I want my students to understand that everyone's opinions and thoughts are valid. During group discussions, I would like for students to take turns speaking because they want to hear what their classmates are saying. This means they will raise their hands in certain whole group instruction times unless said otherwise. Students will keep their hands to themselves so they do not hurt others, or make them feel uncomfortable. I will ensure that students learn to ask before hugging or touching their peers. While I am teaching, I want students to listen, but also feel comfortable sharing their thoughts or answers. Therefore, if I let students share openly, they do not need to raise their hands. There will be clear expectations during quiet times, like independent work time. I will set reminders often and give five-minute warnings between transitions. 

The most important norm set in my classroom will be respect and appreciation for the people in our classroom. If students do not respect their classmates, there will be a consequence and a conversation between myself and the hurt student. Homework or other assignments will be expected to be turned in while at school. I will not expect my students to take home their work and bring it back. These documents will be turned into a designated place in the classroom (turn-in box). I want students to be curious and enjoy the exploration of learning. So, I will make sure that students have opportunities to ask questions to each other and myself. 

In my future classroom, I will make sure that both myself and the students participate in creating our class norms. We will create a class contract-like document that includes the behaviors we want to see, and the ways we want to feel in the classroom. After creating the contract, all students and I will sign the contract. I will start by asking students the ways they want to feel in the classroom, and then we will create behaviors that connect to these feelings. These behaviors are good examples of how we can ensure that students are following the contract. Then, if students are struggling with classroom relationships or rules, I can remind them of the contract that we all created and signed. This way, students have accountability, as well as learn how their actions affect those around them.

At the beginning of the year, I will encourage families to fill out a get-to-know-me form that includes students' expectations and habits at home. I want families to tell me what their children like and dislike when it comes to consequences. I will also have a section where families can tell me anything about their children. This section will be meant to share any interests or quirks. This information will help me greatly when creating my classroom expectations. Each group of new students will bring a new set of behaviors and personalities. Therefore, this prior information will be helpful for me and will make families feel that they are included. 

As stated previously, our class will create a classroom contract that includes students' feelings in the classroom, as well as subsequent behavior. I will send this contract to families so they can also speak with their children about these expectations and hopefully follow some of them in their homes. This way, when conferences come along, if students are doing well with the contract or are struggling to follow the expectations, they already have context. Hopefully, this consistency will benefit students behavior both in the classroom and at home.

Consequences in the classroom will start with a conversation. Depending on the behavior, the consequences will be different. For example, if students are hurting themselves or one another, this is serious and this student will be expected to have a conversation with me where we will discuss how their behaviors affect their classmates. If students are showing rude, or disrespectful behavior, I will ask students to rephrase what they said into something nice. Typically, when students show unwanted behaviors, something deeper is the cause. This means that instead of blaming the child immediately, I would rather them talk through their thoughts and feelings. These conversations could branch into personal goals that I set for students throughout the year. Especially with kindergarteners, I find that they are unaware of the effect that they have on their peers. This makes it much easier for me to converse with students about their behavior rather than taking something away that is unrelated to the behavior. 

I like to give students clear expectations before giving them tools like dice, scissors, markers, etc. This way, it is fresh in students' memory. If students continuously do not respond to reminders and demonstrations of how to use the tools, they may need to take a break and try something else until they are ready. I never want to keep a student from working, so completing their work with other tools is another effective option. 

I find that individual rewards only work for a very small, select group of students. They do not work for everyone. Group rewards, like classroom goals, are much more effective because they keep students accountable while also building a team mentality. This also means that taking away anything is not effective. When class progress is taken away or deterred students will become disengaged and care much less about their behavior. When the goals focus on giving and praising, students find them much more enjoyable. 

Individual student reward systems are not always effective. Some students will benefit from them for a few weeks, but then the excitement fades, especially when prizes or points are taken away. These students realize that they will always lose points and so the prize at the end doesn't matter. The select students that rewards do work for will always find this form of behavior management effective. They will not lose interest, but we must change the prizes or form of reward system to keep the students engaged. With these students, changing their personal goals is also useful in progressing students' behavioral development.