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What are social norms/rules?
What are social norms/rules?
Social norms/rules are the guidelines that govern the behavior of a group of people. These norms can either be informal, unspoken rules or explicitly stated ones that are put into writing. Every community has some form of social norms with various taboos and frowned upon behaviors.
Why are social norms/rules important?
Why are social norms/rules important?
Social norms/rules are important in the classroom as they help to make sure everyone is on the same page, make sure everyone is held accountable to the same standards, and make sure everyone stays safe. By being on the same page, I mean there is little to no confusion of what is expected out of a student both behaviorally and academically. All of the social norms I plan on using will be written and picked out by the entire class. It must be entirely clear to everyone what the rules are. I want them to be clear so that I don't unintentionally show bias in how I uphold them from one student to another. The norms must keep everyone safe physically, emotionally, and mentally; this is non-negotiable.
What will be the social norms/rules for our classroom?
What will be the social norms/rules for our classroom?
The text to the right touches on this more, but the social norms/rules will be decided on by the entire class. Due to this, I'm not sure exactly what all of the rules for my future classes will be. However, I have a few that are not up for debate and I feel strongly about. These include, but are not limited to the following: respecting all facets of everyone in the classroom, being open about my teaching strategies, keeping hands to oneself, having inclusive language, and keeping an open mind. 'Be curious, not judgmental' is a strong sentiment that will always be in my social norms as well.
How will the social norms/rules be determined?
How will the social norms/rules be determined?
The social norms/rules will be decided by the entire class through a classroom contract. A classroom contract is a document that an entire classroom drafts detailing the behaviors that will be expected within the learning environment. In my classroom specifically, I believe I'd want to draft two: one for behavior and one for academics. The way that I would do this would be through making small groups and having them draft what they believe should be in the contracts. Then, the whole class would get together and we would go through each group's finding common themes. After we do this, I'd synthesize them and bring final copies in for everyone to sign. I'd want about five items on each contract.
How will students and families know the social norms/rules?
How will students and families know the social norms/rules?
Students will know the social norms/rules through making the contract together, by signing an agreement, and by seeing it hung up in the classroom for the rest of the semester. I believe I'd also want to give them a copy that they can keep for themselves. Along with students signing the contract, I'd also want to have them bring it home and have their guardians sign something that acknowledges they read it as well. By doing this, everyone is on the same page and knows what will be expected in class. On these signed pages could also be consequences for if the items are broken.
What will be the consequences for inappropriate behavior?
What will be the consequences for inappropriate behavior?
Consequences for inappropriate behavior will most likely be decided on by my school's overarching behavioral policy. With that said, I am strongly against punishments and thus the consequences should be fair and focused on growing as a person. Obviously, some things like violence are automatic removals from the classroom for me. Small incidents like swearing or talking over the lesson will be apt for redirection and private conversations. I think speaking about the consequences of breaking the class contract while drafting it is very helpful in this endeavor. Some other consequences I may employ could be written letters, behavior plans, and bringing in third-parties for deeper dialogues.
What are some possible rewards or incentives I'll use?
What are some possible rewards or incentives I'll use?
Truthfully, I'm someone that doesn't necessarily believe in bringing rewards into the classroom specifically for helping in behavior. According to Beyond Discipline by Alfie Kohn, sometimes rewards can be just as detrimental to a child's development as punishment. Our students should learn to act responsibly and respectfully without the promise of a reward for doing so. With this said, I'm not against them entirely. I think using incentives/rewards for academics could be worthwhile and simply fun for the students. Some examples of ones I would use are candy, movie days, and the occasional extra credit.
What are procedures?
What are procedures?
Procedures are the established or official ways of doing something. They can also be defined as a series of actions done in a particular way or order.
Why are procedures important for teaching/learning?
Why are procedures important for teaching/learning?
Procedures are important for the same way organization is: they help to promote control in the classroom, they keep things transparent, and they limit the anxiety of the unknown. Our students may be coming into our classrooms with no control or normal routines in their outside lives. By offering just that in our classrooms, we're helping them feel more at ease. Keeping things transparent entails letting our students know what we expect out of them. And this ties in with limiting the fear of the unknown. By being transparent, my students won't have to feel lost when they enter the classroom or slide into a class discussion. It's also helpful for us teachers! Common procedures help us get started faster, spend less time on tedium, and have better classroom organization.
How will I teach procedures?
How will I teach procedures?
Procedures will be taught during the first couple of weeks of school. I want them to be taught as naturally as possible and in context. However, some common procedures will have to be taught a little less organically like asking to use the restroom. I will teach procedures through demonstration, repetition, and multi-modal instruction. Each important procedure will also either be outlined in the syllabus or through a separate handout. I will also continuously reteach them when appropriate and have signs describing them when necessary. See below for some possible procedures I may teach in my classroom with explanations.
Procedures I'll Use in My Classroom (w/ Explanations)
Procedures I'll Use in My Classroom (w/ Explanations)
Entering The Classroom: Students should expect to always enter the classroom and automatically grab the materials that are needed for that day. These materials will be listed on the board and there will be a designated location for any handouts needed for the lesson. By the time the bell rings, the learners should be in their seats quietly with these materials and ready to begin. As I'm a teacher that strongly believes in warm-ups, they should also expect to get started on it right away. This procedure will contribute to my classroom by allowing for easy transitions between classes and less confusion for how to get started.
Exiting The Classroom: When leaving the classroom, students should always expect to clean up their areas and push in their chairs. They should be used to turning in any work to a determined area and/or handing me any exit slips before they go. All borrowed materials must also be turned in and any technology used should be recharging in its port. This procedure will contribute to my classroom by allowing for easy transitions between classes and less confusion for ending classes.
Using The Restroom: I am a strong advocate for letting students use the bathroom when they need to go. I am sure the school I land at will have a preexisting code of conduct, but for me the procedure will be simple. If students need to use the restroom, they should quietly and respectfully come up to me and ask to do so. I will then sign whatever document is necessary and hand them a hall pass. Students should know that the only time I will say no is during pivotal moments in class or right at the start of or end of a lesson. If a student abuses this freedom, I will have a one-on-one conversation with them and go from there. This procedure will contribute to my classroom by letting my students know how and when to ask to use the facilities.
Small Group Discussion: I am a teacher that hopes to utilize as many forms of discussion as possible. As a result of this, teaching a common procedure of starting and conducting these conversations is imperative to saving time and avoiding confusion. Students should expect that every small group discussion will begin with an ice-breaker, transition into the subject at hand, and end with someone in the group sharing what they talked about. Discussion etiquette will also be taught along with this procedure. Often these discussions will begin with a small writing prompt so students should be prepared for those as well (see below). This procedure will contribute to my classroom by allowing for nuanced dialogues often and easy transitions into them.
Turning In Homework: Students will know often and always when assignments are due. I will have a designated location in the room for turning in physical homework and will have a demonstration for how to turn in assignments virtually as well. As I want to practice growth and learning over points, students will also be taught what to do if they are correcting an assignment or turning in things late. All of this will be touched upon both in class and on the syllabus. This procedure will contribute to my classroom by limiting the time spent worrying what to do when finishing work in class.
Emailing: Granted, this is more of an out of class procedure, but it's just as important nonetheless. A strong philosophy of mine is that we should be teaching skills and material that is applicable to outside life. With that said, having proper email etiquette is necessary in almost every field and thus will be used in my class. When emailing me, my students should expect to use proper technique as outlined in class and in the syllabus. This procedure will contribute to my classroom by allowing the students to know how to reach me outside of classroom hours and allow me to easily read/digest the emails sent.
Free-writes: As an English teacher, I want to get my students writing often and in novel ways. When free-writing, students should know where to find the prompt, where to write, and the etiquette for behavior during these sessions. Students will know we're free-writing at the start of class and should already have grabbed the required materials needed for doing so (see above). This procedure will contribute to my classroom by allowing us to transition to free-writes without much need for explanation aside from the prompt itself.
Making Up Missed Work: Students will be made aware right away about what to do if they miss a class. In a designated location, I will have a folder with the missing work, instructions for how to complete it, and any other needed materials. It is the student's responsibility to make up this work and turn it in on the predetermined due date on top of the page. Students should never hesitate to ask for help if they're confused on any of this. This procedure will contribute to my classroom by allowing for less time to be spent on catching a student up and more time spent on continuing class.
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