CLASSROOM RULES OF ENGAGEMENT

 By: Dr. Armãndo R. Tolliver | EDUCATOR | November 4, 2016

No learning takes place in classrooms that are out of control. One obvious aspect to effectively manage the classroom environment and direct student behavior involves the design and implementation of classroom rules and procedures (Marzano, Pickering, & Pollock, 2001). Emmer, Evertson, and Worsham (2003) attest to the need for rules and procedures by explaining that they

…vary in different classrooms, but all effectively managed classrooms have them. It is just not possible for a teacher to conduct instruction or for students to work productively if they have no guidelines for how to behave or when to move about the room, or if they frequently interrupt the teacher and one another. Furthermore, inefficient procedures and the absence of routines for common aspects of classroom life, such as taking and reporting attendance, participating in discussions, turning in materials, or checking work, can waste large amounts of time and cause students' attention and interest to wane. (p. 17)           

Although the terms are sometimes used synonymously, rules and procedures have some important differences. Both refer to stated expectations regarding behavior; however, a rule identifies general expectations, norms, guidelines or standards that are expected throughout the day in order to provide boundaries and establish standards for student success. In contrast, a procedure is the manner and methods students use to follow instructions and comply with rules (Marzano et al., 2001). Procedures communicate expectations for specific behaviors (Emmer et al., 2003). For example, I embrace hip-hop in the classroom and have established three B.E.T. guidelines: a) Be prompt, productive, prepared, polite, and responsible, b) Expect to follow all school rules and behavior expectations according to the Student Code of Conduct, and c) Treat each person in this room with respect and dignity in addition to being a good listener when others are talking. These three rules address a wide range of expected behaviors and are based on the basic principles of human behavior. I have also established separate procedures for collecting assignments, turning in late work, participating in class discussions, and so on. These expectations are fairly specific in nature. Unfortunately, there is not one true recipe that guarantees appropriate student behavior or a successful day in the classroom, but combined these tools have been proven successful in making the most of any situation.

Each year, I set the tone of the classroom by communicating, teaching, reviewing, monitoring, and reinforcing the classroom guidelines as posted in the course syllabus. In order to apply rules in my practice with the students, I first established behavioral rules and ensured they were congruent with school-wide expectations. It is a good rule of thumb to tell students what we want them to do, rather than telling them what we do not want them to do. When I initially began teaching it was important for me to operationally define what the rules look like across all the routines and settings in the school. I achieved this by creating a matrix. I ensure the rules are posted publicly and printed in the syllabus, displayed somewhere in the classroom, linked to the student portal of the class web page, and sent home in a letter to parents.

Next, I taught the rules directly in context of routines. Step 1 involved defining the rule in operational terms, telling students what the rule looks like within routine. Step 2 involved providing students with examples and non-examples of rule following with routine. The students were engaged in a simple lesson that involved a little bit of game, role-play, and simple checks for understanding. After which, students were provided an opportunities throughout the quarter to practice rule following behavior in the natural setting. One of the things I have come to learn over the years is that students cannot learn if they are not on-task, actively engaged in learning activities. When students are on-task, they will learn more and create fewer class management concerns. Getting and keeping students on-task for me has usually be accomplished using two simple active supervision strategies: a) beginning instruction or activities immediately, and b) manage by walking around.

Beginning instruction immediately helped me to eliminate down time or wasted time when opportunities for students to engage in inappropriate behavior increases. The easiest and most effective strategy for keeping students on-task once inside the classroom is to walk around. This allowed me to observe the progress of students, acknowledge and reinforce positive behavior, and mange off-task behavior with proximity. I start each class at the door greeting my students, and students know what to do upon entering. As a result, when the school year progressed and various students began to randomly display inappropriate behavior, I prompted or reminded students of the rule prior to entering natural context, pre-corrections to increase the likelihood that they will follow the expectations. For example, students are entering and the student who was disruptive the previous day approaches. Provide him or her with a warm greeting and remind the individual to follow the rules in order to ensure he or she has a great day in class. In such situations, I have often gained compliance of the student and prevented potential problems by being proactive and positive. What seemed to work was to ask him or her to help me and provide special jobs that keep him or her positively occupied. I am mindful to thank him or her for his or her assistance, and provide the attention usually gained through negative behavior for acting as a helper. This strategy often diffuses the problem before it ever becomes one and creates a leader of the pack for positive behavior. Moreover, throughout the year I monitor students’ behavior in natural context and provided specific feedback through Class Dojo and other online tracking applications. Personal observations and online applications helped me to evaluate the effect of instruction review data, make decisions, and follow up.

Any time students behave inappropriately I generally find it annoying; however, I am also cognizant of the fact that they are living in this chemically imbalanced stage called adolescence. The type of behavior, rather than the annoyance level, has been my guide for implementing an appropriate teacher response strategy. Inappropriate behaviors can be classified as either consequential or inconsequential. Most inappropriate student behavior, regardless of how annoying it is, is inconsequential. Inconsequential behaviors are those that the classroom environment would be better off without, but their negative impact on student learning is minimal. Inconsequential behaviors, such as tapping a pencil on the desk, can become consequential if they escalate or persist over a period of time. Responding to inconsequential behavior is providing reinforcement, and the frequency of these behaviors will likely increase. For me, a better approach has been to ignore the inconsequential behavior and provide reinforcement and specific praise to students who are following rules. For example, I respond positively to appropriate behavior with a smile, verbal praise, or other appropriate gesture.

While most student behavior is inconsequential, there are inappropriate student behaviors that are of consequence and need to be addressed. Consequential behaviors are those that have a significant negative effect on the learning environment and interfere with the rights of other students to learn. I have learned, and continue to improve, to handle such situations by stopping and redirecting student behavior privately and quietly as possible. For example, I catch errors early and provide specific, corrective feedback to students who are not following rules. When I approach this, I stop to think, “How would you address this if it were an academic error?” This has helped me to respond to challenging situations in a noncoercive and proactive manner. I start off by saying something positive to the student. I then follow it up by briefly describing the problem behavior, describing the desired alternative behavior, and providing a reason why the new behavior is more desirable. In one instance, I emailed two students about their behavior. Here is an except of the October 11, 2016, conversation between the students and I.

Me: I just want you to know, you were rather nasty today. Just because you do not agree with something or dislike what is done, does not give you permission to be rude. I will never disrespect you or be rude, and I expect the same in return. Remember our B.E.T. rules of engagement.

Student 1: Sorry, I do want to apologize for my behavior I didn't have any caffeine this morning which is still not an excuse I know but I'm sorry for my actions and will move forward with a more respectful attitude, thank you.

Student 2: I didn't really mean to come off disrespectful or rude today that wasn't my intentions I was just trying to voice my opinion. I am very sorry for my actions and won't let it happen again.

It has then been important for me to again provide opportunities to practice the desired rule following behavior in the natural setting, providing positive feedback throughout the process. Behavior Contracts, Guideline Infraction Notices, and Teacher-Student Conference Reflection Sheets have also been useful in helping me to document in-class interventions. Even in these moments, I remind students of what is stated in the syllabus, “Every action has an equal, but opposite reaction.  You cannot do something without causing something else to happen. In this classroom, you are EXPECTED to work hard and behave in a way that will get you positive consequences.  If you CHOOSE not to work or behave correctly, you will receive negative consequences leading up to referral and further reprimand outlined in the Discipline Policy.” Though the outlined process seemed cumbersome at first, it actually took less than two minutes and became quite natural when I practiced it consistently. Ultimately, helping me to apply the rules in the classroom. I review literature on human behavior and restorative practices to assist in further development and expansion of my repertoire of classroom and behavior management skills.

Suggested Citation

Tolliver, A. R. (2017). Classroom Rules of Engagement. [Education Project Online]. Retrieved online at http://www.educationprojectonline.com/2017/03/classroom-rules-of-engagement_9.html.

References

Emmer, E. T., Evertson, C. M., & Worsham, M. E. (2003). Classroom management for secondary teachers (6th ed.). Boston: Allyn and Bacon.

Marzano, R., Pickering, D., & Pollock, J. (2001). Classroom instruction that works: Research-based strategies for increasing student achievement. Alexandria, VA: Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development.