Applying Classroom Rules and Procedures

Introduction 

When applying my rules and procedures for my classroom in the future, one of my biggest tasks will be staying consistent with consequences. These consequences can be both positive and negative but as a teacher I need to focus on being consistent with all of my students. My first test of this will come in the spring when I do my student teaching for elementary aged children. I have experience working with children under the age of five but I do not have experience with groups of children who are older. I have approaches that I use but I also have other ideas that I will list below pertaining to positive reinforcement and students not meeting rules and procedures. 

Positive Reinforcement 

One of the most important things I can do as a teacher is show how much I value my students following the rules and procedures in the classroom. I plan to do this as a class and individually. I want my students to know that I can see how they are performing in the classroom as a group and by themselves. 

Examples and Application

1. Using verbal and non-verbal acknowledgement
• If I see that my students are doing something great then I plan to tell them. A couple of things I plan on implementing are:
• Praise ("Great job!", "Fantastic!", "Keep up the great work everyone!", "I'm so proud of you", "Thank you!") and changing my tone when giving the praise. 
• Nonverbal (Smile, nods, high fives, thumbs up) 
2. Using tangible recognition when appropriate. 
• This can directly be tied in with my rules and procedures project a couple of weeks ago when I displayed an example of how to track behavior. I used a chart in the front of the room with popsicle sticks. This same concept can be applied for rewarding good behavior with tangible rewards such as prizes, stickers or a group activity. 
3. Involve the home. 
• One of the biggest take aways that I took from my professor this week was her example in sending a letter in the mail to one student a week who had excellent behavior. This really struck me as a great idea especially with elementary aged students. I think it is vital to include parents and let them know how great their child is doing. 
• Specific examples I could use would be phone calls home, emails, notes sent home and the letter sent in the mail. 

Not Meeting Rules and Procedures 

One key factor to consider with students is that not everyone is perfect. Everyone has off days and there are times that students (and adults for that matter) act out when they have other aspects of their lives that are causing stress. This however is not an excuse to act out or break rules. With that being said, as a teacher I will do my best to be as patient as possible, but I know there will be days I might need to have steps in place for a situation that gets out of control. I have listed some strategies I can implement for students who are not meeting rules and procedures below. 

Strategies and Implementation 

1. Be with-it. 
• One of the biggest things as a teacher that I need to do is be aware of my classroom and everyone in it. After the year begins and I have started to get to know each of my students, I should then be very aware of any signs that problems will be occurring. I will also need to have an understanding about what is going on with my students outside of the classroom. 
• Stimulus cueing: If there is a student that I know is prone to certain behaviors during class that are disruptive, I need to be able to form a certain cue for that student so that it does not disrupt the class. Some examples of this could be tapping the desk as I walk by, maybe a shake of my head with eye contact, or marking a note that students desk. 
• Noticing potential problems and confronting the behavior: In terms of being aware of my class, I also need to be aware of anything out of the ordinary in terms of behavior. Once I notice this, I will need to address it right away to avoid the behavior from continuing. 
2. Using direct-cost consequences: Examples of this are time time out and overcorrection. 
• Time-out: Since I am working with younger children I do believe a time out is appropriate for students who need to take a break. I plan to have a designated area in my classroom where a student can go sit until they are ready to participate appropriately again. 
• Overcorrection: When a student acts out and does something to damage the classroom then having the student fix it is definitely going to happen in my classroom. This can also be applied to emotional outbursts and hitting. I want to make sure the student has time to think about what was wrong with what they did but I also want them to fix it. 
3. Involve the home. 
• If I notice that the behavior of my students who are acting out and not following rules is not improving then I think it is wise to include the parents. This can include a meeting with the parents, a meeting with the parents and the student, a note home, a phone call home and/or inviting the parents to come observe a class. 

Strategy for High Intensity Situations 

Part of handling behavior in the classroom is also being prepared for situations where a student might not respond to the approaches listed above. If a student loses control then as a teacher I need to be prepared with a strategy to resolve the situation. The first thing I can do in a situation like this is to recognize that the student is out of control. Once I do that then I take a step back and make sure I am calm. If the student is able to speak then I will listen and try to come up with a plan of action. The overall goal is to handle the situation in a calm manner. 

Diagram for Decisions to Reinforce Rules and Procedures