Applying Classroom Rules And Procedures In My Class

Once the rules and procedures are established, how do we apply them? The way the teacher reacts if the student is breaking the rules or not following the procedures is very important, not only for the learning of the student but also as a model of acceptable and non-acceptable behavior in the safe and productive learning environment for the whole class.

There is a wide variety of strategies which could be used to correct the student misbehavior. When, how and which of them will be used will depend on the age of the students, how intrusive the action of the student was, how repetitive is his misbehavior, and how disruptive to the rest of the class it is. As a teacher of 18-year-old students, I find that ADHD and, in general, lack of concentration and the tendency to chat and be off task is the most common misbehavior. The times when I need to use strategies such as Direct-Time-Out or Overcorrection are very rare here in China. Most of the situations are solved during the class time or in a private conversation with the student, and the cases of the students being out of control are extremely rare. 

If the student's not paying attention and chatting with the friend while there is a team presenting their research, I would start looking at them until they realize that their behavior has been noticed and they should stop talking. However, if they still continue talking, I would move in their direction and verbally remind them to stop, using a positive tone and without mentioning the consequences. At this point, it will already be noticed by the rest of the group, it's usually enough to keep the group on task. In some situations,  the students would continue misbehaving, and public warning including the consequences for breaking the rules would be given. It is important to assess whether the misbehavior interrupts the class. If that's not the case, the time for a private conversation with the student could be set. Sometimes, it's important to address the behavior as it happens to make sure that it will stop affecting the rest of the group. In some situations, the student might be out of control, and it's crucial for the teacher to stay calm and actively listen to the student until he/she calms down. Further conversation without involving the rest of the class should follow, and the parents/counselor and/or specialist could be contacted to provide additional support as needed.

Here is the decision chart diagram I've been using in my senior class:

Diagram 1 - How to react when the student doesn't follow the rules/procedures?

However, I prefer using positive reinforcement in my classroom. Acknowledging the good behavior motivates the student to continue doing a good job, and sets a good example for the rest of the class. It helps if it's done right after it's been demonstrated, and, similar to the reaction to misbehavior, consistency makes a huge difference in setting the positive climate that promotes the agreed norms. There are many ways in which the students can be recognized for following the rules and procedures. Some of them are verbal, such as "Thank you for submitting your project on time!". Some of them are non-verbal signals that their behavior is approved, including smiles, nods, and thumbs-up signs and they are very useful in sending positive signals to the students regarding their behavior. By simply nodding when the student puts the markers back on my table or showing thumbs-up when they quietly ask if they could go to the restroom we send them the message that we approve their actions. Besides these, the teacher should consider informing the parents about an outstanding behavior of their child, as well as providing a certificate for a good behavior. This is a very powerful tool, especially if the student has been struggling with the discipline for a while, and starts showing an effort to improve the performance and follow the procedures. Letting the parents know about their good behavior makes the students thankful and motivated to continue getting positive feedback from the teacher. Some of the strategies for positive reinforcement I've been using in my class are shown in the diagram below.

Diagram 2 - How to give positive reinforcement to students who are following the rules/procedures?

Finally, we as educators should keep on mind that the combination of both punishment and reinforcement has been proved to be the most successful strategy to make sure that the rules and procedures are applied in the classroom. 

Which strategies for application of the rules and procedures do you use in your class?



Reference:

Marzano, R. J. (2010). The art and science of teaching: a comprehensive framework for effective instruction. Alexandria, Va: Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development.