Rules+and+Routines

Establishing Rules and Routines in your new classroom. = = **Routines**  //Introduction// A classroom is not just a classroom. A teacher should look at the environment of their classroom as a small community, a community that is within the wider school and local community, (Bryan & Young, 2009). Establishing routines from the very first day can be a way to encourage students to engage in academic learning to the best of their ability. Get to know your school, its behaviour policies and through collaborative exercises with students, arrange the classroom routines around the schools own policies and procedures. Habit of Mind: Persevereing  Encouraging students to persevere with a task is one way of keeping engagement levels high among students. The ability to persevere will give the students a higher chance of wanting to learn, wanting to become involved in academic tasks as well as preparing students for life beyond school and in the workplace. Perseverance is associated with a positive work ethic, meaning those who are determined to persevere are being given the key to achieving success in education and work, (Marzano & Pickering, 1997). Social Emotion Learning focus: Self Management Definition: The Collaborative for Academic, Social and Emotional Learning (CASEL, as cited in the ‘Guide to social and emotional learning in Queensland schools’. 2011), has identified five core social and emotional competency areas. The SEL this section is focusing on is self management which encourages students to focus on:- regulating emotions to handle stress, control impulses, and motivating oneself to persevere in overcoming obstacles; setting and monitoring progress toward the achievement of personal and academic goals; expressing emotions appropriately. What are routines? In order that lesson outcomes are met effectively and efficiently, teachers need to spend time assessing the needs of the class and planning classroom routines and procedures according to these needs. According to Marsh (2000), some common examples of classroom routines are:
 * **Ways to enter the classroom at any time of day**
 * make procedures clear and be consistent
 * have bag areas obvious and labelled if necessary


 * **Transition routines**
 *  make expectations clear for lesson transitions in the classroom
 * <span style="font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif; font-size: 120%;">be consistent with expectations for walking to specialist lessons in different areas of school
 * <span style="font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif; font-size: 120%;">have stop points so students can stay together and continue as a group


 * <span style="font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif; font-size: 120%;">**Daily routines**
 * <span style="font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif; font-size: 120%;">write the daily routines on a whiteboard or poster each day
 * <span style="font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif; font-size: 120%;">have pictures as well for visual learners

<span style="color: #7030a0; font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif; font-size: 140%;">Why are routines important?
 * <span style="font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif; font-size: 120%;">**Flexibility**
 * <span style="font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif; font-size: 120%;">making students aware that things don’t always go to plan and to be prepared for this
 * <span style="font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif; font-size: 120%;">stress the importance of adaptability, for when unscheduled transitions occur
 * <span style="font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif; font-size: 120%;">By establishing routines, teachers can ensure that the classroom is an environment that is effective in achieving lesson outcomes.


 * <span style="font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif; font-size: 120%;">This occurs because the students are able to complete tasks within a well defined framework with well defined routines


 * <span style="font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif; font-size: 120%;">The teacher can make their expectations clear by being consistent and predictable

<span style="color: #7030a0; font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif; font-size: 140%;">How are they achieved?
 * <span style="font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif; font-size: 120%;">Having routines can assist with behaviour management issues which can distract students from their learning
 * <span style="font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif; font-size: 120%;">Teachers should always model the routines


 * <span style="font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif; font-size: 120%;">Visual reminders around the classroom


 * <span style="font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif; font-size: 120%;">By being consistent with maintaining routines


 * <span style="font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif; font-size: 120%;">Giving the students ownership by allowing collaborative creation of routines


 * <span style="font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif; font-size: 120%;">Creating roles for the students within the classroom by having resources like a monitors’ wheel

<span style="color: #7030a0; font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif; font-size: 120%;">What is the best way to establish routines?
 * <span style="font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif; font-size: 120%;">Keep routines relevant to a cohort and reflective of real life situations.
 * <span style="font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif; font-size: 120%;">Introduce routines gradually and systematically
 * <span style="font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif; font-size: 120%;">Collaboratively create the routines with students as this will encourage students to be committed to the classroom practices laid down

**<span style="font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif; font-size: 150%;">Rules **  Introduction <span style="font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif; font-size: 120%;">One of the best ways a teacher can encourage engagement with rules and behaviour management is to establish, as a group, the types of behaviour that would be acceptable in the classroom, (Bryan & Young, 2009). Students will hold more value in a negotiated behaviour code and will be more likely to uphold the rules of the classroom because of the input they have been able to have in making the rules. Involving the students in this activity can also build a sense of responsibility and a sense of control over their environment leading to a feeling of belonging. <span style="font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif; font-size: 120%;">Alongside of rules are the repercussions that will occur if the rules are broken and ensuring the repercussions are appropriate and real.

<span style="color: #0000ff; font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif; font-size: 160%;">Habit of Mind: Manage Implusivity <span style="font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif; font-size: 120%;">Teaching students to manage their impulsive behaviour in the classroom will help to create an environment where students will feel relaxed and more able to learn. Knowing when restraint is needed is a skill useful throughout peoples’ lives, school work and relationships. Lashing out can be a normal reaction for many people in everyday life, learning to control this impulse can lead to conflict resolution through negotiation, cooperation and comprise. <span style="color: #ff00ff; font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif; font-size: 160%;">Social Emotion Learning (SEL) focus: <span style="color: #ff00ff; font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif; font-size: 160%;">Responsible Decision Making, Self Awareness.

<span style="color: #800080; font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif; font-size: 130%;">Definition: <span style="font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif; font-size: 120%;">The Collaborative for Academic, Social and Emotional Learning (CASEL, as cited in the ‘Guide to social and emotional learning in Queensland schools’. 2011), has identified five core social and emotional competency areas. The SEL this section is focusing on is responsible decision making and self awareness which encourages students to focus on:-
 * <span style="font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif; font-size: 120%;">the benefits of all the considered ethical, safety and social elements that might occur due to a decision being made, the likely consequences of any other decisions that could be approached and the process of evaluation and reflection on decisions made
 * <span style="font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif; font-size: 120%;">being aware of their own emotions, their own individual interests and strengths and an awareness of their own self-confidence and personality

<span style="color: #800080; font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif; font-size: 130%;">What are rules? <span style="font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif; font-size: 120%;">Rules are put into place in schools as a part of behaviour management schemes; Education Queensland states that ‘Essential to effective learning is a safe, supportive and disciplined environment that respects the following rights.’
 * <span style="font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif; font-size: 120%;">The rights of all students to learn
 * <span style="font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif; font-size: 120%;">The rights of all teachers to teach
 * <span style="font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif; font-size: 120%;">The rights of all to be safe

<span style="font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif; font-size: 120%;">Rules and repercussions need to be age appropriate and relevant to each teacher’s class as well as ensuring they do not conflict with whole school rules. <span style="font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif; font-size: 120%;">Students need to be involved in the decisions around classroom rules and consequences and teachers must be consistent in maintaining the policing of rules and consequences.

<span style="font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif; font-size: 120%;">Rules and consequences can look like:- - <span style="font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif; font-size: 120%;">Auctions <span style="font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif; font-size: 120%;">- Participation in extra fun activities <span style="font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif; font-size: 120%;">- Free time <span style="font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif; font-size: 120%;">- Prizes <span style="font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif; font-size: 120%;">Real life consequences can be related to this by students being ‘fined’ for inappropriate behaviour. <span style="font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif; font-size: 120%;">
 * <span style="font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif; font-size: 120%;">Bank books for classroom money or stamps. These can then be used to ‘buy’:-

<span style="font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif; font-size: 120%;">- Rewards can be games inside or out <span style="font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif; font-size: 120%;">- Reading from a favourite book <span style="font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif; font-size: 120%;">- Art activities <span style="font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif; font-size: 120%;">- Free time <span style="font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif; font-size: 120%;">Consequences are visual, students can see the level of the marbles or pasta raising and the better the behaviour the faster the level raises. <span style="font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif; font-size: 120%;">
 * <span style="font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif; font-size: 120%;">Marble – pasta jar. Points are marked out on the jar at pre-determined levels that indicate a reward for the whole class.


 * <span style="font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif; font-size: 120%;">Star charts/board game format. Individual and whole class, each student starts in the middle/start with good behaviour being rewarded by being moved along the lines to a point where a negotiated and predetermined reward is given.

<span style="color: #800080; font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif; font-size: 130%;">Why are rules important?
 * <span style="font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif"; font-size: 16px;">Establishing rules in the classroom is a powerful way of creating an environment for the students where they can feel a sense of order and routine, (Marzano & Pickering, 1997).
 * <span style="font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif"; font-size: 16px;">A negotiated set of rules and behaviour codes created with the students will be held in higher regard and are more likely to be upheld by the students, (Bryan & Young, 2009).
 * <span style="font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif"; font-size: 16px;">To encourage the students to abide by authentic rules and regulations that can be continues throughout the lives and within the general wider community.

<span style="color: #800080; font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif; font-size: 130%;">How are they achieved?
 * <span style="font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif"; font-size: 16px;">Creating clear rules and procedures for specific times during the day, ‘when coming into class…..’, ‘during quite reading time <span style="font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif";">……’ <span style="font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif"; font-size: 16px;">or ‘when someone is talking……’ are some possible examples of specific rules
 * <span style="font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif"; font-size: 16px;">Be consistent, fair and prepared to listen.
 * <span style="font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif"; font-size: 16px;">Have appropriate and clear consequences developed that are relevant to each particular rule or regulation.

<span style="color: #800080; font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif; font-size: 130%;">What is the best way to establish rules?
 * <span style="font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif"; font-size: 16px;">Brainstorm ideas with students, showing their ideas on a whiteboard or data projector.
 * <span style="font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif"; font-size: 16px;">Establish rules under headings to make each step clear:- personal property and space, feelings, safety and learning are some heading that could be considered.
 * <span style="font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif"; font-size: 16px;">Consider the whole school behaviour plan to ensure there is no conflict
 * <span style="font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif"; font-size: 16px;">A written agreement can be considered to have parents and students both aware of the rules, students can sign agreements to commit to their understanding of the rules.