Class Rules/Behavior Standards

In the beginning of the year, we discussed as a class what each of our Behavior Standards would look like and sound like. I have all of the students come to the carpet to work on the rules poster together. Our Behavior Standards are:

1. Make Good Decisions
2. Show Respect
3. Be Problem Solvers

First, we discuss what the rule would look like. I will give the students a scenario that goes something like this:

"Imagine that the principal and the counselor are having a contest to see who knows the school the best. They are taking turns wearing a blindfold, and they are walking around to each classroom to guess whose room they are in. The principal has made it to our room, and he wants us to describe what Making Good Decisions looks like. Remember, he's blindfolded, so he can't see anything! You really have to describe it to him! Share with a partner what Making Good Decisions looks like."

Once the students have had a chance to share with a partner, we will share out whole group as I write their answers on a poster. Once they have finished describing what Making Good Decisions looks like, we talk about what it sounds like. I share another scenario with the students:

"Imagine that principal is visiting all of the classrooms today because he wants to see what everyone is doing. While he is visiting the classrooms, he has his headphones in. He's listening to Taylor Swift because he just bought her new album and he couldn't wait to hear it! As he comes into our classroom, he decides he wants to know what Making Good Decisions sounds like. However, he can't hear anything you are doing because he is rocking out to Taylor Swift at full volume. How can we describe to the principal what Making Good Decisions sounds like?"

The students go through the same process of sharing their ideas with a partner, and then whole group while I write their answers on the poster.

We continue going through this process for our other two Behavior Standards, Showing Respect and Be Problem Solvers. We will make one poster a day during the first week of school. I then make sure to consistently review them the Behavior Standards with the students. I also make sure to point out that these are examples and expectations that the students have created, therefore they should make sure to follow them.