Setting the Tone for Success: Part One

Implementing Rules and Procedures

The Keys to a Positive Classroom Community

As a teacher, the beginning of a new school year is like a blank canvas, an opportunity to set the stage for a successful and productive journey ahead. One of the cornerstones of a smooth and effective classroom environment is the establishment of rules and procedures right from the start!

We wish when we first started that we were told to slow down and focus solely on your expectations before diving into content... But don't worry, that's why we're here- to share with other teachers our failures and what we found to be successful so you can be a step ahead of the game!

In this post, we'll explore why practicing rules and procedures at the beginning of the year is vital and we’ll also delve into what classroom procedures we found most important to practice at the beginning, middle, and end of the school day. We will touch on speaking and listening skills, walking in line, transitioning, behavior procedures and more! So let's get into it!

Shall we???

After at least 10 years of "first days of school" we decided that we found the most positive long-term affects came from our first two weeks being dedicated to rules and procedures. During these two weeks, we made sure to practice, model, define, reiterate, and guide our students through what a classroom looks like, sounds like, and acts like. Contrary to popular opinion, this DOES mean that Instead of immediately starting academic work, we went through rules and procedures with a fine toothed comb. And we mean that quite literally...We went through what EVERYTHING looked and sounded like in the classroom. And by everything, this entails things like clapping for each other, where to put their pencils on their desk, raising their hand, walking down the hallway, and going to the restroom…. We wanted the kids to know that we meant business and wanted to communicate clear expectations, so they knew their “success criteria” and had a space where they knew they could succeed. We like to say, "A kid doesn't know how to tie their shoes until someone teaches them.. so how can we expect you to do what we want.. unless we tell you *exactly* what we want."

You might be thinking….

How did they do this for two weeks? Listen, we thought that at first too... But, we covered a lot AND we had fun doing it! We used games, acting, discussion, creative collaboration, and imagination to practice our rules and procedures. We used games to teach communication skills and expected behaviors. We used creative projects to model what organized desks and work looks like. We acted how teachers and students should look, sit, present, speak, and so much more!

Using these first two weeks to outline our expectations changed the outcome of our classrooms in the BEST way possible! Unfortunately, we don't have time to get into all the "first two week games" today, (we will share those other “game” secrets later ;)). But we will start with HOW we practiced procedures the first couple of weeks and why.

#1 Rule: model, practice, repeat.

Before getting into our beginning, middle, and end of the day procedures that we taught and focused on the first two weeks, lets talk about how we went about teaching procedures. Remember that these students are coming in as blank canvas' and they WANT to succeed. Sometimes behaviors are misinterpreted when students don't truly know what is expected of them. Being in a classroom where the expectations are broken down to this degree provides students with a safe space, consistency, and a feeling like they are a part of functioning community and not ruled by it.

Brainstorming ideas for how you want your classroom to run is the first step. We knew we wanted a classroom where students were strong communicators. So a lot of our rules were made with them. When you establish a set of classroom rules, we highly recommend doing this in collaboration with your students. This empowers them and helps create a sense of ownership over the rules. Involving students in the rule-making process not only gives them a sense of responsibility but also helps them understand the rationale behind each rule. Encourage discussions and seek their input to create rules that are fair and practical for everyone. In the future, if things fall short, it is typically due to rules not being well defined, modeled, and/or not being practiced. For example: when we established a rule or procedure, we then asked they class what they think that looks like. We would then model it (sometimes, we would even show what it would NOT look like) and everyone would have to practice it. This routine went on for two weeks. We would define the rule, and/or model and practice it. Is can be monotonous, perhaps. Is it beneficial, ABSOLUTELY! (and there's definitely ways to make it more exciting than boring!)

This leads us into behavior and implementing consequences/rewards. We clearly defined consequences for rule violations and rewards for positive behavior. We modeled what consequences and rewards looked like and we modeled how we expected students to react when given one of these things. We taught them that they have the power to change the trajectory of their day even if they have recieved a consequence. Whatever you use in your school whether that is PBL, Class DOJO, a token economy, and/or Zones of regulation, all of these need to be clearly defined, modeled, and practiced. It is also extremely important to start putting these into effect by at least the second week of school and be CONSISTENT. Consistency is key in maintaining a positive classroom environment. Students thrive in a structured setting where they know what to expect. When rules and procedures are consistently enforced, students feel safe and secure, which is conducive to learning. Finally, take the time to get to know your students as individuals. Understand their unique strengths, challenges, and interests. Building positive teacher-student relationships is the foundation for a successful school year and for making rules and routines that WORK. Every class is different and you have to treat your students as such. None of these will work if your students do not feel respected by you.

So moral of the story, get to know your students, involve your students, communicate clearly, model it, and practice it. Practice it down to the greeting in the morning!

***TIP*** For reference-we practiced greeting, putting things away, attendance, and morning meeting 2 times a day for at least 3 days.

Alright, lets get into the beginning, middle, and end of a school day.

We want to start off by saying that we know every school looks different. So, your beginning of the day procedures may need to be tailored to the requirements of your school. But there is one thing we can all agree on.. and that is that the start of the day sets the TONE for everything!

Stay up to date with us and join us next week for PART 2 of Setting the Tone for Success!