In our classroom, every student has the right to be in a safe, caring classroom environment where the main goal is learning. Classroom management is a vital part of establishing a positive learning environment. In order to have a safe and positive classroom, the students will adhere to the following expectations. Classroom Expectations, Rules, Procedures and Consequences. Respect yourself, the teacher & others. Put forth your best effort at all times. Be prepared for class each day. § A red or purple pen for grading in class or underlining important elements in note taking. § A planner to help. Good classroom expectations — not classroom rules — involve students in setting up the structure of a class. Classroom expectations set the tone for your class, creating a blueprint that guides the way both you and your students behave. How To Set Up Classroom Expectations. Set up classroom expectations on the first day of class, and do it with your students. Creating classroom expectations as a class is important because it gives students ownership of their learning and makes them. In my opinion, the most important part of class rules is that they are valued and lived by the teacher, truthfully, in his or her own life. These rules should be meaningful and reinforced often, not just hung up on the wall and left to collect dust. They should be created in the classroom with the kids, not forced upon them. The kids should sign the rules document posted in the classroom. Preschool Classroom Rules and Expectations Pre-K Classroom Rules. And don’t even get me started on words like obey and responsible, those words are even more. Using Rules with Visual Picture Cues. You’ll have the most success getting your students to follow the rules if you use.

With teachers at all levels of education around the country continuing to teach many, if not all, of their classes in a virtual environment, they’re quickly adapting to this new online learning environment and the benefits and challenges it brings. One important best practice that many are adopting relates to virtual classroom rules and expectations.

While, in many ways, virtual classroom rules and expectations are not much different than expectations instructors have of students in the physical classroom, it’s important to be explicit about the rules to ensure student compliance and to set the stage for a positive learning environment. Here we take a look at some common virtual classroom rules and expectations being established at both the K-12 and higher-ed levels.

At the K-12 level, both students and their parents should be involved when communicating expectations of online learning and virtual classrooms, ranging from suggestions for the best environment for learning to rules of engagement.

Sarah Miller, ateacher and blogger, says: “One important rule for kids to remember when they are attending online classes is to treat their home like a public space,” says Miller. “Everyone in the class can see what’s on their camera.” Students, she says, should dress as they would if they were coming to school physically. “They should try to find a place that has minimal distractions in the background and minimal background noise,” she says. Importantly, they need to understand that the class can see everything that their camera can see.

Since technology is such an integral part of the online learning experience, teachers also need to ensure that students (and parents) are comfortable with the technology.

Taking classes online has been new for many students, especially those at the K-12 level. It’s important, says Miller, for students to know how to use the technology that is being used and to follow whatever norms might be in place with the technology.

For instance, she says: “I like to mute all the kids’ microphones during the lesson, and only unmute one child at a time when they are answering or asking a question.” This, she says, helps students understand how to mute and unmute their own microphones. They should also learn how to type a question or answer in the chat box, she says. “ It helps for kids to understand how to mute and unmute their microphone and type a question or answer in the chat box, so that they can participate fully in the lessons. “If kids are too young to do these things on their own, parents should be nearby and paying attention to the lesson so that they can help out,” Miller suggests.

And, while common rules of courtesy may seem obvious, teachers should be explicit about their expectations for engagement in virtual classrooms.

It’s important to establish clear expectations for virtual classrooms, says Margaret Choi, who is an SEO manager and teacher atCodeWizardsHQ, where she teaches all of her classes virtually to students age 8-18. These will vary based on student age, she says.

“Every class is different, but general ground rules of being respectful of me and each other and not talking over each other. I ask students to put their listening ears on and focus in.” With younger students, she says, mics are kept on mute, and “we stay locked in our seats.” Students are asked to use the raise hands feature in Zoom if they have questions.

With older students, mics and cameras are left on to encourage participation. But, she says, there’s “no playing around with annotations or drawing on the screen; some kids provide helpful annotations and that is welcome.” What’s nice, she says, is “I can easily stop any speaking out of turn or messing with the presentation with a simple click.”

In addition, she says, she asks students to use their real names. Anticipating and preparing for the kinds of issues that can lead to disruption, up front, can make it easier to manage unexpected situations that occur when teaching in virtual classrooms.

Things can go wrong in a virtual environment and Choi recommends preparing students for the unexpected up front. “I give them a warning up front on what to do if I ever disappear,” she says. “First don’t panic! I will be back, promise. I’m not actually gone, or I will send someone in to help.”

There are some virtual classroom rules and expectations that transcend age and grade or level in school. Managing surroundings, knowing how to use the technology, and basic rules of engagement, for instance.

At the higher-ed level, and even in more advanced grades in K-12, instructors should involve students in creating ground rules for the virtual classroom. This involvement will help them feel more ownership and responsibility for adhering to the guidelines and may also lead to expectations that the instructor hadn’t thought of. Some areas of potential discussion to help create explicit expectations for virtual classrooms and online learning might include:

• Keeping cameras on unless the student has received explicit permission to not do so; the ability to use backgrounds, and to blur out backgrounds can help in situations where students may have concerns about privacy or other issues.
• Students should be attentive and prepared to respond to a question at any time during the class period.
• When to use the chat feature, versus asking a question out loud; what types of questions should be raised via chat versus out loud?
• How should annotation, emoticons and stickers be used, if at all, when the professor or others are presenting?
• Expectations for interacting in breakout rooms; instructors should clearly indicate that they will be “popping in” to these rooms randomly to check on student progress and respond to any questions, for instance.
• What is, or what may not be, appropriate to share when screen sharing.

Students aren’t the only ones who should be expected to follow certain guidelines and meet expectations for engaging during online classes—instructors should also commit to following the same expectations, and any others that students may recommend.

While every situation and virtual classroom is different, and needs will vary based on age, grade level, and course content or type of course, what’s most important is making expectations clear and explicit at the outset, while also leaving the door open for additional virtual classroom rules and expectations to be raised throughout the course.

It’s a shared learning experience for all of us. Flexibility and a commitment from all to contribute to a positive learning environment will help to make virtual learning as positive and engaging as possible.

January 14, 2019

By: Chandra Williams, Ed.D., Chief Executive Officer

Imagine you are a mechanic… Today is your first day on the job. You arrive at work around 7:30 a.m. and your boss orders you to your designated workstation with almost no direction. You know that as a mechanic your job is to fix cars, but you do not know how to check-in new customers, where your tools are located, how much time you’ve been allocated for each task, how to finalize a job, and so forth.

Fast forward six months… Your boss still has yet to teach you the rules of the game. You’ve picked up on some key routines and located a handful of tools, but your days aren’t nearly as productive as they should be six months into your new gig. To make matters worse, your boss is now punishing you for not excelling at your job even though he hasn’t given you the tools and knowledge to do well. Often times, this punishment comes as a surprise, with little to no explanation on how you can improve your future performance. Now, not only are your days less productive, but your attitude has taken a turn because you’ve reached a point of frustration.

Unfortunately, this is how far too many students are set up at the beginning of each school year. On the first day of school, students arrive in a new and exciting environment, knowing their primary goal is to learn and grow through their educational experience. As an educator, it is important to start exploring each student’s performance right off the bat; this helps to effectively determine academic and behavioral needs. But it is important to remember that skill sets will vary year to year, and even for the strongest students generalization may be difficult when they first enter the novel environment of a brand new school year.

Teachers often assume that students already possess the academic repertoire that they need to be successful learners. Furthermore, teachers often make the assumption that students already know the rules of their new classroom, or will simply pick them up as the year progresses. This ambiguous method for establishing classroom rules and routines can be a major setback that often leads to additional barriers as the year continues.

Establishing consistent classroom expectations is a key foundational principle of classroom management. Creating clear boundaries and steady routines help students understand what is expected of them throughout each school day. This type of consistency allows students to direct their focus on learning rather than playing the guessing game when it comes to expected behaviors. This approach helps students avoid learning bad habits from each other or wasting valuable time picking up bits and pieces as they go.

Classroom expectations are guidelines put in place to assist students and teachers in maintaining the structure. These guidelines are developed for students to understand what types of behaviors are expected of them throughout the duration of the school day. It also allows teachers to focus more heavily on academics.

Giving students the opportunity to participate in establishing the set of expectations they will be required to adhere to is an essential part of this process, as it will aid in building buy-in and make it more likely that students will practice each behavior appropriately.

When developing classroom expectations, it is important to focus on what both you and your students as a whole view as the necessities that lead to maintaining a consistent and productive classroom structure. When creating expectations, teachers should adhere to key principles in order to prevent an overabundance of guidelines, which can change the classroom dynamic from one focused on learning and academics to one focused on routines and regulations. It is very important the classroom expectations are thorough, specific, and easy to remember.

Classroom expectations provide students with guidelines for appropriate scholarly behavior. Identifying what types of behavior is expected allows students to build their own repertoires of skills and problem-solving approaches. Enhancing this type of constructive skill set will allow students to be more productive and successful within the classroom. Increased rates of success and independence build student confidence, which often results in higher rates of positive performance.

Classroom Rules And Expectations Examples

Similar to the constructive guidance provided by clear classroom expectations, teachers are given direction to provide student feedback. Establishing well-defined expectations for the classroom gives teachers a set of positive behaviors to reinforce. Positive reinforcement increases the frequency of behaviors. If teachers are able to positively reinforce the observable behaviors defined within the classroom expectations, students are more likely to engage in those behaviors. Additionally, this approach encourages educators to focus on positive behaviors rather than punishing less favorable responses.

A classroom without consistent student expectations lacks the necessary structure that students require to be successful. Reliable guidelines allow teachers to closely anticipate student behavior. This type of anticipation makes it possible for teachers to plan for expected barriers as well as focus more heavily on academic needs. While it is often easier to catch students “doing something wrong,” without classroom expectations, teachers are frequently punishing rather than reinforcing behaviors.

Without clearly defined expectations, students are left to figure out for themselves what is considered the right behavior versus the wrong behavior. This takes significant time and is typically learned through error. But by establishing expectations early on, and reviewing them repeatedly, more time can be devoted to teaching and learning.

Expectations should be created to meet the needs of each classroom. They should also be individualized to each specific class, but generalized to all students in the room. Additionally, classroom expectations should be stated positively. This gives the teacher a set of observable behaviors to reinforce. It is important that classroom expectations are stated clearly to minimize ambiguity.

When determining expectations, it is crucial to ensure that each expectation is well-defined, achievable, and necessary to the success of the classroom. The content of classroom expectations should be consistent with the behavioral and academic goals of the school.

Common behavior expectations:

• Raise a quiet hand
• Use appropriate language
• Keep hands and feet to self

Common academic expectations:

• Track with your finger
• Make corrections as you go
• Answer on signal

Classroom Rules And Expectations Letter

Classroom expectations should be taught and practiced in the environment in which they will be applied. The real-life application allows students to learn and generalize the necessary skills to be successful students. Expectations should be taught and reviewed regularly throughout the duration of the school year. It is important for students to continue monitoring their behaviors as the year progresses to minimize backslide. In addition to visually posting expectations throughout the classroom, it is important to frequently review, practice, and discuss these expectations. Often this means a daily review at the start of the school year, cutting back to reviewing a couple times per week as the year progresses. Frequent maintenance helps students master their behavioral skills and ensures long-term retention. There are a variety of strategies to consider when teaching and reviewing classroom expectations. Each strategy provides a different element to successful learning.

Strategies for training

Middle School Classroom Rules List

• TEACH: By starting with a clearly defined expectation, and stating why it is important for student success, teachers can minimize confusion and help build buy-in.
• MODEL: Modeling what each expectation looks like helps students better understand what is expected of them.
• EXAMPLES VS. NON-EXAMPLES: It is just as important for students to understand what resembles an inappropriate response. This allows students to know what positive behavior looks like and what types of behaviors could potentially cause trouble. It is not uncommon for students to engage in inappropriate behaviors due to a lack of understanding or difficulty in distinguishing between appropriate and inappropriate responses.
• PRACTICE: Allowing students the opportunity to practice classroom expectations gives them the chance to engage in appropriate behaviors and facilitates long-term retention.
• REFLECTION: Reflecting on personal behavior gives students the chance to identify positive responses and determine what behaviors to work on.

The goal in any classroom should be to maximize student success through academic and behavioral achievement. This can be done by instituting consistent and reliable classroom expectations and routines. By ensuring that expectations are essential to student success (and achievable with the proper training strategies), teachers can obtain maximum classroom efficiency. Additionally, building strong classroom management helps promote long-term student success. Alleviating stressors, such as common behavioral concerns, within the classroom helps the teacher focus on teaching and the students to focus on learning.

Chandra Williams, Ed.D. has worked in various senior leadership positions such as the state director of curriculum and instruction, chief academic officer, director of second opportunity schools, school turnaround principal, special education teacher, and clinical social worker.

The Center For Student Achievement Solutions provides technical assistance, professional development, and coaching support to create schools and classroom environments that are equitable and inclusive.