FIRST DAY PROCEDURES & RULES

[CAAISA]

This will be my first year teaching...I will be teaching 7th grade Language Arts. My school is putting a big effort on class management and rules. I would like to do this in a positive way, but I don't want to give a long list of rules. These kids have heard it all before and I am sure they will hear it throughout the day so I would like mine to stand out. I would love to do an acronym for something like F.O.C.U.S. or E.F.F.O.R.T or even S.U.C.C.E.S.S

I would like to post somewhere "FAILURE-FREE ENVIRONMENT" or "FAILURE FREE CLASS" (something to that effect). Basically, I want a positive environment where the kids feel motivated to succeed and not bog them down with a million rules on what they CAN'T do. I will still tell them the basic "no getting out of your seat, respect others" and those things but my school wants my rules posted so I would like a positive rule list to stay up on a daily basis.

Any ideas?

[teacher247]

I teach 6th grade language arts! Next year I will have ONE rule. This will be to BE RESPECTFUL. When I tell my students that they only have one rule that freak out. They can not believe it. Normally my students ask me for the catch to this. Then I proceed to tell them that within this rule comes five categories.

1. Respect Yourself
2. Respect Your class mates and others
3. Respect the learning environment
4. Respect your class work
5. Respect your school and it property

After giving these rules, I assign students to create a bubble map for what they think each one means. For an example in the respecting your learning environment category, you can include getting out of your seat during class becuase it can become disruptive. I have heard that rules should be more concrete but this has worked well for me. Setting your expectations high will cause students to respect you at all times. Make sure to tell students that in order to get respect you must give.

[CAAISA]

WONDERFUL! Thank you so much...With your permission, I think I will "steal" this idea.

I would love more ideas from anybody out there...Like I said, this is my first year teaching and I would love to start my first day like a Pro!!! (I think that if they smell fear, they will attack like sharks)

[paperheart]

Its best to write rules in positive terms. Instead, of No getting out of your seat" you could use the Respect your learning environment idea or if you want something more specific, you could say "Ask permission to get out of your seat".

I am also really focussed on students learning how to be successful this year. I am going to spend about 5 minutes a week introducing a new "secret for success" (from T. Harv Eker's Secrets of a Millionaire Mind)

I am definitely going to use the Failure Free idea...I already have a No Bully Zone poster and think I'll also add an Excuse Free Zone to add to the theme and call the failure one the No Failures Zone. Maybe also an I Can't Free Zone too! for the idea!

[ms_chandler]

I definitely would suggest that. I found this on another link on here. I will use it this year to change mine from last year up.


R- Respond in appropriate manner (to everyone)
E- Excellence only! (no sloppy work or excuses, be on task)
S- Stay in your own personal space (and out of others)
P- Pay Attention and Participate!
E- Encourage, not discourage, others
C- Come Prepared to learn! (materials, attitude, on time)
T- Take responsibility for your actions

[siamsa]

Thanks ms chandler. That will be on my wall within the week. It pretty much says it all.

[katrinkit]

I like to introduce my "rules" as "expectations," which I think is a little more positive.

[holliday]

First of all, let me take a sec to say good luck on your 1st year! What an exciting time.

One thing that I do in my class (which is 7th grade lang./lit.), is to give them very few rules (the "respect" rules posted above are super!). Then I give them a handout on my procedures.
It's important to teach them the difference between rules and procedures. Rules are about behaviors that everyone needs to abide by in order to maintain a positive environment that also fits into overall school and district expectations. Rules are usually pretty consistent across all classrooms.
Procedures, on the other hand, are the things students need to do in order to be successful in your classroom. These include things like how to hand in papers, how to ask a question, where to store supplies, what to do when coming back from an absence, etc. I type these up ahead of time and give each kid a copy. Then, whenever someone needs tissue or to sharpen a pencil, they can refer to the handout instead of seeking me out. It's more work ahead of time, but ESPECIALLY for a new teacher, it is so very important that you know exactly what you want kids to do in all those situations before they are actually happening. It's also a relief for kids because having a handout shows that you are organized and it keeps them from accidently doing the "wrong" thing and getting in hot water. They really do love the concrete way procedures are spelled out in the handout.
Hope this helps!

[wig]

You have received wonderful advice! Holliday is absolutely correct with procedures. In a sense, they are almost more important than rules and they would fall under the heading of Expectations also.

If you haven't read Harry Wong's "First Day of School" do so. You will find a lot of practical ideas you can adapt to your own teaching style. You can also read his columns at:

http://teachers.net/wong/

http://teachers.net/wong/AUG06/

[holliday]

I'd also like to recommend Tools for Teaching by Fred Jones for any new teacher...it's got some terrific strategies for classroom management and being consistent about enforcing rules. His "PAT" concept is one that I use in my own classroom and it really works!