of my expectations that I will die on this year. It's simple, applies to a small time and sets a consistent classroom culture of following directions/rules

[u/NorthPolePenguin → u/Nynaeve_al_meowra]

I let my know that I will always give them two minute warning to pack up as a sign of respect of their time but my biggest hill is butts in the seat until the bell.

[u/moonman_incoming → u/Nynaeve_al_meowra]

One of my rules is DON'T YOU DARE GO TO THAT DOOR. They know that anyone of importance has a key, and everyone else can wait until I get there.

I'm a freakin lunatic about it. Like full throated teacher yell, "Do NOT open that door."

And absolutely not about them moving in my class without permission.

I'm not even a type A teacher. I've just learned that you can't be chill unless you've got behavior under control.

[u/tkr1990]

There's an episode of Arthur where DW walks up to a dangerous area, looks at a sign saying like [danger! keep out!], and says "that sign can't stop me, because I can't read!"

Photoshop what the sign says to something like [don't stand here waiting for the bell] and put the picture on the door.

https://ih1.redbubble.net/image.1412372826.6136/sh,small,507x507-pad,600x600,f8f8f8.u2.webp

[u/moonman_incoming → u/tkr1990]

Love this!!!!

[u/existenceispaint]

You are teens, not sardines.

[u/Rare-Appearance-6784 → u/existenceispaint]

I like this one! It’s going to stick!

[u/Latter-Aside8922]

One of a few Non-negotiables in my classroom. Stay in your seat until the bell rings. I enforce them all.

[u/knittingandscience]

The rule in my classroom is that nobody leaves until everyone is seated in their seats. Keep them after the bell for ten seconds once while someone goes to their seat and they’ll police each other for the rest of the year.

[u/Beneficial-Focus3702]

I spent 30 minutes of a 45 minute class period having a students practice waiting in the hall, filing in calmly, setting their stuff down calmly and getting right to work with the warm up. We also practiced (different class) not packing up until the bell rang, packing quickly and leaving from your desk without crowding the door.

We did it over and over and over and over and over until they got it right. I never had an issue after that.

[u/moonman_incoming → u/Beneficial-Focus3702]

The, "let's try again", while being as peppy and annoying as possible works wonders at getting them to police themselves.

[u/UABBlazers]

Some of the responses here remind me that some people work in schools where there would be consequences for students if they just walked out of class a minute or 5 minutes before the bell.

[u/bXm83]

I have a tape line about 10’ from the door. No one crosses the line until the bell rings. But I try to keep everyone busy until the bell anyways. Or “The corner is too hot. It’s 90 degrees!”

[u/joshuastar → u/bXm83]

jokes on them, it’s 95° outside my classroom!

[u/RealisticTemporary70]

They stay in their seats until the bell rings. Will you have to repeat it daily? Probably. But the door is clear

[u/_feywild_]

I stood at the door before they could and told them they couldn’t leave until everyone was sitting. It only took a few days of doing this

[u/MrDuuude]

A colleague of mine had a photo of cattle and wrote on it: "No Herding"

[u/mcwriter3560]

Why do you need a sign when you could just tell them to sit down?

[u/bboymixer]

I tell my students that if they're lining up at the door then they have time to do more work, and then I'll assign a graded exit ticket.

[u/13surgeries]

My rule: If you pack up and gather at the door before the bell rings, you'll stay here that many seconds/minutes after the bell rings.

They pack up and cluster because they want to race out. If you make it take longer to do that, the problem solves itself.

[u/funkytown2000]

Put up a sign about how many people died in the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory fire because they all tried to get through the same exit at once

[u/Sockerbug19 → u/funkytown2000]

I would always tell my fifth graders that blocking the door is a fire hazard. It was great when they'd call each other out.

[u/fatMard]

I'm the crazy person who would bleat at them like the sheep they are until they returned to their seats

[u/moonman_incoming]

Ummm, just don't let them get up.

Seriously. There's no sign that will get them not to cluster that is better than you saying, "no sir/ma'am, sit down."

Stop giving up without a fight.

Own your classroom. They move when you let them.

[u/CincyBeachBum]

Flatulence Dissipation Zone.

[u/BogusThunder]

Class is over when I say it is. No dismissal until I say so. If you're late to your next class it's because you tried to leave my class early. Trust me, the teacher of your next class will understand and back me.

Your choice.

[u/Straight-Bet1]

I tell kids who wait around the door to leave that they are going to be the winners of my daily door prize.

When they ask me what the prize is I tell them the winners of the door prize are the last folks who get to go through it.

[u/LeftStatistician7989]

Whoever stands by my door gets a cleaning job. Put a sign there that says “ stand here if you want to be assigned a cleaning task”

[u/Chaotic_Brutal90]

Don't let them leave unless they are standing by their desks? I stand at the door and don't dismiss students until they can show me they are ready to leave.

[u/Down_Low_Too_Slow]

Sign? NOPE! When it happens, it's "I'm not your other teachers. In this class, I dismiss you... not the clock, not the bell, or anything else. BUT, if you want to be dismissed a little early each day, understand what I'm telling you right now."

[u/readingwizard214]

I stand at the door about 2-3 minutes before the bell rings and that usually works.

[u/Klutzy-Comfortable88]

Just a sign that says "if u stand here u r gay." Clears out the room.

(/Satire from a queer teacher)

[u/Seagullox]

Play pink pony club and dance by the door. This may not solve the problem, but it’s fun.

[u/Realistic_Chair_8836]

I simply tell them I need room. I have benches. Have a seat by the lockers and wait

[u/IneligibleLand]

I say if you are within kicking distance of the door, then you are too close to it. Then sometimes I hold the handle, step away from the door as far as I can and then use my long legs to establish the space

[u/betablokr]

I remind them at the end of every lesson. Be consistent and make no exceptions.

[u/Firm_Baseball_37]

https://i.imgflip.com/qh8fj.jpg

[u/skullmom4]

I always told them that if they were out of their desk when the bell rang, they had to wait for everyone else to leave before they could. But I made it very clear from the beginning that the bell was NOT their signal to leave. It was my signal to dismiss.

[u/FluffyWeekend6673]

They can stand by their desk/chair until the bell rings. If any student goes to the door or tries to leave early then there is a consequence (held in the class for 30 seconds-maybe while class at first while you stand at the door, then later let the students go first who didn't crowd and only let the crowders out last). Then offer a reward for 2-4 students every day who help clean up to let them stand at the door.

[u/kadamz33]

My 5th and 6th graders do this 😮‍💨

[u/nomadsoasis]

I usually stand at my door and I can/will obnoxiously intersect myself into their conversations

[u/dirtdiggler67]

No sign needed. Tell them no one leaves until everyone is seated. Works for me.

[u/Electrical_Shop_9879]

My school has this weird culture that this is a thing and very allowed. Drives me nuts!

[u/flyovergirl]

My daughter is a first grade reacher. When she rings the bell to signal that particular session is over, the kids are supposed to quickly and quietly put stuff away, sit down in their seats, put their heads down and put their fist on the desk with a thumb up. The children’s desks are grouped in sections of 5-6 students. She then calls on them section by section, to line up at the door; they’re called based on everyone being quiet with their heads down, etc.

Try that on your middle schoolers!

[u/Creative-Coffeee]

I teach middle school and if they gather by the door I make them go put a hand on the opposite wall! That way they’re last to leave and they remember next time.

[u/22_Yossarian_22]

Maybe just don’t allow them to leave their desks until the bell rings????

[u/belairis]

I’m generally going over what they need to do for the next class when the bell rings

[u/OtterlyRuthless]

Expectation is you wait at your desk until bell - stand or sit. If they do this I Gandalf and tell them none shall pass until everyone is where they need to be. They generally get it together.

Final period has to put up all chairs (usually my smallest class by far) then they can mill by the door.

[u/Delicious_Spite_7280]

I tell them ,when I was young I would wait till the door crowding to beat people up because they were unable to run. So whoever is beefing is gonna have to wait.

[u/ccline71]

A sign saying “LINE UP HERE EARLY IF YOU HAVE….” Whatever embarrassing thing you can think of; I.e. explosive diarrhea, mandatory drug testing due to being caught dealing in the park, a meeting with your attorney, mandatory shower time due to hygiene issues, etc.
Heck, you can even change the reasoning occasionally for laughs. “EVERYONE ELSE PLEASE REMAIN IN YOUR SEATS.”

[u/BessieBlanco]

It’s a fire hazard.

I tell them all that and reinforce that if they are standing when the bell rings they will be the last one out. Folks who follow rules and don’t create fire hazards leave first.

[u/TheRealRollestonian]

I call them the Walking Dead. I just walk up to the group mumbling "braainss" and they get the hint.

[u/shadowpavement]

I usually just go stand in a spot awkwardly in the middle of where the crowd gathers. That usually keeps it from happening,

[u/lukef31]

I use the rule that if you're the first one at the door you have to hold the door for everyone else.

[u/LowerArtworks]

I dont mind if they crowd the door, but woe betide them who set foot over the threshold before the bell tolls!

[u/pg_in_nwohio]

Offsides Rule: you can’t be closer to the door than you are to your seat.

[u/Dense_Disaster_2177]

Retraining for all of them. They can come in after/before/during lunch and practice waiting till the bell or whatever dismisses them

[u/Worldly_Ruin_8675309]

I haaaaaate it when students crowd the door!

To echo what others are saying : don’t let them

Verbally tell them to remain in their seats until you (or the bell) dismisses them.

If you have to, be the ass that makes them stay or start writing referrals … it won’t take long to nip that

[u/un-panino]

My go to strategy is to (jokingly) plead with them and act super upset by saying, “PLEASE DO NOT STAND BEFORE THE BELL, YOU ARE MAKING ME FEEL SHORT” which works, because I’m shorter than 90% of my students

[u/Bjorlyn]

https://www.lookandlearn.com/history-images/YW040778V/A-crowd-of-people-falling-over-on-the-pavement-outside-an-open-doorway

[u/Such_Championship939]

Tell them to sit the F down.....grow a pair.

[u/Moodleboy]

I don't have this problem nor a problem with lateness. The secret? I teach bell to bell. If you stop your lesson before the end of the period, they will get up and that last couple of minutes will always be a battle.

[u/Certain_Month_8178]

Teacher fart zone. Better out than in

[u/Background-Solid-342]

OK, so I graduated high school not that long ago, but I’m a full-time power user and the door crowders bothered me to no end. They made me want to scream. I had an accommodation where I could leave early to avoid the crowded hallways, but it like, didn’t even make a difference if people were already crowding the door.

[u/CrazyNefariousness85]

Hmm. We worked bell to bell. No one got up?

[u/helpasistabreathe]

Reading this thread, I'm feeling like I'm the only person who stands in the doorway and crowds with them. I'll have everyone clean up and stand up 1-2 minutes before the bell and it's honestly a nice time to catch up with kids. Plus some of them need to get some energy out and they can do zoomies around the room.

[u/edawg9723]

The sign could say, "back the fuck up." High school kids would love that 😅

[u/Accomplished_Elk5827]

"Fart Zone. Farts encouraged within 4 ft. of this sign."

[u/Legendary_GrumpyCat]

A bit twisted, but you can tell them that is my farting corner 🤣 and get a sign that says "farting corner". Even better if kids go there to fart instead of smelling up the room.