What Do You Want From Me? – Setting Clear Expectations

A year one child wiggling his naked butt at his class.
A year six child threatening to seriously harm a peer.
A year four child announcing to their whole class loudly “schoolwork is SO boring! Who agrees with me?”
A year two student hiding under the desks and screaming.
A year three student sending aggressive messages to a classmate through an online document.

These are just 5 scenarios I have come across this week. Bad behaviour is occasionally amusing (naked butts are always a bit funny), but most of the time it is our biggest joy squasher.

A classroom that is out of control is a horrible place to spend a day.
Coping with challenging behaviour is frustrating, exhausting and sometimes upsetting.
Motivating 30 small humans to listen and learn… almost impossible.
Everybody knows it.
(Just ask any parent who homeschooled their child during the COVID lockdowns.)

As a beginning teacher, I was always trying to think on my feet when a kid behaved badly.
I was reactive and emotional.
To be honest, I would panic on the inside.

I thought my expectations were pretty realistic.
My class should be able to:
– be kind to each other
– listen to me
– sit down
– attempt to complete the set activities
– take care of our classroom equipment

How wrong I was….

A wise person once said “Disappointment is the gap between expectation and reality.” – Unknown
Let’s just say I was incredibly disappointed.

I was disappointed in them but mostly I was disappointed in myself.

What we expect from our kids can be entirely different to what anyone else has ever expected from them in their life.
My expectations were high but vague.

So what are you expecting from your students?
And more importantly – Do they know what you want?

Let me say it another way.
What are the rules in your classroom and do the kids know them?

In our society, rules can be viewed as negative and restricting.
In a classroom environment, I completely disagree.

Here’s what’s so cool about rules:
– They are fair
– They are not impacted by moods and emotions.
– They do not change for different personality types.
– They have preset consequences and rewards.

Sport has rules.
Driving has rules.
Society has rules.

These rules keep things running smoothly.
They keep everyone safe.
They create a positive experience.
There are consequences for breaking them.
There are rewards for keeping them.

Introducing clear rules in my classroom did all the above.
But more than anything, they saved my sanity.

If our students don’t know the rules of our classroom, is it fair to be frustrated with them when they get it wrong?

How to be a happier teacher ….. Give them the rules of the game before you ask them to play.

Thanks for doing the journey with me.
Have a fantastic week,
Jen

If this is an area where you need a bit of support, read on.

In My Room

I have 6 rules.
I was advised as a young teacher to have no more than that.
I use the same ones every year.

1. Be kind
They know this is my number one rule. The most important.
It pretty much covers everything – from mild unpleasantness to violence and everything in between.

2. Listen attentively
At our school we teach the 5 Ls – looking, lips, legs, laps and listening.
I have put a link to some display posters from “Twinkl” below.
However..
It is super important that they understand I love them to ask questions and I want them to ask for help when they don’t understand.
Not listening is very different to not understanding.

3. Do your best work
This covers overall effort in everything.
The emphasis must be on the word “YOUR” (not on “best”).
We know that everyone has different capacities.
Students are not being compared to one another.
They need to put in their own best effort.

4. Put your hand up to speak
Interrupting the lesson or speaking over others is like cutting in front of someone else in a queue.
It’s not fair.
It is disrespectful.
It disrupts the overall flow of the lesson.

5. Be in the right place
The right place changes all the time.
Basically be where the class is (eg at your desk, on the floor, under the trees, inside the painted circle on the concrete, in the hall.)

6. Look after equipment
This includes:
– Their Stuff
– My stuff
– Other’s stuff
– School owned stuff

This is a photo of my rules at the front of my classroom.

What Do I Do With The Rules?
I’m sorry to say that simply having some classroom rules pinned on a wall, will not change the behaviour of your kids. If only it was that easy!
You need to teach them very clearly.
You need to use them daily, consistently and fairly.

This is what I do:

* The rules are taught in the first lessons of the school year. (But it’s never too late to start.)
We complete an activity around each rule which varies based on the age of the students.

* The rules are displayed in a prominent place.
Mine are out the front of my classroom above the whiteboard.
There is a clear visual picture with each one to help the students remember it.
(See photo above)

* They are referred to every day.
I give out loads and loads and loads and loads and loads of positive reinforcement for following the rules.
If you Google “classroom positive reinforcement ideas” – there are millions.
My advice is to keep it super simple. Choose something that a substitute teacher can easily use as well.
When I reinforce behaviour, I always talk about the specific rule they are following.
eg I love how attentively you are listening Jamie! Your eyes looking at me and your hands are still.

* There are clear and consistent consequences for breaking them.
This means I don’t have to try to think about what I’m going to do when Susie is wandering the room or when Michael throws his pencil at Phillipa.
I never panic.
I just follow the preset plan.

The key to it all is a bit boring – Be consistent and fair.
Consistent and fair with your positive reinforcement system.
Consistent and fair with your consequences.

And gradually something wonderful starts to happen…
They begin to get it.

If you would like further ideas or support with any classroom management concerns, click on the CONTACT ME tab at the top of the homepage.

Link to “The 5 L’s” posters:
https://www.twinkl.com.au/resource/5-ls-of-listening-for-everyone-lower-primary-display-pack-au-c-2548742