Michelle Risse Blog Entry # 2

Classroom Rules (4 Main Rules)

1.   Golden Rule: Do unto others as you would have them do unto you

2.   Be polite, say please and thank you

3.   Be flexible and respond to everything with an open mind

4.   Do your best

2.   www.scholastic.com/teachers/article/30-classroom-procedures-head-behavior-problems

This website provides its audience with a list of thirty rules that correspond to every day procedures within a classroom.   Some of the rules are very specific, while others are more generalized and could be applied to every grade level.   I think this list was constructed with an elementary classroom in mind because it does address many issues that would seem obvious and redundant to anyone in the secondary classroom setting.   This list however starts off with a short preface that is really applicable to any level.   In the Introduction or Preface author Bonnie Murray explains that the secret to preventing potential behavior problems is to establish positive classroom procedures for daily tasks and activities.   By creating a very structured environment a teacher is enabled to act extremely consistently, which will then enable students to internalize classroom procedures, resulting in a smooth running day.   The beginning of the article also explains that choosing the right rules and procedures to highlight and emphasize within your classroom is extremely important.   It is very important to define your expectations concerning a student’s behavior from the very beginning of class.  

Since I am going through this program focusing on Secondary Education, I decided to read this list through the lens of a high school or middle school teacher.   Throughout this list I found the following rules to be most applicable to secondary audiences: 1.Entering the room, 8. Obtaining help with assignments, 11. When and how to use the school restroom, 21. Throwing away trash, 26. Fire drill.   Although I think rule number 22 which outlines the procedure for turning in lost items is clever, I think it most likely applies to the elementary classroom.   This rule could be applied to the high school and middle school setting because instead of having a lost and found bin in the classroom in the higher levels this bin could be located at the front office.   Overall I thought the idea of attaching a note with the name of the “discoverer’ is very clever and the fact that if the item is not found by the owner that they have the first chance to obtain the lost item.  

As a whole I really enjoyed this article and I hope that many of the students in this class are able to find time to read it.   I believe that it could be instrumental to their success as a teacher; I know I plan on using many of these rules and procedures in my classroom.