Why do you think it is important for a teacher to create clear classroom rules?

Question

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Answer 1

I had my students help develop the classroom rules and come up with the consequences. Now they took ownership and knew what was expected of them.

Why is this important? So students feel safe. Safe to take risks...risks in raising their hands and answering questions, allowing their mind to explore freely and feel safe that they won't be made fun of and that the teacher will protect and encourage them. When students feel safe, learning can be at its best.

Answer 2

Setting clear expectations of student behavior and giving clear expectations of your behavior is vital to the student-teacher relationship.  Having a classroom where the boundaries are constantly in flux leads to a feeling of uneasiness on the part of the student, the teacher, or (more often than not) both.

You want the students to be able to explore your class without having to worry about crossing lines of unwritten rules.  Vague rules are often no better than no rules because they leave themselves open to juvenile or adolescent interpretation.  As the adult, you must interpret the rules and convey those interpretations clearly to the students.

Whether you involve students in the crafting of the rules or not, you must have an idea of what those rules will be.  I usually don't do that personally because some classes begin to believe that the classroom has become a democracy instead of the benevolent dictatorship that it needs to be (much like the family).

Unless you want to fight "I didn't know that was against the rules" all year long, you need to set everything straight in the beginning.  All students need that, and more students than you might anticipate want that.

I would recommend, however, that you rules be a set of boundaries.  Give the students a lot of freedom within a given framework.  But, make that framework rigid.  Anyone leaving the area of permissible behavior must incur swift consequences.  If the students know that you have boundaries and mean to enforce them, they will abide by them.

And, teacher and students will both have a much happier learning experience.

Answer 3

Because otherwise there's no authority, no discipline, no control, no respect....  In short, the inmates will run the asylum.  You'll spend your entire day correcting behavior and putting out fires instead of teaching.

It's much better to start the year off with solid, strict, "don't even dare to breathe" rules (no exceptions, ever, to any rule), then gradually let up as the year progressed and you get to know the students.  Never start off the year trying to be the best friend, or allowing this kid to do that but not letting that other kid do the same...  Do that, and it will always be bedlam - you'll never get law and order to reign in the classroom.

Answer 4

It can set a safe and predictable learning environment.  Depending on the age of your students it's beneficial to engage them in coming up with rules and consequences.  Then they don't feel as if they are being talked down to.  Unltimately as the teacher you will have to maintain order and enforce what ever rules are established.  So think hard about what you threaten to do.  Becasue if you don't follow through, you lose credibility with the students.  Good Luck!

Answer 5

It's better if you have the kids help you make the rules so they feel like they have a say and you think it's important to listen to them.  You have to have clear rules (and consequences) and FOLLOW THEM FOR EVERYONE so students will know that the teacher is fair and treats students fairly.  Remember, though, "fair" and "equal" are NOT the same.  (Think of your special ed. students' IEP's etc.)

Rules create order and order helps with organization and organization helps with clear thinking.