Rules & Consequences

The classroom rules will be decided by each class at the beginning of the school year

and reviewed each quarter for modification (or upon an incident that demands a revision).

These rules will most likely consist of respect for one another, participation or consistent

effort, and acts of courtesy (such as raising your hand). Many school rules, such as anti-

bullying policies, will most likely find their way into these student-created sets of rules.

However, some rules that may not end up in the students’ class rules may be more technical,

such as always wearing your I.D. At the end of the initial discussion of class rules, I’ll be sure

to go over school rules that we’ve missed and will still apply in our classroom.

Consequences for the violation of classroom rules will be part of a four-step process.

Any behavioral issues are first addressed individually and privately with the student after

class. The teacher and the student will honestly and respectfully share their perspectives on

the situation and create a plan of action. Next, any further incidents will be addressed in a

similar manner, giving the student and teacher one more chance to find what didn’t work in

the last plan of action and fix it. The third step is when parents become involved via email,

and upon further issues or request of the parents a phone/in-person conference can be

scheduled. If the situation continues to escalate, administration will be involved as a fourth

and final step. This four-step process is a common behavioral plan that is most likely to fall

in line with school and district policies of handling issues within the classroom, involving

parents, and then involving administration.

As I remind students of district/school policies upon their development of classroom

rules, I’ll introduce a couple of rules they might have missed. I’m assuming they’re more

likely to focus on how they treat one another than their learning experience, so I’m going to

suggest a rule that states how students and the teacher will do their best to inform one another

of any needs so the students’ learning can flourish. This rule reminds me to consistently be
looking out for signs of diverse needs, as well as encourages diverse learners to talk to me

about their needs.

My philosophy views education as a quest for knowledge in which students are

explorers and I am a guide. Parents offer an emotional and social example, while the

students’ communities play a supplemental role offering resources and opportunities for

application. My rules and consequences are developed by entire classroom, so students are

exploring their ideal behavioral plan. I guide students through the process, even presenting

some ideas they might have missed and offering them access to their community’s (the

school or district’s) rules. Parents should ideally portray an example of and encourage this

agreed upon behavior.