When Children Make Rules
Obviously, children and adults are not equals. However, when the adult respects the child as a person with a right to exercise his or her will, their relationship has a certain psychological equality that promotes autonomy. (DeVries, 1999; DeVries & Edmiaston, 1999; DeVries & Kohlberg, 1987/1990).
On the classroom wall I see the rules posted on an anchor chart and inquired about them, the whole class participated on the first day of school in coming up with the rules they would like to have in their classroom and then developed consequences if they did not follow those rules. This gives the students the ability to establish logical rules that are within reach, that a student can follow without it being too difficult to follow a certain rule. This also helps the teacher in giving the students that feeling that their teacher isn’t too strict or that she doesn’t care.
Classroom Procedures
A safe, secure atmosphere often provides students with the motivation and rationale to compete with those peer pressures that oppose behaviors conductive to learning (Jones and Jones, 2012).
Procedures are routines that call for specified behaviors at particular times or during particular activities (Levin and Nolan, pg. 155).
Peer pressure among students is what gets other students in trouble during class, establishing procedures can help minimize this. One of the procedures established in the classroom that I was able to witness several times was during the fire drills. The students knew exactly what to do without being told, they had to quickly, silently line up and exit through the doors and to the designated area and one student is in charge or holding up a number card. Then all the students are to face the opposite direction of the school in a straight line until an announcement is made for further instructions. This ensures safety and accountability of the students if they follow this procedure with accuracy. Another procedure in place is the pencils, how many pencils does a student grow through in class? You’ll be amazed it’s one whole packet in a week. Near the pencil sharpener are two popcorn holders one marked unsharpened and one marked sharped. This is in place so no one gets up during class to use the sharpener and disrupt the class and class instruction time is not wasted. I know in some schools students are required to have five sharpened pencils at all times in their box so they don’t cut into classroom time trying to sharpen a pencil. Of course this is only ideal for the students that can afford to have pencils at all times in their pencil box.
Obviously, children and adults are not equals. However, when the adult respects the child as a person with a right to exercise his or her will, their relationship has a certain psychological equality that promotes autonomy. (DeVries, 1999; DeVries & Edmiaston, 1999; DeVries & Kohlberg, 1987/1990).
On the classroom wall I see the rules posted on an anchor chart and inquired about them, the whole class participated on the first day of school in coming up with the rules they would like to have in their classroom and then developed consequences if they did not follow those rules. This gives the students the ability to establish logical rules that are within reach, that a student can follow without it being too difficult to follow a certain rule. This also helps the teacher in giving the students that feeling that their teacher isn’t too strict or that she doesn’t care.
Classroom Procedures
A safe, secure atmosphere often provides students with the motivation and rationale to compete with those peer pressures that oppose behaviors conductive to learning (Jones and Jones, 2012).
Procedures are routines that call for specified behaviors at particular times or during particular activities (Levin and Nolan, pg. 155).
Peer pressure among students is what gets other students in trouble during class, establishing procedures can help minimize this. One of the procedures established in the classroom that I was able to witness several times was during the fire drills. The students knew exactly what to do without being told, they had to quickly, silently line up and exit through the doors and to the designated area and one student is in charge or holding up a number card. Then all the students are to face the opposite direction of the school in a straight line until an announcement is made for further instructions. This ensures safety and accountability of the students if they follow this procedure with accuracy. Another procedure in place is the pencils, how many pencils does a student grow through in class? You’ll be amazed it’s one whole packet in a week. Near the pencil sharpener are two popcorn holders one marked unsharpened and one marked sharped. This is in place so no one gets up during class to use the sharpener and disrupt the class and class instruction time is not wasted. I know in some schools students are required to have five sharpened pencils at all times in their box so they don’t cut into classroom time trying to sharpen a pencil. Of course this is only ideal for the students that can afford to have pencils at all times in their pencil box.