The Rules

I've been thinking a lot about rules lately. I've got two in my room: Work hard. Be nice. At the start of every year, my students argue with me that there's should be more than two rules. "What about no pushing? Or put your name on your paper? What about raise your hand to talk?" They usually rattle off about ten more before I challenge that all of their examples can fit under one of my two rules. We organize their ideas into the two categories--raising your hand to talk fits under Be nice. Writing your name at the top of your paper? That's definitely a Work hard. After a while, my students get the hang of it.

I don't think there's a wrong or right answer to how many rules a teacher should have in his or her classroom. For me, I like having two. It's easy to remember and funnel any action or conversation into a lesson about working hard or being nice. I got the idea from a second grade teacher at my old school. She had the rules posted right in the front of her class in big block letters--no exclamation points, just periods at the end. Work hard. Be nice. I remember walking by her class on the first day of school and thinking, She's summed it up in two short sentences. What else is there? I mean, really. The simplicity of these two rules just makes sense in a classroom setting, where you're learning a million different things at once.

I do, however, include a million and one expectations in my room. Expectations are different from rules because they don't deal with right and wrong. They are there to ensure efficiency and growth in the classroom. And yes, a sense of order as well. Some expectations even go beyond classroom management. Expectations serve as teaching tools for manners, character, and citizenship. 

One of the best books I've ever read about rules and expectations is called The Essential 55 by Ron Clark. He's a personal hero of mine (see Ron Clark Revelations or Hit 'Em with the Old Song and Dance) and I've had the pleasure of not only meeting him but observing him teach in his classroom as well. Mr. Clark wrote The Essential 55 using the term "rules," but I'd argue that many of them are really "expectations." He explains his reasoning for each and every one, proving that his rules are meant for more than classroom management. He began his teaching career in Harlem but is now running a non-profit school in Atlanta, Georgia, called the Ron Clark Academy. His rules, or expectations, aren't just for the students in the inner city--they apply to us all! I highly suggest reading it--it made me straighten up in my chair and shape up some of my own bad habits!