By: Dr. Armãndo R. Tolliver | EDUCATOR | December 14, 2016
While
building positive relationships is the foundation to strong classroom
management, relationships alone are not enough (Boynton & Boynton, 2005). There
will occasionally be times when, with 30+ students in the classroom, things get
a little chaotic. Needless to say, if the classroom is consistently out of
control, that will have a negative impact on the learning outcomes of students and
the stress level of the teacher. Therefore, it is also critical to establish
and teach clearly defined parameters of
expected behaviors at the start of the school year. This sets students up for success
for the remainder of the year and demonstrates to students that the teacher
expects them to achieve at high levels and has faith that each of them is
capable of it.
Rules
define the parameters of behavior for students, to provide them with a sense of
what is acceptable and not acceptable (Emmer, Evertson, & Worsham, 2003). Setting
classroom expectations and parameters is not about telling students what to do;
it is more about establishing the best way to succeed in the classroom
together. When these parameters are clearly defined, students are more likely
to take personal responsibility for their learning and behavior, making adjust
to their progress toward classroom goals throughout the year. Furthermore, this
creates an overall classroom environment that is welcoming, safe for everyone
and conducive to learning.
At
the start of the school year, before introducing the already created syllabus,
I lead students through a discussion surrounding the question, “What do you
think should and should not be allowed in this classroom and why?” This helped
to provide the students a hand in establishing behavior expectations for the
learning environment and garner buy-in for the classroom guidelines once they
were presented. To start, the classroom was setup in a horseshoe, and I played
the hook of Queen Latifah’s hip-hop rap U.N.I.T.Y. I explained to students that
our seating arrangement signified unity. “We are all here together. Everyone in
here is polite, and we treat each person in this room with respect and dignity.
We are like a family. Together we stand, and divided we will always fall.”
Next,
I provided a list of what I considered the bare essentials, and then, through
thoughtful discussion about the logic and rationale for each expectation, we
worked together to further set parameters. During the discussion, things began
to get a little noisy. I stood in front of the classroom and in my Michael Jackson voice began to say, “I love you. I love you more…” This stunned the
students, but it was my signal for getting their attention. The funny thing is,
I never had to teach the students the signal or how to respond to it, they just
turned around and sat quietly with their eyes on me. On one occasion, several
students responded, “We love you more,” which triggered a little smile. In
previous years, I would say, “One, two, three, like Tupac, all eyes on me.” It
was effective, but I think saying, “I love you,” helps to instill genuine
rapport with and among students. After all, students want to know that you care
before they want to learn what you know. Not to mention, students have never
been very good listeners, but they have always been good imitators of what they
see. Setting the example is important.
It was equally important to establish parameters for learning
expectations. I began by reviewing the course description and Year-At-A-Glance
with students in order to outline what students were expected to learn at
various points of the year. Next, I administered a learning styles and skills assessment
to students and helped them to analyze their results. This step helped students
to anticipate their learning needs, what was to come later in the school year,
and enabled them to track their own progress.
The most common problem new students in my classes have
had is that their study skills are not adequate for higher level classes.
Obviously studying for classes involves more than just "cramming the night
before a test." Therefore, I
reviewed a section of the syllabus with students labeled “How to Pass.” After
reading this section with the students, I told them, “Investing in education is
an investment in their personal and professional development. Embarking on the
path to higher learning is an investment, which will pay off in personal
achievement and expanded opportunities.” I continued, "Remember that no
one has the right to interfere with the learning of another." Next, I discussed
“How to Fail,” and informed students that the examples noted in this section would
ensure that they fail and must repeat the class for a second time. Aside from
occasional deviations into “out of bounds” territory, most students have remained
“in bounds” with what has been expected of them.
Often times, when it comes to setting parameters,
teachers will neglect to set expectations for parents. After reviewing the
course syllabus with students, I require them to take it home to their parents
for review and signatures on the Parent-Student Contract, which confirmed their
commitment to the course. The purpose of the contract is to provide information
to parents and students, alongside facilitating students’ success in an
academically challenging course. I reiterate the information in the syllabus
during Back-to-School Night with those that are present. Providing this
information to parents and explaining how to be involved in their child’s
education has helped to eliminate conflict later in the year. Though some
parents were not completely comfortable with relinquishing authority over their
children. I explained to them that I treat all students as if they were my very
own children, and I defined parental behavior parameters in order to help them
understand what this transitional role will look like. I even provided parents
with interview questions about their expectations for the course and their
children. Clearly outlining what was expected of parents and gaining their input
with regard to their children, also helped to bridge the communication gap with parents
who had been less responsive or involved during previous years of their children’s
schooling.
Suggested
Citation
Tolliver, A. R.
(2016). Establishing Parameters. [Education Project Online]. Retrieved online at http://www.educationprojectonline.com/2017/04/establishing-parameters.html.
References
Boynton, M., & Boynton, C. (2005). The educator's guide to preventing and
solving discipline problems. Alexandria, VA: Association for Supervision
and Curriculum Development.
Emmer, E. T.,
Evertson, C. M., & Worsham, M. E. (2003). Classroom management for secondary teachers (6th ed.). Boston:
Allyn and Bacon.
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