Classroom rules are essential to preventing and managing disruptive behavior. However, although it may seem simple to create your classroom rules, it’s actually more complex than you think. So, how do you make sure your classroom rules will actually work? These 7 tips will help you craft effective classroom rules that will help your class run with ease.
1. Be Specific
Our classroom rules need to be so specific that there’s nothing left open to interpretation for our students. We want our students to know the behavior that we want them to engage in. To do this, think of exactly what you want your students to do and use those words.
For example, instead of making one of your rules “make smart choices,” try using “say nice words and do nice things.” “Make smart choices” requires your students to decipher what “smart choices” actually are, whereas “say nice words and do nice things” tells your students exactly what to do.
2. Phrase Positively
In addition to being specific, our classroom rules need to be phrased positively. We want our students to know the behavior that we want to see more of, not just what we don’t want them to do.
Instead of making one of your rules “don’t call out,” try using “raise your hand to share your idea.” Your classroom rules should communicate the behavior you want your students to engage in so they can follow through on that behavior and they don’t have to read between the lines.
3. Break Each Rule Down Into Steps
Each one of your classroom rules is actually made up of multiple smaller steps. Have you ever had students raise their hand and yell out the answer at the exact same time?
That’s because the rule “raise your hand to share our idea” is actually made up of these steps: think of an idea, raise your hand quietly, wait, and then share when you’re called on.
Breaking down each one of your classroom rules into bite-sized steps, and teaching those steps to your students will help them be successful.
4. Pair With Images and Motions
Using visuals is an easy way to make sure that all of your students can access the information. Whether you teach students who can’t read yet, or older students who struggle to decode, or English Language Learners, we want to make sure we’re supporting all of our students no matter their reading ability. Pairing each classroom rule and each step levels the playing field for all of our students.
5. Review Every Day
It’s not enough to teach your rules during the first few days of school and then assume that your students have mastered them. If you want your students to be successful, we need to review them every single day. It only takes a few minutes, but reviewing your classroom rules every day will help to make sure your students remember the expectations.
6. Refer to Them Often
In addition to reviewing your rules each day, make sure they’re posted somewhere that they can easily be referred to. This supports your students’ positive behavior because they no longer have to rely on their memory to recall the expected behavior. Instead, they can refer back to the chart whenever they need to. In addition, you can refer to them when students aren’t showing expected behavior and you need to stop and reset.
7. Talk About the “Why”
It’s not enough to just teach your classroom rules and move on. Teaching your students WHY these rules are so important and helping them understand their purpose increases student buy in and motivation.
Download the Free Guide
Not all classroom rules are created equal, but you can make sure you create effective classroom rules that actually help to decrease disruptive behavior by following these 7 steps.
Click here to download the free guide to help you craft your own classroom rules!
