Why Routines Matter: The Unsung Hero of Student Success

At Bespoke Learning, we believe that behind every thriving student is a structure that supports their growth. One of the most powerful — yet often overlooked — tools in any educator's toolkit is the routine.

Whether we're providing IB French tutoring or supporting neurodiverse learners through one-on-one IB and AP sessions, routines provide the foundation for safety, engagement, and academic success. As I've explored through my leadership training with Harvard and the Ontario Principal Qualification Program (PQP), routines aren't just about classroom management — they are deeply tied to equity, neuroscience, and effective instructional leadership.

🎯 The Brain Science Behind Routines

Cognitive science confirms that routines reduce extraneous cognitive load, allowing students to allocate more working memory to complex tasks (Sweller et al., 2011). When students know what to expect, their executive functioning systems are less taxed — which is critical for learners with ADHD, anxiety, or trauma-related symptoms (Centre for ADHD Awareness Canada, 2023).

Predictable routines help students:

• Process and retain instructions more effectively
• Develop independence and self-regulation
• Engage in deep learning without cognitive overload
• Experience psychological safety through structure and clarity

As Zaretta Hammond (2015) emphasizes in Culturally Responsive Teaching and the Brain, structure and predictability are not the enemies of creativity — they are its foundation.

🌍 Routines as a Pathway to Equity

The Ontario Leadership Framework and Street Data (Safir & Dugan, 2021) remind us that equity requires coherence and intentionality. Too often, "hidden curriculum" — the unspoken routines and norms of school — creates barriers for multilingual learners, neurodivergent students, and those who experience systemic marginalization.

Transparent, co-constructed routines make learning accessible. They create a sense of belonging and reduce ambiguity, which research shows is especially important for students navigating unfamiliar or exclusive systems (Ontario College of Teachers, 2023).

At Bespoke Learning, we design all of our sessions — whether tutoring, enrichment, or exam prep — with clarity, consistency, and co-agency in mind.

✏️ Building Routines That Matter

Routines are not static — they evolve with purpose. At Bespoke Learning, we use the ABCM framework (Autonomy, Belonging, Competence, Meaning) from the Harvard Instructional Leadership course to guide our lesson routines.

Whether supporting a student with IB Paper 1 strategies or scaffolding oral practice in French, we rely on predictable elements:

• Begin with belonging: A check-in or shared intention for the session
• Follow a consistent flow: Activate → Explore → Reflect → Extend
• Integrate UDL (Universal Design for Learning) to support multiple means of engagement and expression (CAST, 2018)
• End with clarity: What did we learn, and where are we going next?

These routines help students become metacognitive learners — aware of their process, able to self-assess, and ready to take risks.

🤖 Routines + AI = Personalized Learning That Works

In an era of personalized, AI-supported learning, routines remain essential. AI can suggest learning paths, but only humans can create the relational safety and clarity students need to succeed.

Our tutors blend AI-enhanced tools like Brisk and Flint with predictable routines to help students:

• Reflect on feedback and revise work
• Set personalized learning goals
• Track progress over time
• Develop learning habits that extend beyond school

As Michael Fullan (2021) reminds us, technology amplifies the work of strong educators — it doesn't replace it.

📚 What This Means for Families and Schools

If you're a parent or educator, here are 4 research-informed ways to support routines at home or school:

1. Visual schedules and checklists (especially helpful for ADHD/ASD learners)
2. Segmented learning blocks to support executive functioning
3. Routine review sessions — What's working? What needs adjusting?
4. Inclusion of student voice in the co-construction of routines (Safir & Dugan, 2021)