A Teacher’s Ramblings: My Class Rules

No organization can operate without rules, least of all a classroom. As teachers we have the responsibility for creating rules, teaching them, and enforcing them.

I offer my classroom rules not as definitive, but as a sample that you can improve on! These are for High School students. My focus is Literacy, so imagine twenty-five 9^th grade students who read poorly, if at all. This is a tough group! I learned a simple fact that helped a lot – if you don’t learn to read in 2^nd or 3^rd grade like ‘everyone else’, you spend ALL your time and energy after that trying to HIDE the fact you can’t read, ANY way you can – few of them positive. Breaking through the inappropriate behavior is the essential first step in ‘catching up’ 

I wanted the rules to be broad enough to cover a wide variety of behavior challenges. I also wanted a presumption of success, so I wrote that into the rules right up front.

Our Classroom is a:

SAFE ZONE 

• Give every person as many chances as they need to succeed.
• Respect personal space, personal property and personal dignity.
• Ask for help, and expect to get it.

Safety, or lack of it, is something urban students like mine struggle with every day. Perhaps the MOST important lack of safety they have felt is that loss of personal dignity – remember, most cannot read when they arrive! We came back to Safety often!

QUIET ZONE

• Behave as ladies and gentlemen and follow school rules.
• Give each other time to think.
• Leave social talking and belongings other than class materials on backpack row.

Quiet is as much for me as the students. I do best when the class is all on a single task at any one time – but that’s just me. ‘Backpack Row’ is a delineated spot along the wall where ALL non-class belongings go [INCLUDING electronics of ANY kind!] It might be my best-ever invention. I would end class a minute or two before the bell to allow students to retrieve their belongings – rather than lose five minutes while they put things away.

NO PARKING ZONE

• Enter here to WORK at learning and teaching.
• Use every minute; complete every task on time.
• Keep your eyes on your dreams and your feet on the path to them.

No Parking – the most invoked rule of all! No sleeping, staring blindly, doodling…..”At least look like a student; we’ll get to the rest after that.”

As you can see I certainly addressed my need for a certain amount of calm in the classroom where I work. But I also wrote the rules to address the ‘fears’ my Intervention students carry from years of failure in school. We ALL had to live and work in the environment we created! My students often need direct instruction to be able to understand some rules, for instance “behave as ladies and gentlemen.” I have been surprised, even shocked, by the extent to which the students enjoy the room and even brag about it once we get past the ‘fighting the rules’ months together. That keeps me strong. 

Write your rules, and stick to your expectations. It pays off.

Jo Karabasz

www.overlooktutorialacademy.net