How to Create Classroom Rules With Students?

A contract between the teacher and the students is necessary to establish the class rules, and coming to this understanding is a process in and of itself.

When students are part of the process of creating rules, they have a deeper understanding of them, feel a stronger connection to them, take ownership of them, and hold themselves to a higher standard for following those rules each day.

Let’s proceed incrementally. We have shared classroom rules for high school, kindergarten, and preschool.

Review Their Goals

Ask students why they are taking the course, or if their parents enrolled them, why they want their children to learn English. Adults are likely to claim that they need English in order to have better job opportunities.

Lots of teens think about their future studies or employment opportunities as well. And don’t be surprised if you hear very young learners say they want to learn English simply because they want to learn it.

Review their objectives: Do they hope to be able to read a book in English by the end of the year? Understand native speakers better? Send letters of application for jobs? Chat with friends abroad?

Whatever their reason is for wanting to learn English, and no matter what their goals are, tell them that it is essential that all of you as a group establish a contract together, to create the best learning environment, one that will help them reach their learning goals.

Brainstorm Possible Disruptive Behavior

Request from your students any ideas for disruptions to the class or deviations from the intended course of study. For instance, it will be extremely distracting to hear students speaking their native language if they want to work on their listening comprehension or learn to think in English.

Children may declare that they don’t want any hitting, yelling, or shouting in class. Some students might argue that it’s improper to interrupt someone while they’re speaking.

Here are some more classic examples of disruptive behavior; if your students forget any of these, you may want to mention them yourself:

• Name-calling, insults or put-downs
• Bullying
• No respect for other students and their personal belongings
• No respect for the teacher
• Reluctance to share
• Unwillingness to participate in an activity
• Not following directions
• Cheating
• Not completing tasks, assignments, homework
• Untidiness, littering

Keep in mind that your students are capable. They are fully aware of the kinds of conduct that disturb learning. Make a list on the board as they make these suggestions.

How to Avoid Disruptive Behavior

Focus on each of the aforementioned points individually, and then ask your students what the rule should be to prevent this from occurring in class. They’ll argue that it is improper for students to speak their native tongue in class and advise them to always try to use English.

Your young learners will be quick to say that no shouting, yelling, or hitting is allowed in class. Your students will suggest that they must raise their hands in order to prevent interruptions and guarantee that everyone has a chance to speak.

Try to phrase each of the rules in an affirmative way, for example, in a way that tells them what they should do and not what they shouldn’t do. Having your walls filled with “No shouting”, and “No eating in class”, in other words, no, no, no everywhere does not contribute to creating a very positive learning environment either.

Here are some more examples of other possible classroom rules:

• Treat your classmates with respect
• Treat the teacher with respect
• Respect others’ personal belongings
• Participate actively
• Complete your assignments and tasks
• Follow the directions and rules for each game or activity
• Keep the classroom neat and tidy

The Consequences

What occurs then if a student disobeys a rule? Though they might require more direction or suggestions from you, they can also come up with ideas. You should put in place a system of rewards as well, rather than just sanctions for breaking the law.

Some penalties may be reasonable; for example, if a student leaves trash or paper on the floor rather than in the trash, that student will be in charge of cleaning up the classroom before leaving for the day.

You might decide to start with a warning: the first time a student disrespects or insults another student, their name is written on the board; the second time, they lose a privilege, such as the ability to play outside; and the third time, a parent call is placed.

The Written Contract

Now you have to put it all in writing, after all, verbal contracts won’t hold water in a classroom. Young learners can make a poster illustrating the rules, and then put it up someplace where it’s clearly visible. You can put it up on the wall, make copies for each student to paste onto their notebooks, or have older students write it themselves as a group activity.

Keep in mind that classroom rules are important for students of all ages, even adults. Never assume that rules are unnecessary for adult learners. They may not resort to name-calling, yelling, or other forms of immature behavior, but they may unwittingly disrupt the class by interrupting, speaking in their native language, answering their cell phones, etc…

To teach them the value of abiding by the rules, you don’t have to treat them like little kids.

Benefits of Creating Classroom Rules With Your Students

I find teachers value leadership that takes their ideas and opinions into account when creating building norms or making changes in the school environment. Consequently, it is clear how this would be effective with students as well.

Your Students Will Feel Valued

Students frequently receive directives about what to do or how to think in the classroom. Erwin supports this statement when he writes, “In academic settings, students are told how to act, what to learn, when, and how to learn it, and they are assessed in ways that might not take into account the variety of intelligence present in every student population.”

Students will feel valued if they have a voice in the classroom. They are more likely to adhere to the expectations in the classroom as long as they contribute to them.

As they create ideas to present to the class, they will also be able to use their critical thinking abilities. To foster a positive and secure learning environment, it is advantageous to have student involvement.

Your Students Will Understand the Power of Collaboration

Getting students to collaborate on the first day is a great way to show how much you value students working together. By involving students in the creation of classroom expectations, you, the teacher, are also modeling collaboration. Instead of the usual “sit and get” structure, you are providing your students with a meaningful and interactive learning experience.

Your Students Will Have a Clear Understanding of the Expectations

There is less room for misunderstanding when students are actively involved in developing classroom expectations. Students better understand everything when they are actively involved in the process. Students will actively participate in brainstorming, debating, and revising rather than just passively listening to you describe the expectations.

Holding Students Accountable

It’s critical to create a visual or written document for your students that outlines the expectations for the classroom, regardless of how you go about setting them.

Here are two approaches to accomplishing that.

1. Make a visual for the classroom.
   There will probably be similar requirements in your classes. In order to organize everything, you can make a poster and hang it in your room. You could also have your students recite the expectations and pledge to follow them verbally.
2. Create a contract.
   Students should sign a contract outlining the expectations they created for the classroom if they want to save wall space. You can either have a copy for each class with a line for each student’s name or you can distribute individual copies to each student. This can be displayed in the space or used as a reference when necessary. Try a verbal agreement if you don’t have enough paper.

You can easily refer back to either of these techniques if students forget the rules. If things are going awry, you can point to your poster or contract and conduct a mini-class targeted toward the expectations that need attention. It’s effective to mention the standards and point out to students that they helped develop them.

Conclusion: Create Classroom Rules With Students

In conclusion, make sure your contract is visible to all students and that each and every student is aware of the rules, the penalties for breaking them, and the benefits of adhering to them. Once you have accomplished this, everyone will be ready to get to work.

Student expectations are known thanks to classroom norms. Traditionally and remotely, clarity of expectations can impact teacher credibility. It can be effective to ask students to contribute to developing a learning environment that supports their own self-advocacy abilities. And starting is never too late.