This school year, I decided to try something new for behavior management. I selected the following as our classroom expectations: Respect Yourself, Respect Others, and Respect the Learning Environment.
1. Respect Yourself:
This is my number one rule. It's all about teaching kids to value themselves. We started the year having conversations about what respecting yourself means. We talked about how we want to be proud of who we are as people and the decisions we make. We also discussed how trying our best today and learning the best we can now sets our future selves up for success.
2. Respect Others:
In every classroom, respect for others is non-negotiable. We have to be together every day, all day. It's important that we treat each other respectfully and kindly. We discuss the importance of respecting personal space, using kind words, and being a team player.
3. Respect the Learning Environment:
School is a place for learning. Yes, we will have fun while we are learning, but we are ultimately at school to learn. We talk about how treating classroom materials with respect is important so we have them to use when we need them. Respecting the learning environment also means being mindful of others who may be working and still need a quiet space, even when we may be done with assignments.
All behavior can fit into these three expectations. We went over what respect was and what it looked like in our classroom at the beginning of the school year. We talk about our three classroom expecations often and I have them posted very large in our classroom. This is my sixth year teaching and for a number of reasons, this has been the easiest year I've had when it comes to student behavior. I believe keeping my classroom rules to these three simple expectations has played a huge role in how well this year has gone. A little dose of respect— for themselves, for others, and for the learning environment— we have created a positive, productive space where everyone thrives.
Jes
