Are there any educators out there that can help?
1. Please list your name (aliases are accepted), the grade level you teach, as well as the subject.
2. What procedures and/or rules have you established in your classroom?
3. How do you teach the above procedures/rules (from question 2) to your students?
4. In creating classroom rules, do you allow student input?
5. Are there any tips or “words’ of wisdom” concerning classroom procedures and management that you would like to share?
Favorite Answer
2. I have 5 basic rules, and they are a mnemonic
Respect others and yourself
Use courtesy
Listen attentively
Expect to learn
Stay focused
3. We go over these on day 1, plus they are posted in my room. I teach in a small school (residential facility), so all the middle school teachers use the same mnemonic. The kids get it 7 times a day.
4. I ask them if they see anything to add to the list. Usually what they suggest is covered by one of the 5 we already have.
5. Be consistent, be fair, and be human. Those are the keys to developing relationships with the kids, and relationships are the key to getting expected behavior from them. You can enforce consequences without being mean or rude. Kids will respect that. As far as new teachers and classroom management, read Harry Wong. He has excellent ideas that work in just about every situation.
2. I have four basic rules in my classroom:
be safe
be polite
be respectful
do your best
I find these rules cover all the major things that come up. As for procedures, I have ones for most everything. Some of the best for the age I work with are having an order or seat assignment for desks, carpet time and lining up. It eliminates the arguing over who was first, who cut etc… You need to decide what’s best for your comfort level. Some teachers tolerate more noise and/or chaos in their classrooms than others. The younger the students are the better it is to make rules/procedures clear and concise and repeat them often.
4. I don’t have student input for my rules/procedures as my students are 5-7 year olds and need a lot of structure–especially at the beginning of the year.
5. My best advice is to be very firm and strict with the students whatever the age because it’s always better to start tough and ease up later as you get to know your students personalities and temperments. If you start soft and let the kids walk all over you it is extremely difficult, if not impossible, to go back and change. Too often today’s kids, even at very young ages, can be very manipulative, defiant or worse. Just remember it’s OK to want your students to like you but it shouldn’t be your priority. You are there first and foremost to educate them in a caring and safe environment, not to be their best friend.
2.) 3 “guidelines”: The 3 Be “R”s
Be Responsible, Be Respectful, Be Ready to Learn
3.) On the first day, when we review the class outline/syllabus, I tell the students that I have these 3 expectations of their behavior. We then share ideas of how you can demonstrate that you are meeting each of these expectations. For instance, for Be Responsible, students might say that they need to make sure they turn in their work, bring their materials, and so on. So it is up to them to develop ideas on what the specifics are on each one, but rather than list 100 rules, pretty much every behavior can fall under of the 3 basic guidelines I present.
4.) Stick closely to the rules early on and show that you are not going to give any slack with what you expect. Start off very tough and show you mean business and you are going to expect a high level of behavior, because the students are going to live up to whatever expectation you give them. If you hold them accountable to every small thing, they won’t have a chance to try to push the limits and hit bigger things.
Also, remain consistent. Whether it is an A student breaking the rule or the constant goof-off breaking the same rule, you have to always hold each one accountable with the same consequence, so that the student trust you to be fair and honest. This mainly helps in developing a better relationship with the chronic misbehavors and improving their behavior, because it shows you aren’t “singly them out” as they feel many teachers do.
2. a) respect – yourselves, others, me, things
b) no grooming
c) no food (even gum – too much under desks)
d) follow directions the first time ( this can apply to almost anything)
3. I review the rules and consequences the first day. The first week when a student commits an infraction I refer back to the rule (concrete example)
4. I do not allow student input. The main reason for this is that I teach the transitional grade – 9th. They are learning how to be high school students. I tried that one year and it wasted time and produced ridiculus answers.
5. a) keep it simple – too many elaborate rules loses attention & confuses
b) consistency! If you do not follow through on your own rules EVERY time they no longer mean anything.
c) apply rules to everyone. I you do apply the rules equally to every student then they do not mean anything. You can always tell the student, “I am sorry that you have detention/write-up but your behavior left me no choice.” This lets them see that you are responding to their behavior and they earned the consequence.
d) post the rules and consequences in plain view. I usually place them in multiple locations student haunt (pencil sharpener, trash basket etc.). This protects you from the charge that the rules were not apparent.
e) give each student a copy of the rule and require them to keep it in their notebooks. Include it in any notebook check rubrics for points. They will not lose them.
Good Luck!
2. Rules are what I will “go to the mat” for.
1. No talking while I am talking.
2. No inappropriate language or profanity.
3. Keep hands, feet, and objects to yourself.
4. Stay in your seat unless you have permission to get up.
I have a lot of procedures.
3. I explain them to the class and walk them through each one step-by-step as it comes up. Over and over.
4. No.
5. Don’t make rules you can’t or won’t enforce. For example, I am terrible about allowing kids to call out answers. It really doesn’t bother me and I do not have the slef-discipline to enforce it. So I don’t make it a rule. I do have a “randomizer” I use every once in a while when I need orderly responses.
2. I keep it simple. I teach high school English and I have simple rules. The purpose of the class is for me to help the students improve their language use skills and knowledge and to achieve as much as they want to achieve. Anything that doesn’t interfere with our doing our jobs is okay. Anything that does interfere is not okay.
3. Repetition and consistency generally gets it done.
4. No. Even my teaching teachers in the 70’s were suggesting that delightful idea. However, I am not a believer,
5. Keep it simple and clear. Be consistent. Don’t make it personal. Focus on what you want them to do, not on what you don’t want them to do (“Keep working on that exercise” is more useful than “Stop talking”)
