Identify and briefly discuss at least seven suggestions for designing and implementing classroom rules.

Question

What will be an ideal response?

Answer 1

Ans: Answers should include seven of the following 10 suggestions.
• Develop rules at the beginning of the school year. Classroom rules should be established the first day of school and should be discussed with the students periodically throughout the year.
• If appropriate, involve students in developing the rules. Depending on their age and sophistication, students should participate in developing the rules. Those who have participated in creating rules are more likely to willingly adhere to them than students who have rules imposed.
• The behavior in the rule should be observable and measurable. Rules are similar to behavioral objectives in that the behavior described should be capable of being observed and measured.
• Rules should be stated in positive terms. Stating the rules in positive terms provides students with a list of behaviors they should exhibit rather than behaviors they should not.
• The number of rules should not exceed five. Teachers should keep the number of rules to a minimum because they will be easier for the students to remember and easier for the teacher to enforce.
• Demonstrate examples and nonexamples of the rules. Many students, especially those with disabilities, need explicit examples and nonexamples of how the behavior stated in the rules looks and sounds like in various contexts.
• Rules should be posted in the classroom. Posting the rules serves as a reminder to students and the teacher. In addition, the teacher can refer to the rule chart easily when reminding the students about the rules or reviewing them for potential revision.
• The consequences for keeping or breaking rules should be well defined and understood by each student. Identifying and communicating to students the consequences of rule breaking and rule keeping is critical.
• Teachers must deliver consequences consistently for keeping or breaking the rules. In the development stage, teachers need to consider how they are going to consistently deliver the consequences for breaking the rules.
• Rules should be reviewed and if necessary revised throughout the school year. Reasons to revise the rules may include observation that a rule is ambiguous, unnecessary, or difficult to enforce.