Rules for Walking in Line at School: 7 Tips for Teachers

If you’ve ever watched students jostling for first place in line or sprawling across the hallway on the way to lunch, you know how quickly a transition can unravel. Setting clear rules for walking in a line at school, and actually teaching students to follow them, makes every hallway trip smoother and safer. Below you’ll find the rules themselves, plus 7 strategies for making them stick.

Rules for Walking in Line at School

1. Walk quietly — voices off unless you give permission
2. Keep hands to yourself — at your sides, folded in front, or behind your back
3. Stay on your number — no skipping ahead or pushing past others
4. Face forward — eyes ahead, not to the side
5. Keep an arm’s length of space from the person in front of you
6. Keep up with the line — no stopping or falling behind
7. Walk, don’t run — steady pace throughout

Setting these expectations clearly is just the first step. Here’s how to teach them so students actually follow them.

Why Walking in Line Matters

• creates a sense of unity within the class
• teaches students to respect each other and nearby classrooms
• helps students learn about personal space
• practices patience
• teaches students to follow instructions as a group
• is an essential skill to have during emergencies
• calms students down after a high-energy activity
• acts as a transition to another activity

Walking in line is also especially helpful for students who experience anxiety or who thrive on structure — the predictability of a consistent routine gives them a clear understanding of what’s expected and reduces the uncertainty that can trigger worry.

Do students always need to walk in a quiet line?

Different schools will have different policies on how students should walk in a line or behave in hallways. For some schools it’s a practical rule: the hallways get loud and other classes need to concentrate. For other schools, it’s about maintaining order and discipline.

Personally, I don’t believe that students always need to walk in a quiet line, but I do believe that students should KNOW HOW to walk in a quiet line and do so when asked. Students need to be able to meet your classroom expectations when you need them to do so. This is especially important when there is a fire drill or other emergency.

How do I teach students to walk in a line?

There are several strategies teachers can use to help keep students calm when walking in line. Some of these are geared toward younger students and some can be used for any grade.

Have students line up quietly

Begin your quiet walking in line with a quiet lineup by the classroom door. Before you have students line up, have them sit at their desks or on the carpet quietly. Call specific students or table groups to line up. If students start talking, have them sit back down and call on other students who are lined up quietly.

Starting out with a quiet line will help you maintain a quiet line when walking.

Put students in line order

Put numbers on the floor of your classroom – colored duct tape is great for this. I place numbers about two feet apart. I don’t assign numbers to students, but I ask students to line up on a number. I make sure that different students are on different numbers each time we line up.

Call Students to Line Up By Table Groups

Having students line up in table groups can be a practical and effective strategy to instill order when forming lines. This method not only promotes organizational skills but also fosters teamwork and respect among classmates. Students within the same table group learn to cooperate and coordinate with each other, taking turns and ensuring they all congregate efficiently. It gives them a sense of responsibility and belonging, as they are part of a mini team within the classroom.

This strategy also allows the teacher to manage smaller groups of students simultaneously, making the process more manageable and less chaotic. Ultimately, lining up by table groups can significantly streamline the process of forming lines, making transitions smoother and more orderly.

Give rewards to students who demonstrate appropriate behavior while walking in line

Recognize and incentivize students who demonstrate quiet behavior while walking in line. Rewards can take various forms and need not be physical. They can include privileges such as being the first to line up, enter the classroom, or earn points toward a goal.

Choose a caboose who watches the line and choose several students who are showing good behavior in line. Those students can earn tokens if you use a money reward system.

Guide students on where to place their hands

Guiding students on where to place their hands while walking in line can help maintain order and safety. Encouraging students to keep their hands either at their sides, their hips, or clasped together can prevent them from touching or disturbing items or people along their path. When students know what to do with their hands, it brings about a sense of self-awareness and respect for their surroundings. This simple practice can be particularly constructive for children who are tactile learners, providing them with a physical reminder of their role and responsibility when moving in a group.

Here are a few suggestions on where students can place their hands:

• behind their backs
• folded in front of them
• at their sides
• one in front and one in back

Create a fun song or chant to use as a line activity

Creating a fun song or chant for lining up can make the transition from one activity to another more enjoyable and engaging for students. A catchy tune with simple, easy-to-remember lyrics that detail the steps of lining up can serve as an aural cue for students, easing the process and reducing the chances of chaos. It could involve steps like quietening down, going to their designated numbers, placing their hands properly, and moving forward in a straight line. This musical approach not only adds an element of fun to an otherwise mundane task but also caters to auditory learners who respond well to such cues. In addition, it can also foster a sense of camaraderie and rhythm among the students as they sing or chant together, making the act of lining up a collaborative and enjoyable experience.

Here is an example of a call-and-response chant:

• Facing – Forward
• Arms – Crossed
• Mouths – Quiet
• Bodies – Still

Here are a couple of songs that can be used:

“Everybody up, it’s time to line,
Keep the chatter down, you’re doing fine.
One by one, onto your number stand,
Walk in a line, just as we planned.”

“Respect each other, keep personal space,
Moving together, at a steady pace.
Look straight ahead, walk with pride,
In our straight, and quiet line.”

“And we’re all lined up, ready to go,
Walking in line, steady and slow.
Great job everyone, you’ve passed the test,
In lining up, you are the best!”

Make Walking in a Line a Game

Transforming the action of walking in line into a game can make the process more interesting and engaging for students. One possible game is “The Silent Leader”: nominate a student to be the leader at the front of the line. The leader is then given the freedom to change the way they walk, for example, they may decide to walk like a penguin, giraffe, or even tiptoe. The rest of the students are then required to mimic the leader. The catch is that they must do this silently and maintain the line. This game not only adds an element of fun but also encourages creativity, attentiveness, and coordination. Moreover, the prospect of being the ‘silent leader’ can also serve as a motivation for students to behave appropriately and follow the line rules regularly.

Here are a few more game suggestions:

• Play spies – pretend you are spies going down the hallway so quietly that no one looks at you.
• Pretend you are all frogs and you don’t want to be eaten by the alligators
• Pretend to catch a bubble in your mouth and hold it there
• Have a secret mystery walker – tell students that you’re watching for the secret walker to follow the line rules. Announce the secret walker when you get to the destination.

Successful classroom management relies heavily on structure and consistency. Learning to walk in line can be a critical part of this. From designating a specific number to each student, calling them to line up by table groups, recognizing those who exhibit appropriate line behavior with rewards, guiding where to place their hands, and utilizing songs or chants, to making it a fun game, there are numerous strategies to streamline this process. Each strategy not only aids in maintaining order and discipline but also contributes to creating a more inclusive, respectful, and cooperative learning environment.