10 Easy Steps to Writing Your Classroom Rules and Procedures

Is it better to keep classroom rules short and sweet? Is it better to have the students come up with the rules on the first day of school? Or should they be thorough and comprehensive?

 

Regardless of your preference, here are 10 easy steps to writing your classroom rules and procedures:

 

1. Outline your expectations for the year. This could include enforcing all school rules and policies such as dress code, uniforms, and IDs. You should have a policy for tardies, eating food in the classroom, bathroom passes, curse words, sleeping in class, bringing in materials, accepting late work, asking and answering questions, sharpening pencils, getting out of their seat, showing respect when others are speaking, and standing up before the bell rings to dismiss them.

 

You can outline your rules in bullet form such as:

• Bring your own water bottle to class, but no chewing gum or food
• Raise your hand before speaking and wait to be called on
• Use language appropriate for the classroom
• Sleeping in class will not be tolerated; remain alert at all times
• The bell doesn’t dismiss you, I do. Remain in your seats until the bell rings

 

You can also group rules into categories. I like to use Be Prompt, Be Prepared, and Be Polite and usually clump several individual rules into one category. This is an easier way for students to remember the rules and I can easily post them nice and large in the classroom.

 

2. Make sure that you can enforce your rules realistically. If you have a class of 36 and you tell your students they will get exactly 3 bathroom passes per quarter, then you will need to figure out a system to hold them accountable. This can become quite cumbersome. Maybe a sign out sheet close to the bathroom pass at the front of the class that they fill out will help. Or maybe you can give them tickets that they can turn in to go to the bathroom.

 

But then realize that there will be that student that asks you to go to the bathroom and it’s their fourth time going. According to your rules, they can’t go any more. But what if it’s an emergency and you know they realllly have to go? Then what? Do you make an exception? Because if you do it for one student, you’ll have to do it for the rest and then, what’s the point of the three bathroom pass rule?!

 

So I personally let them go to the bathroom at my own discretion.

 

3. Address the consequences. Establish a progressive discipline plan. Disciplinary procedures vary from school to school, district to district, state to state. So you need to become familiar with yours. If you say no cellphones or it’ll be confiscated, then you have to stick with that plan. But make sure that your administration supports that policy. What happens if the phone gets lost or stolen under your watch? Will you be responsible for paying for that phone? In some schools you would. So be careful.

 

Issue a warning first. Then call parents regarding the behavior. Assign a detention or other action appropriate to the rule broken.

 

At the high school level, I tell them that by now they know how to behave and they know better about what’s appropriate classroom behavior. When they curse in class, I don’t make a huge deal out of it if it’s a slip of the tongue type of thing. Instead I look at them and they know that they have to apologize and we move on. If it persists then I can assign a different consequence.

 

If a student engages in a physical altercation, then that’s a different story. At that point you’ll probably have to call security and issue a referral to the administrator in charge of discipline. So it’s good practice to include a severe clause that clearly outlines the consequence for extreme misbehavior.

 

4. Reiterate the school’s attendance policy. Will you accept missed work for excused and unexcused absences or just excused? How long will the students have to make up missed work? This has to be consistent and fair. Is there a school wide policy that after a certain amount of unexcused absences credit will be withheld? If so, make sure it’s on your rules and procedures.

 

5. List all necessary materials. What are students supposed to bring to class every day? Do they have to have their own calculator? What type do they need? Is there a particular reading book they should have purchased? What about workbooks or binders?

 

Be clear about what materials they are required to bring to class each day. If you assign a textbook, list the name of the book and its price if lost. What about any class fees? Make sure to include those as well.

 

6. Include your homework policy. Will homework be collected daily? Will it be graded for accuracy or completion? How much homework should they expect to do each evening? These are all important details that need to be outlined in your rules and procedures.

 

7. Clearly discuss your grading policy. How much will quizzes and tests be worth? 75% of the final grade? 80%? What about class participation? How about homework? Make sure you let students know these expectations in advance. If a quiz counts as one grade and tests two, while projects are assigned three to five grades, this should be clearly stated at the beginning of the year. Students don’t like surprises.

 

8. Write a code of ethics policy. You should include a disclaimer that cheating is NOT tolerated. If you’re an English teacher, then you need to address plagiarism. What will happen if a student is caught cheating or plagiarizing?

 

9. Include your contact information and best way/time to reach you. Include a positive message about how you are there to facilitate learning and include your email address or other ways for students and parents to reach you. You might want to include office hours or maybe you’re staying after school for an hour only on Tuesdays. Whenever it’s going to be most convenient for your to be contacted, make sure you delineate this in advance.

 

10. Last but not least, include a space for the student’s signature and the parent’s signature. It’s like a disclaimer, “Yes, I have read and discussed the above with __________ (student’s name) and it is fully understood what is expected in this class.” Then include a space for the parent (or guardian) signature, student signature and date.

 

From experience, I try to keep my rules only one-page front and back, but I try to include as much as possible. It’s like a contract between the student, their parents and myself.

 

So to RECAP, include

1. Classroom specific and school-wide rules
2. Rules must be able to be enforced: set realistic expectations
3. Consequences: use a progressive discipline plan
4. Attendance policy: include the number of absences that will earn them a no credit in that class plus address the makeup policy due to absences
5. Materials: include any textbooks/technologies used and their price; also include class fees that will be collected
6. Homework policy: how often should they expect homework and how will it be graded
7. Grading policy: how much will quizzes, tests, projects or other assessments be worth
8. Code of ethics: what will happen if they’re caught cheating or plagiarizing
9. Your contact information and best way to get a hold of you: voicemail number, email address, etc.
10. Signature section: where both students and parents can sign that they acknowledge that they know what’s expected for them to be successful in class

 

If you have any other tips or suggestions on what to include in your rules and procedures, list them below!