DRAFT: This module has unpublished changes.

The Research

 

The necessity for rules and responsibilities in the classroom are to give students guidelines to follow for how to behave during class. Robert Marzano states, “The research supports the notion that designing and implementing rules and procedures in class and even at home has a profound impact on student behavior and on student learning” (Marzano, 16). Through discussion with the students about the classroom should operate, rules and procedures can be established in the classroom. Giving the students a voice in this matter will help to make them want to follow the rules because they were not just told what to do. They were made to feel that their voices matter and that the teacher cares what they think.

 

Students need structure and order in their lives. From the time they are born, they are constantly learning how to behave in an acceptable way in society and what happens when they go against the normal flow. Wong and Wong said, “The effective teacher knows that the #1 problem in the classroom is not discipline; it is the lack of procedures and routines – the lack of a plan that organizes a classroom for academic success” (Wong and Wong, 147). Students need the procedures and rules so they will know how to behave in the classroom. If there are none installed, then how would they know what they should be doing? It will put a lot of unnecessary stress both on the students and the teacher.

 

It is important and helpful to the students if the teacher has the general rules of the classroom posted somewhere where the students can easily see them. General rules include the following areas, “politeness and helpfulness when dealing with others, respecting the property of others, interrupting the teachers or others, and hitting or shoving others” (Marzano, 18). These are topics that are generally turned into rules for the students to follow. These rules could easily be taught to the students by having them act out the proper and improper ways to behave. It gives the students a chance to be creative and provides a somewhat humorous way for students to learn the rules.

 

  • Marzano, Robert J. Classroom Management that Works: Research Based Strategies for Every Teacher. Alexandria, VA: ASCD, 2003. Print.
  • Wong, Harry K., and Rosemary T. Wong. The First Days of School: How to be an Effective Teacher. 4th ed. Mountain View, CA: Harry K. Wong Publications, Inc., 2009. Print.
DRAFT: This module has unpublished changes.

My pre-practicum placement is in a primary classroom in an elementary school and attached is my focused observation journal entry 

 

planning and teaching rules and responsibilities journal.docx 

DRAFT: This module has unpublished changes.

My Classroom

 

In my classroom, I will create a classroom that promotes the care and safety of each and ever student. As I have seen in my pre-practicum classroom, respect between the teacher and the students is so important. The students will feel like they are not going to get yelled at and told what to do. They will learn what is expected of them when they are in my classroom. I will have visuals of the general rules around my room. These rules would include to be respectful to others, to raise your hand when you need to speak, and to be ready to learn. I believe these will help students focus and remind them of the appropriate way to behave.

 

I would also teach these rules to the students by having them act the rules out. I will have some students act out the inappropriate rules and other students will act out the appropriate way to behave. I believe students will enjoy doing this activity because they will get to see the positive and negative behavior while learning why they are acceptable or not.

 

I also would agree with Marzano, Wong and Wong when they say that students should be allowed to have a say when teaching the rules and responsibilities of the classroom. I do not want my students to feel like I am the ruler and they are there to do what I say when I say it. I want my students to feel like they have a say in what will happen in the classroom because they are going to be there for the whole year. The more that they feel like they have a special place in the classroom, the more they will learn. I am there to facilitate their learning and they deserve to feel accepted and have their voices be heard.

 

Through all of this, I believe that this creates a positive atmosphere of mutual respect and caring between teacher and students and student to student in my classroom. This respect will go along way because it is important for the students to feel like they are respected by me. Through modeling the rules to interacting with the students, I will strive to provide a positive example for the students to follow. If we all respect each other, then class life with run a lot smoother in the long run. They will feel like they can trust me as well as the other students and will work to be the best they can be.

 

DRAFT: This module has unpublished changes.