How to Make Classroom Rules Pupils Will Actually Follow (Tips From Veteran Teachers)

When it comes time to set up your very first classroom, it’s tempting to start mounting your classroom rules posters to get ahead of the game. After all, you want to ensure the procedures and expectations are easy for primary pupils to spot and follow from day one.

Hold on a second! Save that wall space!

Don’t get us wrong — every community needs rules to thrive, and that includes your classroom community. You will need classroom rules to guide learning and set expectations.

But in their many years in the classroom, every member of the Teach Starter teaching team has come to the same conclusion: The best classroom rules really are the ones you create with your pupils. You likely know what kind of rules you need in place for the classroom to run smoothly, but guiding children through discussions and questioning to create a solid list of rules enables you to get their buy-in. Suddenly the rules feel like they are your pupils’ idea, rather than a draconian list of mandates from the teacher.

So how do you write classroom rules with your pupils? And perhaps even more importantly, how do you build a classroom environment where children actually follow the rules?

The teachers on our team have put their heads together to create a guide that will make drafting classroom rules with your class simple and effective. Read on to find out how to create good rules, see some examples of rules from teachers on our team and find out how to create good consequences to use when rules are broken.

Why Pupils Should Write Your Classroom Rules

Writing classroom rules with pupils may sound a bit like allowing the fox to wander into the henhouse. We promise we aren’t trying to trick you or destroy your behaviour management plans! Working with your pupils to write classroom rules fosters ownership and supports the collaborative learning process.

When pupils work together with you to draft a list of rules, they are:

• Seeing that you value their thoughts and opinions. This lays the foundation for a strong teacher-pupil relationship.
• Flexing their critical thinking muscles. You can use this chance to observe your new pupils’ problem-solving skills.
• Experiencing collaboration with their classmates. Especially when it’s done early in the school year, this can help foster that sense of community in your classroom.
• Finding their place within the classroom community. Creating their own rules provides pupils with a chance to feel a connection to those rules and the ways that they work to make the classroom a safe and positive space to learn. This makes it much more likely that they will follow them.

What Are Good Classroom Rules? 4 Criteria to Consider

What makes a good classroom rule sounds like it could be subjective — what works for a KS2 classroom won’t work in a year 6 classroom, after all. But educational researchers have dug into this issue, and they say there are some specific things to keep in mind.

Before you — or your pupils — dive into rule creation, it’s best to set some parameters. This will set everyone up for success. The best classroom rules are:

• Specific. Classroom rules can be creative, but at the end of the day, you don’t want pupils to have much wiggle room when you’re trying to enforce them. For example, a rule like ‘Do not be mean’ is vague and leaves a lot open to interpretation. Instead, a rule like ‘Treat others the way you would like to be treated’ is specific and provides clear guidelines for pupils. The more specific a rule, the easier it will be for children to follow.
• Consistent. This is something you often hear when it comes to rule enforcement, but it should be true of the rules themselves as well. When rules seem to be contradictory or they don’t work together toward the same end goal, it causes frustration for pupils and makes it harder for the teacher to enforce.
• Positive (When Possible). Forget what they told you at university — research shows most teacher training still tells new teachers to devise strict rules and consequences for misbehaviour. But the veteran teachers will tell you it just doesn’t work!
• Tied to Consequences. When American researchers from Saint Mary’s College of California and the University of Cincinnati conducted an empirical review of research into classroom rules, they found that the most effective guidelines laid out by teachers were tied to consequences. Those could be negative or positive consequences, according to the researchers, but either way, understanding the ramifications of not abiding by your rules is important.

Rather than a list of instructions that says what pupils shouldn’t do, make sure your list includes examples of what pupils should do. For example, instead of ‘No calling out,’ a rule might be written as ‘Wait to be called on before speaking out in class.’

 

How to Write Classroom Rules With Your Pupils

Now that you have the why, let’s talk about the how! Writing classroom rules can be a fairly simple process, even when you’re involving small children.

Discuss rules as a class

Let your class know that you would like them to help you write this year’s classroom rules, and open the topic up for discussion.

Some helpful things to keep in mind to give your discussion shape and keep children on track:

• Come prepared with a list of topics you would like your classroom rules to include such as ‘kindness’ or ‘respect’ OR work as a class to create a list of topics that are important to have rules about in a classroom.
• Brainstorm ways that pupils could make each of these topics come to life in the classroom. For example, what are some ways to behave kindly to your classmates? What are some behaviours that are unkind to our classmates?

Draft rules in groups

Once you have a strong list of behaviours, break pupils into small groups. Assign each group one or several behaviours, and challenge them to create a rule or several rules that might address those behaviours.

Finalise the rules

Call the class back together after pupils have had time to work in their small groups. Ask a representative of each group to present one or all of the rules they have drafted. Write the rules out on your whiteboard.

After the final group has presented, discuss the list of rules on your whiteboard as a class, and narrow it down to a core list of classroom rules together.

A good rule of thumb: Limit your total list of rules to around 5. When you add too many rules, it becomes too much for pupils.

Once you have your pupils’ final list of rules, you may notice some important issues have yet to be addressed. This is a good time to bring up those topics and make sure you get pupil buy-in on any late additions to your list of classroom expectations and guidelines.

How to Teach Classroom Rules

Once you have your classroom rules set in stone, it’s time to start working with pupils to help them get acclimated. In fact, the research shows that one of the MOST important things about classroom rules is actually teaching them to your pupils!

Get ready — this is going to take some time.

Here’s how the teachers on our team teach classroom rules:

1. Go over the rules one by one.
2. Practice the rules until you’re tired of hearing them! You’re going to feel like a broken record, but trust us — it’s worth it to keep teaching those rules! The key is to make it fun. Games like behaviour charades, thumbs up/thumbs down expectation sorting, and How to Walk Like a … help pupils get better acquainted with your rules and expectations. Morning meeting time is the perfect chance to review your rules and integrate procedure activities.
3. Provide positive reinforcement. When rules are followed, celebrate! Keep track of rule-following with a classroom reward chart and provide rewards that motivate pupils to stick to the rules.

How to Create Good Consequences

In addition to a set of rules, pupils need to know what sort of consequences they will face should they fail to follow those rules or meet your expectations. Knowing that consequences are fair and given consistently can help you deter misbehaviour, allowing you to spend less time on redirection and more time on curriculum.

Be prepared — those consequences need to be at the ready when you do need to use them, and you can’t be afraid to dole them out. Children need to know you mean business and that you will consistently respond to misbehaviour equally and fairly.

• Make sure the consequence matches the behaviour.
• Ensure your consequences are reasonable and that pupils will be able to use them as a learning experience.
• Allow pupils to retain their dignity by redirecting misbehaviour privately, rather than in full view of a classroom full of peers.
• Use consequences as part of a larger behaviour management strategy (not as the strategy itself!)

A Final Word

Writing classroom rules with your class can help prevent behaviour issues, but they’re not a one-and-done matter. Pupils will need support along the way to be reminded of your expectations and sometimes need to be corrected when crossing a line.

The more your pupils feel responsible for their behaviour and understand your classroom expectations, the easier this part of your classroom management strategy will be.

Explore more ideas and teacher resources for teaching classroom rules!

Banner image via Shutterstock/Kristen Prahl