Way+to+Follow+the+Rules!

As teachers we all know how important it is for us to get our students in to a routine and following the rules that first week of school. Those first few weeks of school will either make it a great school year or haunt us for the school year. Many teachers out there have some great ideas for teaching the student the routine of their classroom! So why not share them with other teachers? We should share what we know works! Below pleas list any ideas or things that you have used in the classroom and how they work for you!
 * Great Ideas… **


 * List Your Ideas: **

1.) One strategy for attracting attention early on the school year is to offer a tentative outline as to course's goals and objectives. This transcends the written syllabus; an instructor should prep students for certain aspects of the course that they might find enjoyable. For example, in a 12th grade English course, a teacher could begin the discussion by reciting something in Old English, as students are usually required to learn this themselves later on. The students would be entertained by what is admittedly a very strange dialect, and then the teacher could proceed to explain that Old English will be a topic of interest later in the course. By that same merit, showing pictures of something interesting and NOT giving elaborate details could pique interest, keeping the students focused on the intrigue of unknown information. It all comes down to a theoretical "clincher," an idea that prompts attention. Once attention is gained, a good instructor will build on it! crubenstein

2.) I am an alternative master's student, so all my ideas are theory. I heard a great lecture from a seasoned educator on Classroom Management. In that lecture he discussed the importance of the first day and few weeks of school. From that lecture I developed a Classroom Management Plan and Discipline Plan . I would suggest having both of these to establish classroom norms, expectations, and procedures from day 1. I have attached mine as examples. vlong



3) During the first weeks of school I do a lot of role playing (Harry Wong). We, as a class, will act out different scenarios that could happen throughout a school year. Students need to see the right way and wrong way to handle certain situations. This is very helpful to younger grades because they don't always know who they should tell for a particular situation (teacher, librarian, PE coach, etc.). Also, this helps the teacher to determine what type of personalities her students have and how they deal with the various situations.

4.) At the beginning of the year I explain to my students that we are together for more hours a day than they may be with their own family. Therefore we need to treat each other as a family and watch out for one another. This has been successful for my classes over the years. tmcmahon

5.) I have my rules in my syllabus and on my wall. I treat my students with respect (which is my most important rule) and they respond remarkably well by treating me and each other with respect as well. crider

6.) The first day I have my students put themselves in alphabetical order by last name with no help from me. I simply write that they should do it on the board. The time necessary for this will depend on how large your class is. This helps them to get to know each other. Some of them have to use initiative and you can see who the leaders are and who you might want on your side. As new students come in during the first few days, I tell them to add themselves in alphabetically and the other students will move around for them. crider

7.) I also allow my students some "chat" time by discussing current events at the beginning of class. crider

8.) The following link has several ideas for establishing school rules. Activities for students are included on this site. -tmcmahon [|school rules]

9.) I believe students take pride in ownership. Therefore, I think that if students help make the rules, they may follow them more closely. At the beginning of the year we, as a class, make up rules for the class and then it is posted on the wall for the entire year. Students have a visual constant reminder of the rules and they helped make them. -tmcmahon

10.) With younger students it is especially important to focus on the rules and procedures that matter most. For a kindergartner everything is new. Stick to what matters most and add as you go. -vlong

11.) I also think it is very important to learn the student's name quickly. It boost a child's confidence when the teacher knows their name. Starting the year off with some type of name learning game will help the teacher and students. -vlong

12.) With older grades, start off the year by demonstrating some things that students WON'T be learning. It helps to remind them that they are expected to have prior knowledge about some subjects, and a stern (albeit enthusiastic) description of how far they are expected to be in the lessons is acceptable. (crubenstein)