Rules and Expectations in the Classroom

If there are no rules or expectations, students will think they can do whatever they want in the classroom. Students also need to know what to expect in terms of work and what kinds of things the teacher is looking for. If students know what the teacher wants them to do, they can keep busy doing it. Classroom rules need to be established so that there are limits and boundaries in the classroom. These rules need to be clear, specific, and concise so that there is never any argument or dispute over what they mean. From personal experience, i've learned that rules and expectation needs to be introduced right after you have introduced yourself. If students are going to see you as an authority figure, you have to show your authority right away. Students need to know that you mean business, and the best way to do that is to get down to business as soon as possible. As students get older, they need less rules and less specific rules or different rules. Different rules are needed for different maturity levels. First graders will need basic rules about calling out, making noises or silly faces, respecting personal space, holding scissors correctly etc. Older elementary schoolers will need rules like no name calling, no fighting, no disrupting the class, etc. Middle schoolers will need rules like no cell phones on, no offensive shirts, no gum chewing, etc. High school students will need laws like no weapons, no drugs, no cigarettes, no ditching class, and no vandalism. i've read articles that mention having the students help come up with the rules and putting the rules in a class book. The students will understand these rules since they made them and they'll be meaningful rules since the students came up with them. Of coarse, not only do rules have to be established but they have to be enforced all the time if they're going to be effective.