Use the specific actions you came up with to develop more general rules. For example, if you don’t want your students to talk out of turn or use cellphones during class, your rule could be “be respectful of the teacher. "
For example, “Keep your work stations neat” is a better rule than “Don’t make a mess. "
Avoid using confusing words that your students may not know. If your rule seems vague, be sure to give examples so your students understand what it means.
Behavior rules include things like “be respectful” and “be safe. " Academic expectations include things like “turn your homework in on time” and “cite your sources. " Learning expectations focus more on helping students think deeply and take responsibility for their own learning. Examples include “ask questions when you don’t understand” and “challenge yourself. "
It’s better for both students and teachers if there are uniform expectations across classrooms. This will provide the students with a stable, clearly structured learning environment.
Providing this framework will help ensure that your students do not come up with rules that you do not agree with or that are not conducive to a positive learning environment. For example, if your goal is that everyone will be respected, your students may suggest that everyone wait their turn to speak or that everyone consider other people’s feelings before saying something. Remind students to focus on positive rules, rather than negative rules.
Once they identify problems, try having students brainstorm potential solutions to those problems. If you have students do this, be sure to show them that you value their input by incorporating at least some of the ideas they came up with into the classroom contract. You may want to consider having students vote on the rules that everyone comes up with an/or giving everyone the opportunity to suggest that a rule be eliminated. [5] X Research source
For example, instruct them to write “I will consider other people’s feelings” instead of just “consider other people’s feelings” or “everyone should consider each other’s feelings. " You can also have them make a list of their rights. This may include things like “I have the right to express my opinion” or “I have the right to feel safe at school. " This can help them identify problems that need solutions.
You may want to give each student a separate copy or have everyone sign the classroom copy. You may also wish to send a copy of the classroom contract home with each student to be signed by a parent or guardian. This will help promote parental involvement in your classroom.
If you are having problems with behavior in your classroom, you can try asking the students to re-read the classroom contract. Having it displayed prominently will make this much easier.
Discuss any changes you make with your students so that they understand what the changes are and why they were made. Listen to your students’ feedback on the rules. They may recognize before you do that a rule needs to be reworked because it isn’t supporting the classroom goals.
Do not make exceptions to school-wide policies. For example, if your school prohibits all cell phone use, do not state in your contract that cell phone are allowed at certain times.
Make it clear if there will be a warning for the first offence. Keep in mind that this may be appropriate for some behaviors (like talking out of turn), but not for others (like hitting another student).
Especially for younger children, the consequences should be immediate and directly related to the offence. They may have a more difficult time understanding the relationship between an action and a punishment if the punishment is delayed. Consequences are not only meant to punish the student who is breaking the rules, but also to prevent that student from disrupting the class. For example, if two students are talking to each other during a lesson, separating them will both punish them and prevent them from further distracting their classmates. Giving them after school detention will punish them, but it will not remedy the immediate problem.
Singling out “bad kids” will only make their behavior worse, so try to make them feel like they are the same as every other student in the class.
Don’t rely too heavily on external rewards, like stickers or pizza parties, as the students’ interest in these rewards will eventually fade. The most motivating incentive for students to follow the classroom rules is the opportunity to be a part of a great classroom community.
