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Don't Squeal Unless It's a Big Deal: A Tale of Tattletalesby Jeanie Franz Ransom

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Don't Squeal Unless It's a Big Deal: A Tale of Tattletalesby Jeanie Franz Ransom

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Teaches kids when squealing on a fellow classmate is appropriate and when it is merely tattling! Set in a school classroom, the kids in the class constantly tattle on each other, creating an air of frustration and distrust. The teacher, rather than policing the situation, addresses underlying feelings and encourages mutual problem solving.

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the kids have to follow the list of terms and follow the rules the teacher provides.

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Coloring worksheet the kids can do that requires them to follow directions.

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Song about following the rules

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Education Week - Classroom Q&A With Larry Ferlazzo

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The new "question-of-the-week" is:
What are the best ways to introduce classroom rules in creative ways on my large classes (30-40 students per class)?
That was the submitted question, and the one I sent to guests who are providing formal responses.

I also made an addition and invited readers to contribute responses to the original question and to this one:
What are important classroom rules?
Classroom rules - we all have them, and we all sometimes have struggles enforcing them. What should they be, how should they be introduced and how do we maintain them?

It's the end of the school year for most of us right now, but it's never too early to begin planning for the next one!

Today, Lou Denti, Gini Cunningham, Cindi Rigsbee, PJ Caposey and readers share their responses. You can listen to a ten-minute conversation I had with Lou and and my valued Sacramento colleague Alice Mercer on my BAM! Radio Show. You can also find a list of, and links to, previous shows here.

My contribution to the discussion is an article I wrote for Education Week a few years ago titled Giving Classrooms A Purpose. In it, one of the strategies I suggest is a process I often use at the beginning of a school year to help determine rules and expectations - students have to determine if they want to be in a "Community of Learners" or a "Classroom of Students."

Response From Lou Denti
Dr. Lou Denti is the Lawton Love Distinguished Professor in Special Education at California State University Monterey Bay. He is the author of numerous articles and several books in the field of education. His research interests include classroom management, response to intervention, and collaboration. He is the author of Proactive Classroom Management: A Practical Guide to Empower Students and Teachers:
As one knows, if they have taught for any length of time, establishing classroom rules provides order and clarity for all students. Students expect you, the teacher, to be in control. Classroom rules frame the way students' behave and the manner in which the classroom operates. Too often, general rules, such as respect one another, are moored on the shoals of good intention. Respect is important, but operationalizing respect so that it is obvious within a classroom environment can be a challenge for even the most veteran teachers. I observe classrooms where general rules such as respect each other, pay attention, keep your hands to yourself etc. are tacked up on a wall as obligatory wall hanging and nothing more. I do not see teachers attending to them nor teaching them. Rules that are behaviorally written, such when I talk you listen by looking at me; can be taught and reinforced by the teacher. So let's look at ways teachers can creatively establish rules that are clear and observable, include students in the process, and allow teachers opportunities to teach students expected behavior. And yes, teachers can establish consequences for not following the established rules. However, if the rules are clear, reinforced continuously, and students receive recognition and encouragement for following the rules, negative consequences are very rarely applied. Me and We Rules: Involve students in writing the rules with you. In small groups have each student in the group write down 2 or 3 rules are expectations they would like to live by. Have each group sort them into up to 5 rules. Write group contributions on the board. Come up with a creative title for the activity. Winnow the rules down to NO MORE than 5! Make sure they are written behaviorally. Eternity Rule: Write one rule down that is important to you-an Eternity Rule. That means that from now until you retire you will teach, reinforce, and live by that rule. Now have students come up with at least 3 more Eternity Rules for the rest of the school year. These will be the rules they will live by as well. Roll the Die Rules: Create cardboard six sided cubes with rules that you value on each side of cube. Now have students in small groups roll the die for approximately 2 minutes. Each student gets a turn. Have students calculate the number of times a rule showed up. The rule that shows up most is shared with the class. All groups share the rule that received the most hits and then the teacher leads a discussion regarding those identified rules. Rule My World: To teach the rule "entering the classroom politely-no pushing, shoving, yelling, etc." have a pair of students' role-play pushing, shoving, and yelling prior to the entering the room. In small groups the teacher has three written prompts-what went wrong with the way the students entered, what's a better way to enter, and why is pushing and shoving impolite? The teacher conducts a sharing activity and writes down responses on the board. The teacher reinforces the rule by asking students to remember the role-play and the group activity.
Response From Gini Cunningham
Gini Cunningham is author of The New Teacher's Companion: Practical Wisdom for Succeeding in the Classroom (ASCD, 2009). She can be reached at [email protected]:
The key to introducing rules is to engage the students so that they know and understand the rules and have a sense of ownership. Have students jot down the 3 key rules the class needs to create a conducive learning environment. Now explain your sharing procedure then model and practice. Sharing procedure:

1-2 minutes to jot down ideas

1-2 minutes to share with partner

1 minute to create agreed upon response with partner

Randomly call on partners to share response with class

As rules are offered the teacher jots responses on board, easel, or projection equipment. With each response quickly ask, "How many students agree that this is a key rule?" Tally "yeah" and "nay". Repeat until you have 3-5 possible classroom rules. Sometimes, especially with junior high students, you will receive a "rule" such as no homework. Simply say, "Students, with our goal of education, will this add to your knowledge and ability?" They know. Take the 3-5 suggestions and type onto ballot. At the secondary level you may have several classes who respond but narrow to no more than 3-5, explaining to each class how you have combined their feedback. You do need to be certain that each class has at least 1 "rule" at stake. The following day hand out the "rules" as students enter. Have them read and review, numbering their ballots with the 1, 2, or 3 most important. Share with partner or whole group. Gather the feedback and create your Rules Poster. You have the rules, now what do you do when they are broken? Here is the key. Rules are worthless if you do not enforce them. So when Bobby comes late and slams his books on the desk you quietly and calmly respond, "Bobby, Rule 3 states show respect. I need you to re-enter following our class rule." Hopefully Bobby is just having a rough start to the day and will comply. If so, problem solved. But sometimes students refuse to cooperate. The teacher must have Plan B ready. Plan B means that you have explained what happens when a rule is broken and then follow through. Possibilities:

"Bobby, please step out into the hallway and we will chat about this."

"Bobby, please complete this form to let me know why you are late." (a paper is handed out that has student's name and date, reason for being late, what the student plans to do...)

"Bobby, Ms Jones (other teacher, counselor, ally who already knows she will be called on as necessary) is expecting you. Please head to her..." Here Bobby completes information form on why he is late.

If Bobby, repeats this behavior frequently or refuses to cooperate with you, be sure that you have a counselor, dean, or administrator ready to assist. Do not be bullied by students when you are simply applying the rules they have created.
Response From Cindi Rigsbee
Cindi Rigsbee is a National Board Certified Teacher currently serving as a Regional Education Facilitator in North Carolina and working on recruitment and retention initiatives. A finalist for National Teacher of the Year in 2009, Cindi is the author of Finding Mrs. Warnecke: The Difference Teachers Make:
It's important for students to participate in decisions about classroom rules; they feel more connected to the class and have more "buy-in" to rules they've had a part in developing. Interactive websites like linoit.com and listthings.com enable the teacher to gather information from students on online "sticky notes." Students can brainstorm about classroom rules in an engaging way and then make decisions about which rules will best suit their class. After the rules have been selected, it helps to have students sign a contract agreeing to the rules they've chosen. I've seen floor-to-ceiling length bulletin board paper displayed in the classroom with student signatures on it; this type of visual says, "You agreed to these classroom rules..." I would like to add that I don't have the rule discussion on the first day of school. In middle and high school, students are changing classes and hearing rules up and down the halls all day long. So instead, I spend the first day sharing my philosophy of teaching in a speech I call "Mrs. Rigsbee's First Day of School Motivational Dream Speech." I talk about my dreams as a teacher and have the students share their goals and aspirations for the year and beyond. That way, I'm able to start building relationships the first day which is an alternative to the "you'll do this; you'll do that" discussion of rules.
Response From PJ Caposey
PJ Caposey is an award-winning educator, author of two books ( Teach Smart and Building a Culture of Support), and sought after speaker and consultant specializing in school culture, principal coaching, effective evaluation practices, and student-centered instruction. PJ currently serves as the Superintendent of Schools for Meridian CUSD 223 in Northwest Illinois and can be reached via twitter (@MCUSDSupe):
A class of 40 students as mentioned in the question can be intimidating - and in fact some things we know about teaching and learning must adapt to best serve a class of that size - but not all things. I do not believe that setting the culture and climate of the classroom and discussing expectations (as the question alludes to) is one of those things that need to change. This process, and all of the stated expectations, should follow consider the three guidelines below. The Golden Rule: We are supposed to do unto others as we would have done unto us, correct? In that statement, there is no qualifier about who gives respect first, but yet that is something I often hear from teachers struggling with classroom management. Do teachers deserve respect - yes, but so do students . . . and to be quite honest, I don't care who gives respect first. Remember that whatever rules, guidelines, or expectations exist in the classroom not only apply to you, but most importantly apply to you and should dictate your behavior. Language is Important: Rules versus expectations. Consequences versus growth plans. These language pieces may seem like semantics, but in my opinion truly speak to the mindset of the teacher. Rules and consequences imply a desire to control. Expectations and growth plans connote positivity and a focus on the students. Telling students what they cannot do automatically introduces a negativity to the classroom - telling students what they are expected to do creates an entirely different culture. Less is More: Think about it - how many rules or expectations are needed to have a really outstanding classroom climate? I have seen different examples of classroom guildelines displayed via syllabi, classroom posters, or written on blackboards literally thousands of times in my career. The best I have seen, was eight words in length - and said more than many with 100 times that much information. It was simple, direct, and succinct. We will RESPECT. Yourself. Each Other. Our Environment. This created a sense of community, provided expectations, and included the teacher in the expectations. Truly - what more needs to be said?
Responses From Readers

Dont forget the different rules depending on who youre teaching. Its perhaps harder to decide with adults. https://t.co/4tVfoFVEre
-- Samantha Harris (@samsclassroom) June 10, 2016

@educationweek @Larryferlazzo start out with clear expectations of the "Community" and G.A.T.E.=Great Attitude Towards Education!
-- Kurry Seymour (@kurryseymour) June 9, 2016

Thanks to Lou, Gini, Cindi, and PJ, and to readers, for their contributions!

Please feel free to leave a comment with your reactions to the topic or directly to anything that has been said in this post.

Consider contributing a question to be answered in a future post. You can send one to me at [email protected] .When you send it in, let me know if I can use your real name if it's selected or if you'd prefer remaining anonymous and have a pseudonym in mind.

You can also contact me on Twitter at @Larryferlazzo.

Anyone whose question is selected for this weekly column can choose one free book from a number of education publishers.

Education Week has published a collection of posts from this blog -- along with new material -- in an ebook form. It's titled Classroom Management Q&As: Expert Strategies for Teaching.
Just a reminder -- you can subscribe and receive updates from this blog via email or RSS Reader... And,if you missed any of the highlights from the first four years of this blog, you can see a categorized list below. They don't include ones from this current year, but you can find them by clicking on the "answers" category found in the sidebar.
Classroom Management Student Motivation Implementing The Common Core The Best Ways To Begin & End The School Year Teaching Social Studies Project-Based Learning Brain-Based Learning Using Tech In The Classroom Parent Engagement In Schools Teaching English Language Learners Student Assessment Teaching Reading & Writing Education Policy Issues Differentiating Instruction Author Interviews Teaching Math & Science Professional Development Teacher & Administrator Leadership Relationships In Schools Instructional Strategies This Year's Most Popular Q & A Posts!
Look for the next "question-of-the-week" in a few days.....

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Response: Classroom Rules - Ways to Create, Introduce & Enforce Them

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The new "question-of-the-week" is: What are the best ways to introduce classroom rules in creative ways on my large classes (30-40 students per class)? That was the submitted question, and the one I sent to guests who are providing formal responses.

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School rules might be out for summer vacation. When students are at school to learn or on school property, the rules need to in effect. These academic and safety rules help keep the setting safe and welcoming for all everyone. School rules can include being careful, maintaining academic reputations or just exercising basic respect for authority and peers. Whether you're in college, high school, middle school or elementary school, your school likely has a list of rules you are expected to follow while in attendance. These rules may encompass behavior on campus, policies on tardiness and personal appearance. Whether or not you actually like to obey rules, it's important you follow the policies of your educational institution as closely as possible. Some rules may not have long-term or serious ramifications. More serious consequences can include detention, demerits, suspensions and even expulsion.

Personal Safety

Rules are intended to protect you. Specific rules, such as "Don't go into the boiler room" or "No students allowed on campus after dark" are written to protect against dangers. When you follow the rules at school, you demonstrate an awareness of the rules and show you believe your personal safety is important. Taking risks with your personal safety on the school campus can have dangerous consequences for your personally but also creates a liability for school administration. Safety rules are not arbitrarily written. Just as a hot stove is hands-off for a child, making sure you follow campus safety rules can keep you from getting burned by potentially dangerous settings.

Peer Consideration

In addition to self-preservation, obedience to school policies and procedures shows that you respect your peers and consider their personal safety to be of the utmost importance. Obedience also demonstrates you believe the education of your peers is vital to their future well-being. For example, rules governing your appearance are designed to minimize classroom distractions. When you dress in a manner that doesn't draw undue attention to yourself, it allows your classmates to focus on their studies instead of your clothing. When you exercise self-control and respect for your peers, the community atmosphere is better for everyone.

Academic Reputation

Sometimes, rules are a burden to obey. Rules may occasionally seem unimportant or useless, but it's important to obey the rules even if you feel they're unnecessary. Even if you think no one notices or appreciates your good behavior, rest assured your instructors do notice when you follow the rules and they appreciate it. Obedience to the rules at school improves your relationships with your teachers and demonstrates that you care about your education. Showing you respect the academic rules of the campus like "no cheating" helps build a trust with your teachers. By maintaining a strong academic reputation, your teachers also know you are serious about learning.

Respect for Authority

When you follow the rules at school, you show that you understand the importance of rules and you respect the governing authority. We are faced with numerous rules not only in school but in daily life, and obedience to those rules shows we care about those who create the rules, whether it be a principal, teacher or police officer. Obedience to school rules also shows your teachers and principal you trust their decisions even if you don't understand the purpose behind a specific rule.

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Reasons for Obeying Rules at School | Synonym

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School rules might be out for summer vacation. When students are at school to learn or on school property, the rules need to in effect. These academic and safety rules help keep the setting safe and welcoming for all everyone. School rules can include being careful, maintaining academic reputations or just exercising basic respect for authority and peers.

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Mystery Rule
Write down one rule at the beginning of the week and do not tell the children which rule it is. If the class does not break the rule more than three times during the week, they get a sticker. Every time the class gets 10 stickers, they can choose a class prize. Prizes may include lunch with the teacher, a no-homework night or a few minutes of free time. At the end of each week, students learn the identity of the mystery rule. Keep a chart listing the mystery rules so the class can see where they need work on following directions.
Role Playing

Divide students into groups. Give each group a classroom rule and ask the students to demonstrate what happens when it is not followed. Have the other students guess the rule and then discuss why the rule is important to follow.

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Back-to-School Rules by Laurie B. Friedman 

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Back-to-School Rules by Laurie B. Friedman 

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School's in session! When it comes to surviving school, Percy's at the head of the class. If you can follow his ten simple rules, making the grade will be a piece of cake (and school will be a lot of fun). But there's more to school than showing up on time and staying awake in class. If you have any doubts, Percy also shows exactly what not to do.

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What If Everybody Did That? by Ellen Javernick 

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What If Everybody Did That? by Ellen Javernick 

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If you drop just one soda can out the window, it’s no big deal ... right? But what if everybody did that? What if everybody broke the rules ... and spoke during story time, didn’t wash up, or splashed too much at the pool? Then the world would be a mess. But what if everybody obeyed the rules so that the world would become a better place? Using humorous illustrations rendered in mixed media, these questions are answered in a child-friendly way and show the consequences of thoughtless behavior.

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1. Be polite, courteous, and respectful to everyone.

2. Be a friend

3. Keep your hands to yourself.

4. Be positive

5. Be quiet in lines, hallways, and restrooms.

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Think about maximizing time-on-task.  Think about the non-instructional times during the school day and how much time they take away from instruction and learning.  In order to increase time on task, it’s important to minimize the amount of time these activities take.  In an early elementary classroom,  here’s a list of common classroom activities that you will want to establish procedures for right away:

Immediately gaining the attention of your students

Entering the classroom (in the morning and during transition periods)

Lining up and walking in line

Having the students gain your attention

Coming to and leaving the whole group area

Transitioning from center to center

Using the bathroom

Leaving the classroom

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Last week I was talking with several colleagues about the elements of successful small group instruction. We started chatting about the core curriculum, determining skill based groups, materials for use during small groups and on and on. We quickly, however, turned our focus to classroom management. The reality is is that if classroom management is lacking there really is no way to run small groups. Successful small group instruction is highly dependent upon having all the other children highly engaged and independent in their center activities. In order to make those precious minutes of small group intervention count within the classroom, your instructional time needs to be free of interruption. During this discussion, one of my collegues kept whispering "Harry Wong". After a bit, I asked, "Who is Harry Wong?" at which there was a collective gasp from the others at the table. Within an hour after returning to my work area, Harry Wong's book, " The First Days of School: How to Be an Effective Teacher " was placed on my desk.

By the end of the day, I managed to read over 100 pages of the book! It certainly is a must-read for any new teacher; however, the book contains tons of helpful hints and strategies for setting up and maintaining an effective classroom. My favorite chapter by far is Chapter 20: How to Have Students Follow Classroom Procedures. This chapter is particularly helpful when thinking about not only how to run your classroom, but how to set up and present your literacy centers to your students. Mr. Wong emphasizes the importance of establishing procedures in your classroom the first day of school. Setting procedures in the first days of school will impact your success in teaching and learning for the entire school year.

Click the following link to download this poster Student Achievement
So what procedures should be taught?
Think about maximizing time-on-task. Think about the non-instructional times during the school day and how much time they take away from instruction and learning. In order to increase time on task, it's important to minimize the amount of time these activities take. In an early elementary classroom, here's a list of common classroom activities that you will want to establish procedures for right away:

Immediately gaining the attention of your students

Entering the classroom (in the morning and during transition periods)

Lining up and walking in line

Having the students gain your attention

Coming to and leaving the whole group area

Transitioning from center to center

Using the bathroom

Leaving the classroom

How are procedures taught?
There are essentially three steps in establishing a procedure:

Click the following link to download this poster Steps for Teaching Procedures

I believe that many teachers understand the importance of establishing produres and do introduce the procedures to their students; however, if steps 2 and 3 are not implemented to the needed degree, then the procedures will likely not be successful. It's not uncommon for a teacher attempt to gain the attention of the class by using a cue (e.g. "One, two, three, eyes on me") and then have 4-5 students continue to talk as the teacher begins instruction and then minutes later have to discipline the chatty students. The rehearsal and reinforcement steps to establishing procedures is critical. Consistency with expectations of what is to occur with the procedure is also important.
Example of a procedure
One procedure that every classroom teacher must have in place is a procedure to immediately gain the attention of the students. We want students to be active learners and this means that we encourage movement and discussion; however, when it is time for the teacher to give a direction or deliver direct instruction, the students must immediately stop what they are doing and attend to the teacher. There are tons and tons of clever ways to gain the attention of the class. One quick and easy way is the "Give Me Five" method. This method was presented in the book; however, it's a pretty common technique. Essentially, when the teacher wants to gain the attention of the students, he/she says "Give Me Five" and then counts down (5, 4, 3, 2, 1). By the time the teacher reaches "1", the students are to have their eyes on the teacher, are quiet, still, have nothing in their hands are are ready to listen.

Click the following link to download this poster Give Me Five

It sounds so simple, right? It is and it isn't... just be prepared to practice and practice. It's so much easier and efficient to put the time and effort on the front end then try to correct it later on.

Click the following link to download this poster For a child to learn...
So what about those literacy centers and small groups?
The ability to have 20 plus little first graders work independently and in small groups of their own as the teacher works with her/his own group of students requires spot-on classroom mangagement. Not only do those basic classroom procedures need to be established, but there also needs to be procedures for appropriate behavior and use of materials within the literacy centers themselves. One of my favorite resources for literacy centers is Debbie Diller's Literacy Work Stations: Making Centers Work. In this book she provides information on how to introduce the centers to your students, what materials are appropriate, how to model the use of the materials as well as how to differentiate based on student need.

The bottom line is that in order for students to learn and grow, the classroom environment needs to be structured and orderly. This means that procedures need to be put in place and implemented consistently so that the students understand what is expected of them. If you are finding that your classroom isn't running as smoothly as you'd like or if you think that you are correcting behavior often, think about the procedures that are put in place. Maybe there are too few? Maybe they need to be practiced? I'll end with another quote from Harry Wong's book which holds true.

Click the following link to download this poster An Effective Teacher Manages a Classroom

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The Importance of Teaching Procedures in the Classroom - Make Take & Teach

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Last week I was talking with several colleagues about the elements of successful small group instruction. We started chatting about the core curriculum, determining skill based groups, materials for use during small groups and on and on. We quickly, however, turned our focus to classroom management.

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In Rules in School, four experienced teachers—Kathryn Brady, Mary Beth Forton, Deborah Porter, and Chip Wood—describe a positive approach to helping children create and live by classroom rules.

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School rules. The mere mention of these words can elicit heavy sighs and moans from children and adults alike. Rules order us around. Rules constrict us. "No running, no hitting, no pushing, no cutting in line, don't interrupt . . ." As one young child put it, "You want to do something and the teacher just comes along and says you can't!"

But it doesn't have to be this way. In Rules in School, four experienced teachers-Kathryn Brady, Mary Beth Forton, Deborah Porter, and Chip Wood-describe a positive approach to helping children create and live by classroom rules.

Early in the year, students and their teacher articulate hopes and dreams for the school year. They then generate rules that will help all class members realize their hopes and dreams.

The resulting classroom rules take on a radically different feel for students: These are our rules. We created them. They'll help us achieve our goals.

Once the rules are created, teachers help students practice the rules. And when rules are broken, teachers respond with nonpunitive logical consequences.

Of these three components-creating the rules, practicing the rules, and responding to rule breaking-the most often overlooked in the busy life of the classroom is practicing the rules.

If we want children to get better at piano, what do we tell them? PRACTICE! If we want them to get better at reading or math or spelling, what do we tell them? PRACTICE! But if we want them to get better at developing self-control and responsibility, then what do we tell them? BE GOOD! The step we too often miss is PRACTICE! Children need opportunities, under the caring guidance and support of adults, to practice these essential skills, over and over again, without criticism or judgment. -Chip Wood, from Rules in School

The importance of practice

Just because children can articulate the rules doesn't mean they will follow them. Far from it. Elementary and middle school students are just beginning to learn self-control, effective communication, responsibility, empathy, and the myriad other skills needed to live and learn peacefully with others. To be successful, they need lots of encouragement, support, and practice in applying the rules to a wide variety of classroom situations.

Two key ways for students to practice the rules are modeling and role-playing.

Modeling the rules

If we expect students to walk when moving around the room, put away the sports equipment, show interest when a classmate is speaking, or settle into their seats quietly when they come to class late, we have to show clearly and directly what these actions look like.

Modeling is a good technique for doing this. It typically includes these steps:

The teacher names the expected behavior and connects it to a classroom rule.

"We said that in our class we would respect people," Mr. C. says to the second grade class. "One way to show respect is to listen attentively when someone speaks."

The teacher (or a student) demonstrates the behavior.

Mr. C. has arranged ahead of time for Kesha to help with today's modeling. Now he says to the class, "Kesha is going to talk about something that will be happening after school tomorrow. I'll be the listener. Notice what I do."

Kesha makes an announcement about a dress rehearsal for a school play. Mr. C. listens attentively.

The teacher asks students what actions and expressions they noticed.

"What did I do to show that I was listening to Kesha?" Students respond, "You looked at her," "You didn't move around," "You nodded your head," and "You smiled when she told about the dog being on stage."

Mr. C. then asks students to reflect on the impact of his behavior. "How do you think Kesha felt when I showed I was listening to her?"

"It probably felt good to her," "Like you really cared," "Like it mattered what she had to say," students answer.

The teacher asks for students (or additional students) to demonstrate.

Randy volunteers to share. Another student, Ariela, volunteers to be the listener. The class watches Ariela as Randy shares. Afterwards, students tell what they noticed.

The whole class practices the behavior.

"Let's all practice attentive listening now," Mr. C. says. "I'll share something with you and you can all show how you listen."

After the practice, Mr. C. reflects with the class. "What did we do well? What might we work harder at?"

Mr. C. lets students know that in the days to come he'll be paying attention to how they practice respectful listening as they go about classroom life.

Role-playing the rules

Role-playing is useful for practicing appropriate behavior in more complex social interactions where students must choose from a wide range of possible behaviors. Good topics for role-playing include sharing materials, including classmates in activities, and supporting someone who makes a mistake. Role-playing allows the teacher to acknowledge the complexity of these situations and give students practice in making responsible choices. Here's an example:

The teacher brings up a situation, connecting it to classroom rules.

Ms. B. says, "One of our classroom rules says to help each other learn. Let's talk about what we might do or say to live up to this rule when someone makes a mistake."

The teacher describes a scenario.

"Here's a scene," Ms. B. says. "A teacher is about to read a book about Louis Armstrong, a famous jazz musician. But first she asks, 'Does anyone know who Louis Armstrong was?'

"A student-we'll call him Sashi-shoots his hand up. When the teacher calls on him, he says, 'He was one of the first astronauts to go to the moon.'

"Then another boy-we'll call him Myles-yells out, 'No, that's Neil Armstrong. Louis Armstrong was a great trumpet player!' Everyone in the class bursts out laughing."

Ms. B. asks the class, "How do you think Sashi would feel?"

"Terrible, embarrassed, really stupid," students answer.

Ms. B. also allows a brief exchange about where Myles might be coming from-maybe he got excited because he doesn't often know the answer-and why the rest of the class might have burst out laughing.

The teacher starts the action, freezes it before the negative behavior occurs, and asks for suggestions of positive behaviors.

"Let's act this out," Ms. B. says. She takes the role of Myles. One student volunteers to be Sashi and another to be the "teacher."

The acting begins. Just after "Sashi" gives his incorrect answer and before "Myles" yells out the correct one, Ms. B. says, "Freeze!"

With the action poised at this critical juncture, Ms. B. asks students what Myles and the rest of the make-believe class could do to support Sashi.

"Myles could raise his hand and wait to be called before he says anything," "He could say, 'I think you might be thinking about Neil Armstrong. Louis Armstrong was a trumpet player'," and "He could use a calm voice, not yell or make a face," students suggest.

"Okay, let's act that out," says Ms. B.

The actors act out students' suggestions.

The actors rewind and act out the scene with Myles saying the suggested line calmly.

Ms. B. then asks, "What about the rest of the class? What could they do to be supportive?"

One student suggests that the class should resist laughing even if Sashi himself starts to laugh. The idea is acted out.

The class role-plays the same issue using a different scenario.

If time allows and students continue to be attentive, Ms. B. might have students act out another "mistake" scenario, such as someone misreading a word in front of others or missing a catch in a kickball game.

Be a "practice coach" for learning and for life

Will practicing the rules guarantee that students will live by them? No. There will still be times when children forget or choose not to follow the rules. But when teachers allow students time to think about and practice the rules, students pay more attention to the rules. It sounds simple, but it's true. Practice is as important to social learning as it is to academic learning. As teachers, one of our greatest services is to be a "practice coach" for learning and for life.

The Responsive Classroom Approach to Classroom Rules

Creating the rules

Early in the year, the teacher and students name their hopes and dreams for school that year. The students then come up with rules that will allow everyone to realize their hopes and dreams. The teacher helps students frame these rules in the positive ("Use kind words" instead of "No name calling," for example) and consolidate all their rules into a short list of three to five easily remembered global rules.

Practicing the rules

Through modeling, role-playing, and other techniques, the teacher helps students see what the rules look, sound, and feel like in everyday classroom life. The teacher constantly supports the rules with effective reinforcing, reminding, and redirecting language.

Responding to rule breaking

When students break the rules, one of the ways teachers respond is with logical consequences. Logical consequences are nonpunitive. They help students recognize the effects of their actions and fix any problems their actions may have caused. Logical consequences are respectful of the student, relevant to the mistake, and reasonable for the teacher to implement and the student to carry out.

Tags: Classroom Rules, Logical Consequences

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Bringing Classroom Rules to Life | Responsive Classroom

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School rules. The mere mention of these words can elicit heavy sighs and moans from children and adults alike. Rules order us around. Rules constrict us. "No running, no hitting, no pushing, no cutting in line, don't interrupt . . ."