I believe that rules and the creation of rules are vital to a smooth-running classroom; however, I really don’t like the word “rules”. There’s a saying that rules are made to be broken and I think that students know this. I think the term “rules” can seem oppositional to students and may make students feel like their teacher is against them. There is no way to fully remove rules from the classroom without inviting disaster, so instead, I will change the wording and adopt the terms classroom norms and expectations because I believe they sound less oppositional to students. If students know that I–and their peers–have high expectations of them they may rise to those expectations and in that way follow the class “rules” that have been set.

One way I want to establish norms within my classroom is by creating a “classroom constitution” with my students (Learning for Justice, n.d.). During the first week of school I will sit down with each of my classes and engage in discussion of what expectations and responsibility mean to them. After these discussions, I will guide students through creating the expectations they want to have for their class in addition to the expectations I already have established. This includes how students should behave, how they should treat their peers, how they should treat me, as well as what consequences they want to set for misbehavior. By allowing my students to create their own constitution I am giving them agency within the classroom and also creating an activity that will build community within the class. According to Milner and colleagues, “students tend to be more engaged and take greater ownership over their learning and behavior when provided with the opportunity to contribute to the creation of their classroom norms” (Milner et al., 2019, p. 102). After guiding students through what our expectations will be, I will have them work together to create a poster or digital project with the classroom expectations. This will be displayed either on the wall or on a slide at the beginning of class. I like the digital version better than a physical one because it maintains privacy if one class has slightly different expectations than another. This way my students won’t see one set of expectations or consequences and wonder why they don’t get to do something another class might have included in their constitution. 

When it comes to setting classroom norms/expectations, I like the idea of creating them with students. That way students are aware of them from the start and they may feel less likely to break them because they helped create them. This is why I like the idea of a classroom constitution so much. In addition, Wynita Harmon, in her article Create Your Classroom Rules WITH Your Students for a Powerful Start to the Year states that “allowing students to take ownership over their environment shows them you value their thoughts” and that “one of the most effective and practical ways teachers can give students a say in the classroom is by allowing them to participate in developing the classroom rules” (Harmon, 2017, para. 3). By creating a classroom constitution, students are able to engage with one another and develop their class norms and consequences as a community.

In addition to expectations and consequences, I also want to establish my classroom procedures early on in the year. Classroom procedures can consist of entering and exiting strategies, ways of asking to leave the classroom, how to submit assignments etc. One procedure I want to implement in my classroom is a procedure for entering the classroom. During class changes I will stand outside my door and welcome my students into the classroom. As they enter the room their warm up for the day will be up on the board beside their class constitution (if they have created one yet). I will have soft lighting on throughout the room and soft music playing in the background. Students will be expected to enter the classroom in an orderly manner and begin their daily warm up. It is perfectly fine for students to talk with their peers as they enter the room and begin their warm-up. I believe that they should have a period of time to settle in as they enter a new space. My expectations for this procedure will be established on the first day of class and I will practice it with them as they enter the room. My students will not be punished for diverting from this procedure on the first day because they have not become fully adjusted to my expectations and procedures yet. 

I believe it is important to have a procedure for entering the classroom because it sets students up for success and gives them something to do once they enter the classroom. Greeting students at the door and having a warm-up every day are also helpful because they set a structured routine for students to follow each day. Once they get used to this routine, students will know what they are expected to do once they enter the room. I want to use soft lighting when students enter because it feels more relaxing than having bright white fluorescent lights on. I want my students to feel like my classroom is a safe and comfortable space for them to learn. This is also why I like the idea of having music playing in the background. I think it can help students settle into the room; however, there is no way for me to know this unless I ask my students if they like the music or not. This is why I will make sure to seek students’ confidential, individual opinions on whether or not they feel comfortable working with music on. My hope is that this procedure will help students settle into the classroom and begin working while I greet them and their peers at the door. 

Another procedure I want to implement is establishing hand signals for students to use when they need things. An example of these is given in Figure 1. I will tape posters similar to the following around my room and explain the hand signals to my students at the beginning of the year. Many posters have different hand signs for different things. To make sure my students don’t confuse signals, I will make sure to ask around and see if any other teachers are using hand signals in their classroom. If they are, I will adapt and use the same model they are using to limit confusion among my students. 

I like this procedure so much because it lets me know what my students may need without disrupting the lesson I am teaching. If a student needs something simple like a tissue or a pencil I can bring it to them without disrupting the lesson. One classroom we observed at Blair utilized this method. I believe it was the science teacher, Ms. Hazzard. It is possible to buy these posters online from other teachers but I think I may try to create my own to save costs or make the posters relate to English/language arts curriculum.

In order to document student misconduct and other concerning student behavior I will create a secure file on my computer where I will store Word Docs I have written with the date and incident as well as any consequences or action I took regarding it. An example of this form is given in Figure 2. I plan to document incidents as close as I can to the time they occurred. I plan to document each incident no later than the day they happened. I think it is important to document when a student violates a rule/expectation as well as when they seem off or upset. Documenting these instances can help me understand if a pattern is forming or if I need to contact the school counselor or a student’s parent/guardian. I also plan to document when a student threatens or acts in a way to hurt me or another student. I despise dress codes and often find them to be sexist so I would try not to document those instances unless absolutely necessary. Instead, I would try to give the student a verbal warning if it absolutely came down to it. I want to make sure to document good behavior in addition to other concerning behavior. If a student goes above and beyond, does excellent work (or work above their usual standard), or shows kindness to another student etc. I want to make sure to document these instances too. In these instances I may also contact parents to let them know that their student was outstanding that day.

I chose to use a secure file on my computer because I am currently unfamiliar with any other form of documenting violations and other behaviors. I have heard of teachers who documented violations physically on paper but I don’t think this is a good idea. Physical documentation is hardly secure and can be devastating if it gets into the wrong hands. This is why I chose an online secure source. As I learn of other methods of documentation I will work to incorporate them. If my district or school already has a program they use to document these types of things I will use that instead. I want to make sure to document both positive and negative behaviors I see in my students. If a student shows excellent work or does something outstanding, I think it’s important to either contact a parent and give them the good news or write a positive note to the student themselves. Outstanding behaviors, to me, are not just behaviors that are traditionally outstanding, but also behaviors that are above average for those specific students. I think it is important to recognize growth of all levels within the classroom. 

In my classroom I will be very active when it comes to communication with parents and guardians. At the beginning of the school year I will send students home with a form that asks parents/guardians if they are comfortable with communication with me. If they are, it will ask for their preferred mode of communication (phone, email, conference, etc), how to contact them using that preferred mode of communication (phone number, email etc.), and what time is best for me to contact them. Students can bring back that form with the information and a parent/guardian’s signature for extra credit. Once I have the parent/guardian’s contact information I will reach out to them at the beginning of the year to introduce myself and explain what class I teach. I will then contact parents when their student does something positive within the classroom or when it is necessary due to student misbehavior. I will contact parents each quarter about grades; however, I also want to contact parents if a student does extremely well or poorly with their grades.

I chose to use a form like this because a teacher I observed in the past also used something similar to this and I really liked the idea. It is a fairly simple way to gather parent/guardian contact information while also providing a way for students to earn extra credit. I understand that there are a wide variety of different situations when it comes to students and their families so I will do my best to be accepting of these and not single any one student out. I think it’s important to contact a parent/guardian not only when the student violates an expectation but also when they do something good. Calling parents to give them good news on the work their child did that day will hopefully uplift both child and parent. Communication with parents can be tricky so it is important for me to gather as much information as I can about a student’s situation if they seem apprehensive or afraid for me to call home. I can also contact my school counselor if I am unsure of whether it is best or not to call a parent/guardian.

Overall, I want to provide a space and atmosphere that makes my students feel safe and fosters their learning and growth. Right now I am still learning about the steps and strategies I need to employ in order to be a successful educator.

References

A new set of rules. Learning for Justice. (n.d.). Retrieved November 20, 2022, from https://www.learningforjustice.org/professional-development/a-new-set-of-rules 

Harmon, W. (2017, August 3). Create your classroom rules with your students for a powerful start to the year. The Art of Education University. Retrieved November 20, 2022, from https://theartofeducation.edu/2017/08/08/3-benefits-creating-classroom-expectations-students/#disqus_thread 

Milner, H. R., Cunningham, H. B., Delale-O’Connor, L., & Kestenberg, E. G. (2019). “These kids are out of control”: Why we must reimagine “Classroom management” for equity. Corwin, a SAGE Company.

Vohs, S. (2022, September 9). Classroom management tip: Using hand signal posters. Shayna Vohs. Retrieved November 20, 2022, from https://shaynavohs.com/classroom-management-tip-using-hand-signal-posters/

Figure 1

Student Hand Signals

Figure 2

Student Incident Report Form