Create five classroom rules that you would use in your own classroom.

Next, explain a plan

for teaching these rules to students on the first day of class. Consider adding this activity to

the Practice part of your Research and Practice Portfolio.

Before embarking on the journey to create classroom rules, some important questions have to

be considered and answered.

According to Jacobs (2010) “The architect first asks the client (1) whom the building is to

serve and (2) what the building’s function will be. Then the forms emerge. In a similar way,

our Curriculum 21 teams should always begin thinking about new versions of school by

asking whom are we serving ultimately, and how can we best meet the needs of our specific

learners?” (para. 55). In the same way, my classroom rules will be created.

Whom the classroom rules are to serve

A classroom is made of students from different cultures,

Classroom Rules

1. No talking while the teacher is talking so as not to disrupt instruction.

2. No eating in the classroom so as to avoid roaches.

3. Give your classmate the opportunity to express his/her mind.

4. Be caring

5. Avoid bullying

Establishing classroom procedures and routines is crucial and essential to providing a safe,

organized, and welcoming learning environment (“What are some fun ways to teach policies
and procedures? 2019). We teachers have to think through how we want our classroom to run

and students to behave in different ways based on the context. What will the process be for

students entering and exiting the classroom? For asking to go to the restroom or get a bottle of

drinkable water? For asking questions? For turning in assignments or completing classroom

activities? When done right, these decisions can lead to a better classroom management.

As earlier said, I need to know the learners before me. Sometimes, students panic when

presented with an exhaustive list of routines. However, this should not be the case — learning

classroom rules and procedures can be fun if we teachers decide to make it! With a little bit of

creativity, I can easily make the activity exciting and interactive, so as to engage the students.

I sometimes put the students in small groups for a charade, and or create a class book.

Charade

In this activity, I put students in small groups and give papers with different classroom rules

written on them. They then act out the classroom procedure and their classmates guess which

procedure is being demonstrated. When they guess correctly, they act out the next procedure,

so on and so forth…

Create a class book

In the same light, I get them create pages or a page for a manual of their classroom rules and

procedures. Each page contains full details of a procedure. All the pages are compiled, read to

the class and place in an accessible area in the classroom for reference.

In sum, students will best remember what is expected from them if they are having quality

time along the way.

 Reference

What are some fun ways to teach policies and procedures? (2019). Retrieved on September

22, 2020 from classcraft blog website: https://www.classcraft.com/blog/features/fun-ways-to-

teach-policies-and-procedures/

Jacobs, H.H. (2010). New School Versions: Reinventing and Reuniting School Program

Structures. Curriculum 21: Essential Education For A Changing World. Retrieved

from http://www.ascd.org/publications/books/109008/chapters/New-School-Versions@-

Reinventing-and-Reuniting-School-Program-Structures.aspx