Classrooms need structure and clear expectations. Students thrive when they know their boundaries. However, I hesitate give a list of rules to my students on the first day. It feels like I am setting them up to violate my rules, and violations of rules imply punishment. I don’t want to punish them, nor do I want to offer tokens and treats for socially appropriate behavior. Basically, I just want them not to be jerks! I feel like Class Guidelines, is a little softer. Since they create and agree to them, they are more likely to abide by them. If (when) they get off track, I am able to redirect them by quietly saying, “Remember, we agreed that we would use our indoor voices,” as I point toward the chart. Gentle redirection, is almost always effective.
Kids need coping skills & the opportunity to practice socially appropriate behavior. Many students in my school have suffered significant traumas: divorce, death of a family member, abuse, neglect, witnessing drug abuse, and several are or have been in foster care. They haven’t had the opportunity to learn appropriate social skills. Combine that with the fact that I serve special education students, the potential for extreme behavior is high! My coteacher and I work hard to be proactive and to offer coping skills before they are needed.
Meeting 3: Classroom Guidelines
We quickly review the chart from yesterday. Today we use the chart to establish classroom guidelines. We combine the list from Meeting 2 to clear, concise guidelines for our classroom. While they vary from year to year, usually boil down to: Don’t be a jerk! Third graders are still somewhat concrete. Eight year olds don’t really comprehend what respect is, so we write specific guidelines. Here are some examples of student drafted guidelines:
We are kind to others.
We stay safe.
We take turns speaking.
We clean up after ourselves.
We show each other respect.
We encourage each other.
We take care of our classroom.
Activity: Getting to Know You with M&Ms
The teacher passes a bag of M&Ms (or any colored candy). Each child chooses one. On a chart, there is a list of colors & questions for the child to share. There are many versions of this floating around. Have fun with it!
Red: Tell us your favorite food.
Blue: Tell us how many people you live with.
Green: Tell us something you do well
Yellow: Tell us your favorite book
Orange: Tell us your favorite restaurant
Brown: Tell us your favorite TV show or movie