Blog Post #1: Classroom Rules

Emily Johnson
Sep 26, 2015
3 min read

Recently in my classroom management course my classmates and I broke out into groups based on the grade level we are working with and created an ideal list of rules for our classrooms. We came up with these rules based on readings that we had done in our course textbooks and other articles we have read during class. DeVries and Zan (2003) studied constructivist classrooms and wrote an article about the different categories of rules or “norms” they saw being used effectively. These three categories were: safety and health, moral, and discretionary (DeVries and Zan, 2003, pg. 65). We made sure that our rules fit into at least one of these categories. Rules that fall into the “moral” category are the first three rules on our list that have to do with values like respect and honesty. Our “safety” rule, “be safe and always walk” is generalized and could be made more specific with input from our students. Our “discretionary” rules enact “routines and procedures to make the classroom run more smoothly and make learning possible.” (DeVries and Zan, 2003, pg. 65) We included rules having to do with following directions, raising your hand, and being ready to learn.

We also utilized the book The First Six Weeks of School by Anderson (2015) to create our list of rules. A large focus in this textbook was making sure that the rules were stated in a way that was positive, not negative. This means that none of the rules should say “don’t…” but instead should say or imply “do…”. This helps to “create a classroom climate that’s inclusive, safe, joyful, and purposeful.” (Anderson, 2015, pg. 23) My group and I agreed with the idea that rules and discipline in general should be done in a positive light so we ensured that our rules were written in a positive tone and were written in a way that would allow us to easily redirect our students, if they were breaking the rules, in a forward-looking way (Anderson, 2015). For example, if a student in my class were to run in the hallway I would be able to tell him to “be safe and walk” instead of saying “don’t run!”

Both our textbook and the article by DeVries and Zan (2003) stress the importance of involving students in the creation of the classroom rules or norms. In the future when I have my own classroom I would hope to spend time during the first week or two of school creating a list like ours with my students. DeVries and Zan say that by involving students in making the rules it “minimizes unnecessary external control and promotes the development of children’s moral and intellectual autonomy.” (2003, pg. 67) From what I have read, I believe that by involving students in the creation of the rules they have to follow that they will feel more responsible for following them. The First Six Weeks of School (Anderson, 2015) mentions that it is absurd to think that students will never break the rules but that they “serve as a touchstone to remind students of their commitment and help them get back on track.” (Anderson, 2015, pg. 177)

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