EPC 2403 Teaching Practicum 2a

Observation Task 4-A

Classroom Management – Classroom Rules

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 EPC 2403 Teaching Practicum 2a

Observation Task 4-A: Classroom Management

Task Description
From your teaching practice experience you will analyze, in a short report, how you formulated
appropriate classroom rules. Reflect on the effectiveness of these classroom rules. Explain how
you taught and implemented these rules in the classroom.

You will need to support your essay with at least 2 academic articles.

REMEMBER: analysis of the lesson should include:

a. the lesson aims
b. the role of the classroom rules
c. what factors influenced your classroom rules choices
d. How did you implement these?
e. Support from literature
f. include any relevant pictures

Length/Word Limit: Minimum 500

Before the observation:

1. Kyriacou, C. (1997) Effective Teaching in Schools. Cheltenham : Nelson Thornes

Read this text pages 105 -107

2. Research another article about creating rules.

Consider:
 the importance of rules
 strategies for writing effective rules
 what factors help you to choose particular rules?
 How can you have children involved in creating these rules?

3. Plan and resource some possible materials ideas to present rules in your classroom.

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During Teaching Practice:

Create a set of effective rules and implement these in your classroom. Include evidence of the
materials you used to present your rules and how you teach/reinforce these rules daily. How
did you teach/implement these rules?
Think about their effectiveness.

After the Observation:

Task 4-A: Classroom Management – Classroom Rules
PART 1
Kyriacou, C. (1997) Effective Teaching in Schools. Cheltenham : Nelson Thornes
Read this text pages 105 -107

authority The power or right to give orders, make decisions, and enforce
obedience.
chaos Complete disorder and confusion.
conflict A serious disagreement or argument, typically a protracted one.
rapport a close and harmonious relationship in which the people understand
each other’s feelings or ideas
precedence The condition of being considered more important than someone
or something else; priority in importance, order, or rank.
vigilance The action or state of keeping careful watch for possible danger or
difficulties.

What is an important aspect of teacher’s authority?

- The important aspect of teacher’s authority is is his or her control over classroom
activities

Why do we need rules and procedures?

- We need rules and procedures to not lead to chaos in the class and during the activity

What 2 aspects are very important in a lesson to establish authority?

 How lessons are started and ended has major significance for establishing
authority.
It is important for lessons to start quickly.

While it is part of good rapport between teacher and pupils for some social interchange to
take place, the need for the teacher to establish order quickly must take
precedence.
How should students exit?
- The students should exit from the class by being orderly and reasonably quiet.
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What is the simplest way to ensure an orderly exit?

 The simplest way to ensure an orderly exit to establish a routing governing how
pupils leave the room.
What must teacher regulate during the lesson?
- Teacher needs to effectively regulate classroom activities and teacher
- pupil interaction
How is effective teaching facilitated?
- Effective teaching facilitated if clear classroom rules are laid down and enforced
so that pupils act in accordance with them almost as second nature.
What are pupils sensitive to?
- Pupils sensitive to the teacher’s ability to establish such as rules.

Almost every classroom activity has a potential for pupils to challenge the teacher’s authority
and control over behavior.

List some activities where teacher could lose control.

- Handing in or giving out book
- Moving furniture about collecting equipment, closing a window
- Even sharpening a pencil & closing windows
What is a major issue related to control?
- The level of classroom noise.
Explain what a teacher needs to do to manage this.
- Once the teacher has asked pupils to pay attention, it is important to wait
momentarily for quite before commencing the verbal exchange, so that no one has
to speak loudly to be heard over a level of background noise.
Control over classroom activities requires vigilance.

What does a teacher need to do continually?

- The teacher needs to monitor pupil’s behaviour continually, as it is easier to
regain control if one acts quickly rather than tackles undesirable behaviour

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A.
Article 2 - Creating Rules

Classroom rules are the foundation for a functional and successful classroom in any setting.
Rules vary from procedures as they determine what the classroom looks like, what type of
behavior is acceptable and encouraged, and help students work towards a common goal.

Authors Mark and Christine Boynton remind us that, “Many teachers make the mistake of
announcing rather than teaching parameters to their students. The truth is that students do not
learn what's announced; they learn what they are taught.”

Rules should be in the form of a positive statement. Avoid rules framed as negative
statements. By using “Respect your classmates in your words and actions” instead of “No
disrespectful comments.” While making the rules or when reminding the students of the rules
use “Do this” instead of “Don’t do that.”

Teachers can establish and enforce their classroom expectations, management and rules, but
with the students playing a role in this process. Ask the students to make their own classroom
rules, show them visual pictures or videos of classroom rules. Show them “what could happen
if” videos, for example what could happen if I ran in the classroom. Then ask them, can we
run in the classroom? They'll say no, then tell them so this should be a classroom rule, right?
Then add it to the classroom rules. Reinforcing rules each day, stick the rules on the wall so
they can review them every day's morning before the class. Make the students memorize the
rules as a song, to remember them easily. I’ll relate to one of the students who follows the
rules so others would imitate him. Reward the students who follows the rules and sits quietly
during the classroom.

During the first days of school, teacher Mary Gambrel involves her students in creating their
classroom rules. The rule-making process begins when Gambrel poses four questions to her
students at Travis Middle School in Amarillo, Texas:
 How do you want me to treat you?
 How do you want to treat on another?
 How do you think I want to be treated?
 How should we treat one another when there's a conflict?
Students' share their thoughts about those questions in small groups, and then with the entire
class. Responses are posted on a large sheet of chart paper. As an idea is repeated, a
checkmark or star is placed beside it.
Also set the potential consequences with the students if the student chooses to misbehave and
not follow the rules, so they’ll all be aware of the sequences that’ll happen. Explain and
demonstrate the consequences of breaking the rules. Students need to actually see what will
happen if they break a rule.

1- (2018). Retrieved from http://teachingasleadership.org/sites/default/files/Related-

Readings/CMC_Ch2_2011.pdf
2- Classroom Management: Develop Clear Rules, Expectations. (n.d.). Retrieved from
http://www.teachhub.com/classroom-management-developing-clear-rules-
expectations
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PART 2:
Task 4-A: My Effective Classroom Rules
From your teaching practice experience you will analyze, in a short report, how you
formulated appropriate classroom rules. Reflect on the effectiveness of these classroom
rules. Explain how you taught and implemented these rules in the classroom.

During TP I made some classroom rules for my lesson, I printed my rules and I stuck then on
the classroom’s whiteboard, my rules were:

1. Listen to the teacher when she starts talking

2. Sit properly
3. Raise your hand if you want to talk
4. Respect your teacher and classmates
5. Respect other’s their properties (e.g., no hitting, no stealing).

Classroom rules are the foundation for a functional and successful classroom in any setting.
Rules vary from procedures as they determine what the classroom looks like, what type of
behavior is acceptable and encouraged, and help students work towards a common goal. It's
also a good idea to post the rules as a reminder and send a copy home with each student.
‘Experienced teachers don’t deal with problems, they prevent them from occurring’ – so
begins Geoff Petty’s section on classroom organisation in his book ‘Teaching Today – A
Practical Guide” (Stanley Thornes (Publishers) Ltd, 1998). Teachers prefers having few rules
in their classroom, so the students can easily remember them and follow them.

Authors Mark and Christine Boynton remind us that, “Many teachers make the mistake of
announcing rather than teaching parameters to their students. The truth is that students do not
learn what's announced; they learn what they are taught.” At beginning of my training, I
involved my students to create their own classroom rules, discussed the rules with the students,
asked them questions, explained why it’s important to have rules in the classroom, showed
them videos and made the classroom rules with them, we listed them and wrote them down on
the whiteboard. On the next day’s morning I brought the rules printed on a poster and stuck
beside the classroom’s whiteboard, so at the beginning of the day, before the class starts, we
just review and read the rules again as a reminder. I used a bell and traffic lights poster to
manage their behavior. Rules should be in the form of a positive statement. Avoid rules
framed as negative statements. By using “Respect your classmates in your words and actions”
instead of “No disrespectful comments.” While making the rules or when reminding the
students of the rules use “Do this” instead of “Don’t do that.” I was able to establish and
enforce their classroom expectations, management and rules, but with the students playing a
role in this process. I asked the students to make their own classroom rules, I showed them
visual pictures or videos of classroom rules. Show them “what could happen if” videos, for
example what could happen if I ran in the classroom. Then asked them, can we run in the
classroom? They said no, then I told them so this should be a classroom rule, right? Then I add
it to the classroom rules. Reinforcing rules each day, stick the rules on the wall so they can
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 EPC 2403 Teaching Practicum 2a

review them every day's morning before the class. Make the students memorize the rules as a
song, to remember them easily. I’ll relate to one of the students who follows the rules so others
would imitate him. Reward the students who follows the rules and sits quietly during the
classroom. “According to Kyriacou the teacher needs to effectively regulate classroom
activities and teacher-pupil interaction.” I've also set the potential consequences with the
students if the student chooses to misbehave and not follow the rules, so they’ll all be aware of
the sequences that’ll happen. Explained and demonstrated the consequences of breaking the
rules. Students need to actually see what will happen if they break a rule.

It’s essential that classrooms should have rules because without rules no one can learn, and
without learning no one can grow. Rules are the most significant part, which is entitled for
everyone to follow. Rules lead a path towards the bright success. Teachers needs rules to
control and manage their class, to avoid misbehaviors or facing any problems in the classroom.
After setting the rules together and the students are aware of what are the rules and the
consequences of their misbehavior; students obeyed my rules most of the times. I used the bell
whenever the students misbehave or raises their voice and get loud or if I want to attract their
attentions back to me or if I want to announce something. If the students didn’t listen to me, I
stand by the traffic lights poster management behavior, to start moving the names of the
students who misbehaves.

References:

1. (2018). Retrieved from http://teachingasleadership.org/sites/default/files/Related-

Readings/CMC_Ch2_2011.pdf

2. Classroom Management: Develop Clear Rules, Expectations. (n.d.). Retrieved

from http://www.teachhub.com/classroom-management-developing-clear-rules-expectations

3. Creating Classroom Rules Together. (n.d.). Retrieved from

https://www.scholastic.com/teachers/articles/teaching-content/creating-classroom-rules-

together/

4. Leon, I. D., & Donoso, J. F. (1970, January 01). Why Do We Need Intellectual

Property Rules? Retrieved from https://link.springer.com/chapter/10.1007/978-3-319-54906-4_1

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5. NEA, & California Teachers Association. (n.d.). Set Up Rules and Routines.

Retrieved from

http://www.nea.org/tools/15377.htmhttps://www.educationworld.com/a_lesson/lesson/lesson2

74.shtml