Classroom Management: Rules

The trinity of ideas behind any rules should be mutual respect, practicality, and safety: many "rules," I thiink, will be some specific encapsulation of one or more of these principles. To this end, I will work at establishing certain classroom norms at the beginning of the year and reinforcing them throughout the year. Be polite, be constructive and the implicit be relevant have worked well for me so far.

At the beginning of the year I would like to present these principles to the class and have them easily visible on a poster in the room, then initiate a class-wide discussion asking students to consider, in light of those ground rules, two questions: "What is the point of classroom rules?" and "What rules are important to have in a classroom?" Students may find this awkward at first, but as the year progresses I hope that they will become more confident in voicing their ideas. In any case, a letter to parents will summarize my views and the results of the discussion(s).

I am not a stickler for specific rules and strict discipline unless privileges are abused, in which case they need to be discussed and action taken. For example, if students can eat and drink small amounts of food and beverages without leaving a mess behind, I have no problem with it. Likewise, a bathroom pass will be available to one student at a time, though the privilege may have to be renegotiated if one or several students abuse(s) it. I do plan to insist on a few specific norms. Students should be polite to me and to each other, and I will in turn be polite to them. This doesn't preclude friendly banter; after all, respect can manifest itself informally.

My litmus test for any specific rules are: "Does it address the issue(s) effectively?" ("Does it work?") and "Can I adhere to it myself?" While the answers will vary from class to class, student to student, anything that flunks these questions needs to be reconsidered.

For the sake of consistency, I believe it is necessary to adhere to school-wide rules. A discussion of these rules and the reasons behind them may help students understand the value of social norms even if they do not necessarily agree with those particular noorms. I am not, however, averse to helping students attempt to change or mitigate school-wide rules in a dialogue with the administration if this is something they can justify and are motivated to carry out.

Regular classroom meetings--perhaps monthly unless circumstances dictate otherwise--would allow students to gain a sense of belonging and have a voice in the ongoing creation of their own environment. This would help forestall the possibility of students holding what Dreikurs terms "mistaken goals" (Peterson, 1999), which often lead to disruptive behavior. It might also be helpful to have a "bulletin" of issues discussed during classroom meetings, which could be sent to parents so they have a sense of what's happening.

Students would be welcome to make suggestions or offer alternatives to classroom procedures, either during the meetings or privately. A note/suggestion box would also allow anonymity for those who prefer it.

Copyright © 2002 Yoon Ha Lee <requiescat@cityofveils.com>
Last updated on 20 May 2002