We know classroom rules are imperative to successful classroom management. Unfortunately there are so many options and opinions on how to establish those rules, it can seem like a monumental task! Fortunately classroom rules do not have to be a “one size fits all’ scenario. Neither does the method with which you come up with the rules.
Some successful teachers allow the students to help make the rules at the beginning of the year. This activity may foster a sense of ownership and encourage students to pay attention to the rules they have helped create.
Other teachers believe starting off the school year strict, with a pre-determined list of rules to alleviate any ambiguity as to who is in charge. These teachers feel that if the students have negotiation room, they will perceive the teacher as week.
Perhaps a combination of the two approaches would be most effective. The teacher can start the year with a basic set of rules, or the rules from the prior year, and modify them to fit the new class with the student input. This would provide an outline of expectations, but allow the students to work out the nuances of the rules.
Mary’s Classroom RULEs
- Respect (yourself, your classmates and school property)
- Use your manners (raise your hand, say please and thank you)
- Listen carefully
- Excel- To get what you’ve never had, you have to do what you’ve never done.
NEA has a long standing relationship with teachers and tons of resources on their website. The following is just one of the many links available. https://www.nea.org/tools/51721.htm
This particular link discusses the following main ideas:
- Take Charge of Your Class
- Focus on the Disruptive Students
- Let Students Choose Their Seats
- Give Incentives to Do Their Best on Assignments
- Keep an Eye on Your Students
- Establish Consequences for Misbehaving
- Classroom rules
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