RULES AND ROUTINES INSIDE THE CLASSROOM

CELY M. LOPEZ

Inside the classroom, teachers establish rules and routines which we must follow ourselves, lest our students question us.

When this happens, we may lose their respect – which is not good. Some students don’t hold back their opinions, and this will not bode well if they see you breaking the rules.

We must be a model for what we expect, which is inconvenient and exhausting to say the least – but is quite necessary. But which do we really prefer: rules or routines? The difference is that rules have consequences, while routines have reminders. So once you make a rule, you have to abide by it. There will be a first warning and a second, and then a consequence.

A reminder, however, is less “harsh”. If they come in late, we just have to remind them about being tardy, and remind them not to do it again. This is where students expect a “follow through”, or if we just let it slide.

We need to select which are the rules, because these need to be enforced – if we want to stay credible in the eyes of our students.

We have to establish what the rules and routines are. Some are more in-depth than others. The ones that take extra effort to model are often those that border on being rules.

There isn’t really a limit to how many routines and procedures you have, but you’ll need to make sure each one is clear to every learner in your room.

Whether a rule or a routine, it must be clear. Kids have to know what it looks like, with examples. There are general rules, like “be respectful to all”, but we have to give examples of what that looks like, and what it doesn’t look like.

Try asking your students what this rule means, and let them be part of the process. It will give them a keener understanding of the rules for the class collectively.

What is our ultimate goal of teaching? It is not enforcing the rules and routines, of course, but teaching effectively. Most often than not, teachers don’t really talk about classroom management among themselves, but about effective teaching.

It is when we’re effective that majority of students learn and get what they need. They meet their goals and objectives, and when this happens, teachers feel an incredible sense of accomplishment.

— oOo— The author is Teacher III at Caduang Tete Elementary School