As you are creating your classroom rules, you’ll want to think of them as the foundation to your classroom. We could even say the foundation for your entire school year. We all know that without a solid foundation, our classroom and entire year will crumble. There are five steps when creating classroom rules that every teacher should follow. These five steps have been so beneficial to my self-sufficient classroom and i’d like to share them with you.
#1 Rules vs. Goals
Think of rules as the must do’s for students and goals as the aspirations of students. In other words, a rule is something that a student must follow, while a (procedural) goal is something that we want students to aim for. When establishing your foundation, whether you choose to create rules for your class or goals, make sure they are strong so that your foundation will also be strong.
#2 Be Clear
I always tell my students when they are writing that they need to be clear and specific. This is the same when it comes to creating classroom rules or goals. Don’t put too much within one rule or goal. Too much will only become too confusing. Be as specific and clear as possible
#3 K.I.S.S.
Keep it short and simple. Just as you want to keep your rules specific and clear, you want to also keep them short. If there is too much within one rule or goal, then it will become complicated. Keeping it simple helps in the overall understanding of what is expected. While you are keeping them simple, also remember that you don’t want an overload of rules. in my classroom I have between 4 and 5 rules or goals for my students.
#4 Keep Them Visible
Make sure your rules are visible to students. You don’t want them to take up too much space on your wall, but you also don’t want them to be “out of sight out of mind.” I always have my classroom rules out for my students to see. I definitely want them to know that they are an important part of our self-sufficient classroom. If I need to, I can easily have students refer back to them since they are hanging on the wall.
#5 Review Often
This is something that we do in my classroom on a weekly if not daily basis. I’ve found that reviewing the rules often reminds students of the expectations and adds to the flow of our self-sufficient classroom. When working with older grades, you don’t have to review as often, but should have your rules visible. I want students to feel like they can make decisions for themselves within our classroom, but with that comes the reward or consequence of their choices.
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