I use a clip UP chart in my classroom. This is a chart that rewards students for respectful and responsible behavior. As soon as I ask one student to clip up for something (like starting their morning work quickly and quietly the rest miraculously have the same behavior! It solves so many problems!

Try setting a timer. Students who have begun or are finished before the timer dings will receive points, rewards, or whatever you use for behavior.

Depending on what your subject area, I show CNN Student News to tie to my social studies lessons. Students enjoy watching the news because it is not just answering a question or solving a problem. However, if that does not work for your class, you might have some sort of grade that goes with your warm up--you could offer bonus points for having a certain number done, a grade at the end of the week that is a class work grade, or giving a quiz where the answers are in the warm ups and if they are completed can be used on the quiz.

Warm-Ups are something that I use Mon-Thurs in my classroom. A strategy that work for me is putting a time limit on it and then checking them. The students are required to leave their journals in the classroom. They record their warm-up in the journals each day.

Maybe try to turn on some music during their morning when they first get into the class to get settled and begin their warm up work. This music may out them in a zone to go with their routine and begin the warm up prior to being prompted. Also offer a trivia question that goes with warm up so students can be excited about what the trivia question is.

I always write the instructions on the board, and I am also careful about my classroom arrangement. I find that if the tables are too close to the door students will be distracted by who is walking in, and putting their stuff away. I also think that playing soft music might help children get on task easier.

In order for the students to understand the work should be done as soon as they sit down maybe greet them all at the door and prompt them to look at the work. Maybe put the warm up question on the board really big and colorful so it catches their eye as they sit down.

Tell the students that there are directions on the board, failure to complete the work will result it a clip down on the behavior chart. That you be open defiant behavior which should not be excepted.

Writing instructions on the board usually works for me as well as a clip up chart. Even praising students who come in and get right to work gets the ball rolling pretty good.

To get the students started, I would make sure that the students are interested in the content. If the students are interested in the material that they are learning, then they will be more likely to get started on the warm up when they enter the class.

I would set a timer for the students and remind them that if the work is not done or if they are off task they will either need to finish the work for homework or during free time.

I feel that the use of a timer and positive reinforcement will help begin to solve this issue. Every morning, allot the students a certain amount of time to unpack, fulfill classroom housekeeping duties, and complete their warm up. Any students that are finished on time with quality work can be rewarded with something like a ticket or a Dojo point.

Make the warm up part of a grade. When students realize that their grade will suffer in turn of not doing the warm up, they will make sure to get it done.

You could have the warm up question begin at the door. For example, the teacher would stand and greet every student and ask a question that would hook the student into the warm up activity. Then the student would already be thinking about it, and it might better motivate the student to get started right away.

I use Class Dojo for students to earn points for good behavior. When my students come into the classroom, I always have Dojo up on the whiteboard and I will start rewarding points to those that are on task with their morning work. Once students realize this, most of them will start working.

Making a game out of something will almost always improve work ethic. "Whoever is done with their warm-up first, flip their paper and put their head down." This will not only prompt students to complete it upon entering, wanting to get to class sooner, but they are also being quiet after finishing the assignment by putting their head down. This could be met with a variety of rewards such as skipping the warm up one day or having a homework pass.