Early in the school year, teachers ask students to think about what their hopes and dreams are for the school year. Once these hopes and dreams have been articulated by the students, teachers ask students what rules they think they will need to establish in the classroom to help everyone achieve their hopes and dreams. The rules are developed to help support the hopes and dreams of their classroom community.
In many classrooms, students and teachers work together to create rules for their classroom that will help them reach the hopes and dreams they have set for themselves. By creating the rules as a class, this helps students to feel that their ideas are included and helps them to recognize that it is each of their responsibilities to help keep the members of the classroom community safe.
Teachers discuss with students that everyone has a right to feel safe with their feelings and in their bodies. Rules cover care for ourselves (self-respect), care for each other (respect), and caring for the world around us (care for materials, equipment, furniture, belongings, etc.) The rules are described in a way that states the desired behavior in positive terms such as “Keep your hands, feet, objects, and negative comments to yourself” instead of “Don’t put your hands on others”.
The teachers work to help students implement these rules by continuously reinforcing the rules and reminding the students of the rules, as well as redirecting students when needed.
Home Connection: Have you ever thought to include your children in creating household rules? Have your child brainstorm rules that they think are important to help keep them safe in their house and that will help them to reach some of the hopes and dreams they have set for themselves. By trying to connect rulemaking with hopes and dreams, it helps children to see how rules will actually help us to reach our hopes and dreams. When we involve our children in the process of rulemaking, it can help to create a feeling in a child that their thoughts and ideas are important.
In many classrooms, students and teachers work together to create rules for their classroom that will help them reach the hopes and dreams they have set for themselves. By creating the rules as a class, this helps students to feel that their ideas are included and helps them to recognize that it is each of their responsibilities to help keep the members of the classroom community safe.
Teachers discuss with students that everyone has a right to feel safe with their feelings and in their bodies. Rules cover care for ourselves (self-respect), care for each other (respect), and caring for the world around us (care for materials, equipment, furniture, belongings, etc.) The rules are described in a way that states the desired behavior in positive terms such as “Keep your hands, feet, objects, and negative comments to yourself” instead of “Don’t put your hands on others”.
The teachers work to help students implement these rules by continuously reinforcing the rules and reminding the students of the rules, as well as redirecting students when needed.
Home Connection: Have you ever thought to include your children in creating household rules? Have your child brainstorm rules that they think are important to help keep them safe in their house and that will help them to reach some of the hopes and dreams they have set for themselves. By trying to connect rulemaking with hopes and dreams, it helps children to see how rules will actually help us to reach our hopes and dreams. When we involve our children in the process of rulemaking, it can help to create a feeling in a child that their thoughts and ideas are important.