Classroom Rules and Consequences

To ensure a more positive and controlled classroom, teachers must start the year off right by making a set of classroom rules.  But they must also set known consequences for breaking those rules and rewards for following the rules.

1. Classroom management is key for maintaining a good classroom environment.  Classroom rules must be set, enforced, and modeled throughout the year.  Teachers must be specific in setting their rules and they must also be good models for those rules.

2. To be an effective classroom teacher, you must create standards for student behavior.  This includes guidelines for classroom rules which involve using positive and negative consequences for behavior. (Be sure to look at these links.)  Another component of effectiveness in the classroom is knowing the responsibilities of you the teacher as well as the responsibilities of the students.

3. Sometimes students don't want to follow the rules you have set for the classroom, so you must be enforcing school rules to let the students know you mean business. Otherwise, problems will arise and you must then deal with those problems in different ways. (This is is a long paper.  You can read it all if you want to or you can scroll down to the section on enforcing school rules.)

4. In the curriculum article concerning effective classroom management, you can see many examples of rewards and consequences to use with your students.  This will aid you in achieving a good learning environment and more well behaved students.

5. When making rules, teachers need rules for making rules.  In this article, you will receive many useful and important guidelines that will help you as a teacher set and implement rules in your classroom.

6. For more information on classroom management and rules, you can purchase helpful material by Lee Canter at the Canter Center.  Here you can find many books with more in depth information on how to uphold a good classroom environment and have good classroom behavior.

7. If you would like to test your knowledge of classroom management, take Amanda Ketchum's quiz    and see how much you know!