Create Your Own Classroom Rules
Have you ever created your own classroom rules? Here are some tips for making classroom rules.
Read the rules of the school first.
Be careful that your classroom rules should never go against the rules of the school. For example, if the school rule says that students cannot chew gum in class, then you should not allow students to chew gum in class.
Keep the rules as simple as you can.
Make the rules simple, so students can understand them clearly. There will be no misunderstanding. Each rule should only be one or two sentences long.
Keep the rules broad.
Don’t make rules that are too detailed. If you make a rule that says “Don’t be late for school,” you can punish students according to the reasons why they are late. If you make a rule that says “If you are five minutes late, you need to stand in the hallway for five minutes,” then no matter what students’ reasons are, they have to stand in the hallway for five minutes.
Stick to your rules.
Once you make a rule, you have to stick to it. Don’t forget your own rules. If you can’t even remember your own rules, how do you expect students to follow them? Also, you should never treat students differently, or they will not follow your rules.
State your rules positively.
When we think of classroom rules, we always think of a list full of “don’t do this” and “don’t do that.” These rules may sound stressful to students. Why don’t we state the rules positively? We can have a rule like “Walk quietly in the classroom,” instead of “Don’t run in the classroom”.