Benjamin Franklin said: “An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.” This is particularly true of a teacher’s actions during the first week of school. The effort and time you put into planning for the year and thinking through potential pitfalls will help in the long run. If you are one step ahead of your students and their day-to-day needs, you will manage the unexpected more smoothly when it comes along. Students will recognize and follow the classroom routine earlier and more easily if you are prepared. Students will also see that you are in charge of your classroom, you have high expectations of them and you expect them to succeed.
What to do the first week of school
Preparation
Arrange the room to facilitate your proximity to students and your mobility.
Be prepared! You do not yet know your students’ abilities and behaviors so have alternative and backup activities ready. If you are team teaching, plan with your team teacher and agree on individual responsibilities to make working together in the same classroom more efficient.
Climate setting
Greet students at the classroom door and tell them what to do when they enter the classroom. For example, on day one, introduce yourself, ask their names, and assign their seats. On day two, greet students by name whenever possible and indicate they are to do the one-minute assignment you have written on the board as soon as they get to their seats.
Learn every student’s name and something about each student as quickly as you can. Use nametags, getting-acquainted activities, and/or seating charts.
Tell students about yourself. Teach subject content from day one. Keep lessons focused and doable for the length of the class. Clearly
communicate learning objective(s), give simple instructions, and structure lessons to accommodate students’ knowledge and skills. End class with a routine that summarizes the day’s
accomplishments, reminds students what they need to do to prepare for the next day, ensures materials are put away, and leaves the room clean.
Create community
Develop a set of written behavior expectations (rules and procedures) with the class that you can live with and consistently enforce.
Establish cooperative learning groups, give tips for working as a group, and practice group work by accomplishing needed tasks (e.g., organizing learning centers, decorating the room, suggesting class rules and consequences, etc.).
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It is easier to loosen than it is to tighten.❞
Peace Corps Make parents your allies when you meet them. Describe your positive student expectations, briefly explain classroom rules, and indicate your willingness to meet with parents.
Cultural note: As you plan for the first week of school, consider
cultural and school norms. Gather information from teaching colleagues about local classroom rules and procedures. Try to incorporate many of these familiar practices into your classroom management plan to maximize students’ comfort level with a foreign teacher.
Establishing classroom rules
Teachers are ultimately responsible for classroom rules. New teachers or teachers in a new culture should consult experienced teachers and follow their examples in establishing classroom rules. Your rules should not contradict school rules. Try to limit your rules to five or six.
Rules
identify specific expectations for general behaviors; have consequences; and
must make sense to both receiver and enforcer.
Post rules where students can see them and you can visually refer to the chart. Teach how to behave according to the rules.
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Set clear, enforceable rules with clear consequences— do it early! Make sure students know the rules— translate them and sign an agreement (the teacher should sign one, too, and stick to it).❞
—Peace Corps/Tanzania ● ● ● ●Have Students Generate Rules
Teachers may choose to involve students in determining the rules. Rules developed collaboratively tend to promote student cooperation. However, reserve the right to modify student-generated classroom rules. Ask students in small groups to come up with five rules beginning with “always” and
five rules beginning with “never.” Discuss the lists as a class to arrive at five or fewer rules that express the students’ main ideas positively.
Classroom Agreement from Peace Corps/Bolivia In Bolivia, Volunteers and their co-teachers collaborate with their students to write a classroom set of rules and expectations. The activity concludes with teachers and students discussing and agreeing to the final list of rules, signing the document, and posting it in the classroom to show their commitment to abide by the agreement.
Rules About Rules from Peace Corps/Romania Write simple rules with simple consequences.
Never create a rule that cannot be immediately enforced. If a rule is broken, implement the consequence or you will lose respect in the eyes of the pupils.
Effective classroom management requires everyone to respect the rules.
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Peace Corps Sample Classroom Rules
Primary level classroom rules . Raise your hand to speak. 2. Only one person speaks at a time. 3. Do not eat, spit, or litter in the classroom. 4. Do not fight.
5. Ask permission before you leave the classroom. 6. Respect other people’s belongings.
—Peace Corps/The Gambia Secondary school classroom rules
. Cooperate with your teacher and classmates. 2. Respect the rights and property of others. 3. Carry out your student responsibilities:
• Keep track of your own supplies, books, and assignments. • Ask for help when you need it.
• Do your own work. • Turn your work in on time.
• Accept responsibility for grades or other consequences. —Peace Corps/Tonga
Regaining control of your classroom
It will happen, you will lose control of your classroom. It happens to both inexperienced and experienced teachers. Recognize the problem and make a plan to re-establish order. If appropriate, you may want to stop in and talk to a colleague, Peace Corps staff, or school official who can help support your efforts to regain control of your classroom.
If there are just one or two students who are disrupting the classroom, you may want to focus on those students, rather than the whole class. Talk to the students outside of class, call a
conference with co-teachers, parents, or school administrators, or whatever is appropriate in your community.
If you need to start over with the whole class, follow these steps. Get a good night’s sleep.
Review the classroom rules and procedures again, on your own. You might need to revise them with your students. Put on your “business face” and go to school ready to be firm, but positive.
Review the classroom rules and procedures with your students. Make sure they understand what your expectations are and how to follow the rules appropriately. Be assertive and confident.
Once you have reviewed the rules, be consistent in enforcing them. Initially, establish a zero-tolerance policy toward any transgressors.
“Taking back” your classroom can be implemented any time during the year. It is challenging, but keep in mind that the time you take to re-establish order and calmness in your classroom will translate into greater productivity and learning achievement later in the year.