Communicating Expectations in the Classroom

Communicating classroom expectations can be an easy task if you look at what exactly you want and how you want your classroom to flow. Several classroom area rules, procedures, and consequences need to be taught on the first day until the third week of school with monthly or even weekly reminders of your expectations. The best way I have found to communicate these expectations is to actually show the student "how" to do a procedure through modeling. Modeling is exactly what it means you show how things are to be done. Another is after you have modeled your expectation have the students role play the expectations, procedure, and even the consequences such as a skit. An example of this could be how to walk into the classroom in the correct manner. Ask the students "How should we walk into the classroom?"

Then once the appropriate answer is heard, ask as few students to "show" how to walk into the classroom and how "not' to walk into the class. The students will see the correct way. When the teacher is presenting a lesson the students should not talk while the teacher is talking, this expectation is known before hand yet several reminders are always required to redirect the students. Homework has each is own procedure. The student should know where to hand in their homework. The teacher's expectations of placing all homework in clearly labeled bins would have the student to see where to place their homework. Keeping desks neat and organized is a challenge by having a model desk prepared to show the students your expectations of how their desk show look. This can be achieved by having a poster of a desk so the students may refer to it if needed. Centers have a set of rules that are different from that what a teacher is presenting a lesson. During center time, the students are expected to talk to one another so they may collaborate on a game or manipulatives. Yet the talking must be kept to a minimum unlike recess. Recess time should also have rules and consequences. The rules are general simple as to no hitting, no throwing rocks, and one student on the slide at a time.

The consequences would the student losing their recess time. Restroom procedures should be clear and prosiest, this way the student knows exactly what is expected. Restroom breaks are given at certain times of the day, one person at a time, log a time in and a time out. The lunchroom should be a place of socialization but with out chaos, the first few weeks of school the teacher may need to sit with her students to show where to sit, and how properly behave in a social setting.

The consequences should be clearly spelled out for the student, just as with the rules and procedures are, to eliminate any confusion if a student were not following the rules. Consequences could include things such as student redirection, were the teacher will verbally tell the student they are not following procedures properly and to please adjust. This could also be the teacher placing his or her hand on the student's shoulder just to let the student know, "I see you. Do you remember the rules?", without even saying a word. Writing behavior goals such as a contract to ensure the student knows the rules and by signing the contract to let the teacher, parent, and the student know he or she has been informed of the rules and consequences and will try harder next time. Lastly holding a conference with the student to let him or her know about their behavior is unacceptable. Their parent and/or principle may also a part of a correcting the behavior. Once the rules and consequences have been established and modeled the students should not have any trouble as long as their expectations are clearly spelled out for the students to ensure they understand what is wanted from them.

Having students make their rules could be a advantage. One, student created rules give ownership. They the student made this rule and they are more likely to follow it. Second, it shows trust, the students take pride that their teacher trusts them to make a decision that will affect each one of them. In addition, the students trust each other to be fair and just in creating the rules. Thirdly, peer collaboration is a great benefit. The students work together for a common goal of setting up their expectations for themselves.

The disadvantages of having students create their own rules may result in unrealistic rules and consequences that will more than likely contribute to the misbehavior rather than curb it. Another disadvantage is the students will form consequences that are easy where the crime does not fit the punishment with out being too harsh. Thirdly the students may also create rules and/or consequences that are not fair to everyone in the class and result in others being outcast or their feelings hurt.

The evaluation methods to determine the level of student understanding of classroom behavioral expectations and consequences can be assessed in two ways. One way is to have a conference meeting. This would a good time to have a question and answers session that would cover the rules and consequences that are expected. This can be done is a humorous manner such as the teacher acting like the "improper student" and the students will have to correct the teacher. This also let the teacher see if they are following his or her expectations of a "proper student". Another form of assessing student understanding of the rules and consequences is to have the student draw out the rules and the consequences and have them to post them around the room in the areas where the rules will be used the most. Example of this could be restroom procedures would be posted near the restroom. The student drawings would be assessed to make sure the written rule and the picture coincide with the teacher expectations.

Rules and consequences go hand in hand to achieve the expectations that are required for a safe and orderly classroom. As long as the students are given an explanation as to the why they should something in a certain way, they are more likely to comply with the rule. The students also will need reminders through out the year. The reminders could be done once a month or after a student holiday. A student must know what is asked of them or the teacher could see complete chaos instead of controlled chaos that is needed to achieve academic success for all his or her students.