Before the Classroom Rules Lesson
The teacher will create a poster with “Our Classroom Procedures” written across the top of the poster and nothing written underneath. The teacher will decide the “Chain of Consequences” detailing exactly what happens if a procedure is not followed and outline them on a separate, smaller poster. The teacher will also speak with the principal to set up a time for her to assist with the lesson.
Classroom Rules and Procedures Introduction
The teacher will show the students the Our Classroom Procedures poster. She will talk to them about the importance of having rules and procedures and invite them to brainstorm ideas for their class procedures. She will list all the ideas on the board and then discuss them with the students. The teacher will guide the students to come up with five positive procedures for the class to follow and write them on the poster.
Classroom Rules Lesson
The students will then be broken into cooperative groups and each group will receive a procedure to act out and demonstrate for the class. The groups will practice their role plays and then present their procedure to the class. After the skit the class will be instructed in different ways they can praise their peers.
The teacher will then explain the chain of consequences. The principal will be invited to the class. She will pretend to disrupt the class and the teacher will model the consequences while the principal plays the part of the student.
Classroom Rules Lesson Closure
The students will sign the procedure poster and the teacher will display the poster
in the classroom. The procedures and chain of consequences will be sent home
to all parents to be read and signed.
Ideally, the procedures of the classroom should be presented to the students on the first day of school. However, class procedures can be introduced or modified at any point during the year to meet the changing needs of the class. After the rules have been explicitly taught the teacher should continue to refer to the Our Class Procedures
poster daily and formally review the rules at the beginning of every marking
period or after a school vacation to increase success.
Sample Classroom Rules, Megan Sheakoski
