No matter who you are or what you teach, your entering classroom procedure should include greeting your students at the door. Research has consistently shown that greeting students at the door is one of the most powerful practices a teacher can implement. A seminal study by Cook et al. (2018) demonstrated significant increases in academic engagement and reductions in disruptive behavior when teachers implemented this practice consistently. Further research by Allday and Pakurar (2007) found that these brief morning interactions increased students’ on-task behavior from 45% to 72%. Allday et al., (2011) found that when teachers greet their students, the students start working on their tasks more quickly.
The impact of this practice is rooted in its ability to establish positive teacher-student relationships and set clear expectations for the learning environment. According to Wong and Wong (2018), these few seconds of personal connection at the threshold of the classroom serve as a crucial transition point, helping students shift into a learning mindset. While more research is still being conducted on the long-term impacts, the existing studies clearly demonstrate that this simple practice yields significant benefits for both classroom management and student engagement.
How to Greet Students at the Door
The effective implementation of door greeting requires specific strategic elements identified through research. Teachers should position themselves at the threshold of the door, which Cook et al. (2018) demonstrated allows for simultaneous monitoring of hallway and classroom behavior while creating a clear physical transition point that helps students mentally prepare for learning.
Allday and Pakurar (2007) found that using students’ names and making brief eye contact were incredibly important. This study showed that these brief interactions, when coupled with positive nonverbal cues, significantly improved on-task behavior. Sugai and Horner (2012) emphasized that while teachers can use this time for quick reminders about materials or to acknowledge positive behaviors, any corrective conversations should be handled discretely to maintain the positive environment their research showed was crucial for effective classroom management.
Fraire et al. (2013) determined that specific body language, including open posture and professional alertness, increased effectiveness. Their research also found that authentic, natural interactions produced better results than mechanical greetings. Eisenreich and Andreasen (2016) found that consistent routines with quick check-in questions helped establish clear expectations while allowing for personalization. Their study showed that when teachers needed to handle redirection or tardiness, doing so calmly and privately maintained the positive atmosphere essential for the greeting’s effectiveness.
The most successful door greetings include what Rimm-Kaufman and Sandilos (2011) termed “rapid emotional assessment,” where teachers learn to recognize signs that a student might need additional support. However, they emphasized that concerns noticed during greeting should be addressed later, keeping the door greeting positive and flowing smoothly. Their research indicated that this practice requires teachers to be fully present and engaged, without distractions from other tasks during the greeting period.
Types of Greetings for Middle School Teachers
The key to implementing these greetings effectively is maintaining what Cook et al. (2018) identified as the “positive but professional boundary” while keeping the interaction brief enough to avoid disrupting student flow into the classroom. Here’s how to implement some of these greetings most effectively:
Choice Based Greetings
Choice-based greetings are a classroom entry strategy that allows students to choose their preferred way of being greeted as they enter the room. According to Cook et al. (2018), giving students this autonomy helps maintain engagement while respecting personal boundaries and individual comfort levels. Research indicates this approach is particularly effective for adolescents, who respond positively to opportunities for agency and self-determination in their school interactions.
The most common implementation, as described by Allday & Pakurar (2007), involves the teacher:
- Posting visual cues near the door showing 3-4 greeting options
- Standing slightly offset from the doorway
- Allowing each student to indicate their choice through verbal or nonverbal cues
- Responding with the chosen greeting style
- Maintaining consistent options daily
Typical greeting choices might include:
- A simple wave
- A fist bump
- A high five
- A verbal greeting
- A nod
- A “teacher’s choice” option where the teacher picks one of the above
For implementation to be successful, teachers should:
- Respect when students choose no-contact options
- Maintain consistent positioning and body language
- Keep the interaction brief (under 3 seconds)
- Stay with the same set of options for at least a week or unit
- Have a backup plan for students who don’t make a choice quickly
Content-Related Greetings
Content-related greetings integrate quick academic content review or preview into the classroom entry routine. As Cook et al. (2018) found, these greetings serve the dual purpose of establishing positive teacher-student contact while reinforcing learning objectives. The key is keeping them brief enough to maintain smooth classroom entry while still making them academically meaningful.
Common types of content-related greetings include:
- Quick review questions from the previous day’s lesson
- Vocabulary word of the day (define it, use it, or translate it)
- Subject-specific facts or concepts
- Problem of the day (shown on the door or entry screen)
- Content-based would-you-rather questions
- Unit-themed trivia
For effective implementation, teachers should:
- Keep questions or prompts visible (posted near door or projected)
- Accept brief, partial answers to maintain flow
- Have a non-academic backup greeting ready
- Link questions to current or recent content rather than new material
- Rotate topics weekly rather than daily
- Avoid using these responses for grading or assessment
The most important consideration is avoiding what Allday & Pakurar (2007) term “entry barriers” – making the content check so challenging that it creates anxiety or slows entry. Content greetings should feel like a warm-up rather than a quiz, maintaining the positive social-emotional benefits of door greeting while adding light academic reinforcement.
Check-In Greetings
Check-in greetings are brief emotional or readiness assessments conducted as students enter the classroom. According to Cook et al. (2018), these greetings serve as quick temperature checks for student well-being while maintaining the positive relationship-building benefits of door greeting. Teachers can quickly identify students who might need additional support while keeping the entry process smooth and efficient.
Common types of check-in greetings include:
- Number scales (“On a scale of 1-5…”)
- Color coding (“Green for great, yellow for okay, red for struggling”)
- Weather reports (“What’s your weather today?”)
- Thumb signals (up, middle, down)
- Quick emoji choices (displayed on door or wall)
- One-word check-ins (“Give me one word for how you’re feeling”)
For effective implementation, Allday & Pakurar (2007) suggest teachers should:
- Have a clear system for tracking concerning responses
- Keep a mental note of patterns
- Maintain brief, acknowledging responses
- Follow up individually later with students showing distress
- Never pressure students to explain their responses at the door
- Have a plan for addressing serious concerns immediately
Key considerations include:
- Maintaining student privacy during response
- Having clear protocols for concerning answers
- Training students on the check-in system early in the year
- Being consistent with follow-up
- Keeping records of patterns that might need counselor intervention
- Balancing speed of entry with genuine attention to responses
The most crucial aspect is what Sugai & Horner (2012) term “response readiness” – having clear plans for addressing both immediate concerns and long-term patterns while maintaining the positive, welcoming atmosphere of the greeting routine.
Consistency is Key
The most important aspect of any greeting type is consistency. As Cook et al. (2018) noted, students respond better to predictable routines, even when those routines include elements of choice or fun. Teachers should:
- Choose 2-3 greeting styles they’re comfortable with
- Rotate them on a predictable schedule (weekly or unit-based)
- Maintain the same energy level regardless of their personal mood
- Be ready with alternate greetings for students who seem uncomfortable
- Keep track of which students consistently avoid interaction for follow-up support
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References
Allday, R. A., & Pakurar, K. (2011). Effects of teacher greetings on student on-task behavior. Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis, 40(2), 317-320.
Allday, R. A., & Pakurar, K. (2007). Effects of teacher greetings on student on-task behavior. Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis, 40(2), 317-320.
Cook, C. R., Fiat, A., Larson, M., Daikos, C., Slemrod, T., Holland, E. A., Thayer, A. J., & Renshaw, T. (2018). Positive greetings at the door: Evaluation of a low-cost, high-yield proactive classroom management strategy. Journal of Positive Behavior Interventions, 20(3), 149-159.
Eisenreich, H., & Andreasen, J. (2016). The role of teacher greetings in classroom management. Educational Leadership, 73(4), 56-60.
Fraire, M., Longobardi, C., & Sclavo, E. (2013). The role of teacher-student relationships in classroom management. European Journal of Psychology of Education, 28(3), 965-983.
Rimm-Kaufman, S., & Sandilos, L. (2011). Improving students’ relationships with teachers to provide essential supports for learning. American Psychological Association.
Sugai, G., & Horner, R. (2012). The evolution of discipline practices: School-wide positive behavior supports. Child & Family Behavior Therapy, 24(1-2), 23-50.
Allday, R. A., & Pakurar, K. (2007). Effects of teacher greetings on student on-task behavior. Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis, 40(2), 317-320.
Wong, H., & Wong, R. (2018). The first days of school: How to be an effective teacher (5th ed.). Harry K. Wong Publications.