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30 Best Classroom Rules for Students

1. Choose your keywords carefully

2. make them clear and understandable, 3. communicate them to your students, 4. adjust them based on classroom feedback, 5. do not go overboard, 6. use effective discipline strategies, 7. do not use the same set of rules in every classroom, 8. make them easily accessible for students, 9. do not let the rules take over, 10. start at the beginning.

Do your students struggle with following rules? Is it hard to make them understand that your class rules are non-negotiable? You’re not alone! Luckily, there’s a solution. With effective classroom rules , you can benefit both your students and yourself. Creating these rules can be tough, but we have the tips and tricks to make it easier.

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Why are Classroom Rules Important?

Well, there are many reasons why you should have classroom rules. Here are just a few:

1. Sets expectations and consequences

Establishing rules in your class will create an environment of respect where students know what to expect from you and vice versa. It creates boundaries and clarifies that the classroom is not a place for anarchy or chaos. You can limit rule-breakers by enforcing consequences as outlined in the rules.

2. Give students an overview of the class period

Everybody likes to be in control of their day. It is not only helpful for you but also for your students when they know what comes next. You can easily plan out a class period, considering all the activities you have prepared and how long each one will take. An overview of the period will help keep your students on track and increase their engagement in what is being taught.

3. Reduce behavior issues

Classroom rules are a great way to manage behavior issues in class. They put all students on the same page, so they know what is expected and can adjust accordingly. If there are consequences for not following the rules, students are less likely to act out in class.

4. Increase productivity

You will see your students more engaged when they know what is expected of them. They will not be wandering around or looking for directions on how to spend their study time. Having class rules makes it easier for you to manage your period efficiently and accomplish what you came in to do.

List of 30 Classroom Rules

Now that you know the benefits of having classroom rules let’s look at some of them. We have compiled a list of 30 basic classroom rules for your consideration. Let’s dive in!

1. Arrive on time for class.

2. Raise your hand to speak or volunteer.

3. Follow the dress code of the school.

4. Do not cheat or copy other people’s work.

5. Complete all assignments.

6. Listen to the teacher when being spoken to and answer the question.

7. Respect everyone in the class.

8. Keep your hands, feet, and objects to yourself.

9. Respect the school property.

10. Keep your language clean and appropriate for the classroom setting.

11. Do not leave your seat without permission.

12. Do not eat or drink in class (except for water).

13. Follow all classroom procedures and routines without reminders.

14. Ask for help if you do not understand something the teacher just said, and be respectful while asking for it.

15. Be on time for every assignment or test (except for medical or other emergencies).

16. Do your best work each day, regardless of how much time is left in class.

17. Maintain positive behavior towards classmates and teachers at all times.

18. Address any disruptive behavior immediately and respectfully.

19. Treat others how you want to be treated, with kindness and respect.

21. Refrain from interrupting the class during instruction or group activities.

22. Listen to what the teacher says and follow directions carefully.

23. Clean up your desk and dispose of trash properly after lunch.

24. Tell the truth!

25. Raise your hand if you have a question and wait to be called on.

26. No one should ever be made to feel bad about who they are.

27. Respect each other’s ideas and opinions even if you disagree with them.

28. Work quietly during independent study time to avoid disturbing others.

29. Follow the classroom seating arrangement and stay in your assigned seat unless instructed otherwise.

30. Report any issues or conflicts to the teacher immediately instead of trying to handle them on your own.

And there you have it, 30 classroom rules that are sure to keep your students engaged and productive in class! You may find that some of the rules apply only to specific subjects or grade levels. Feel free to modify the rules that do not apply in your classroom. Now let’s learn how to create your own set of rules that work best for you and your students.

What’s the Best Approach to Create Class Rules?

Now that we’ve covered why class rules are essential let’s talk about how to create them. There is no one-size-fits-all approach; depending on your teaching style and what you want to accomplish in class, they can be either strict or flexible.

Rules that are too strict or not suitable for your class

There is such a thing as too strict. If you already have behavior issues in your classroom, no rule will help you unless you make significant changes to how your students perceive and understand the purpose of the common school rules. Depending on what kind of class this is, it can be challenging to have suitable rules for every student. Sometimes the number of pros does not outweigh the number of cons.

Rules that are too flexible or not respected by students

Having flexible class rules will make your students want to take advantage of them. And if you do not respect them yourself, they might not be very effective. It can create a hostile environment in your classroom when these general classroom rules are not taken seriously by you or your students.

How to Develop Classroom Rules That Promote Positive Expectations?

To establish classroom rules for students that work for everyone, it is best to know what kind of class this is and how strict you need them to be. Everyone adheres to different expectations, so do not force yourself into a specific model. If you do not want to have a rigid list of rules, that is perfectly fine. You can still have a positive class culture by being flexible with the guidelines and focusing more on students’ behavior rather than their actions.

Here are some simple steps you can take to get started:

Before anything else, you need to decide what words you will use when talking about the rules. Your students need to know that these are not just guidelines but actual expectations they must abide by. You can refer to them as your “classroom guidelines” or “classroom policies.” Regardless of what words you choose, make sure that your students are aware of what these are.

The next step is to make them clear, especially if you are coming up with a list of more than one rule. Use words that are easy to understand so students do not get confused or misinterpret rules on their own. You can also create a presentation or handout with examples of the rules in specific situations so students know how to react.

After setting up your list of rules, communicate them to your students clearly and often. Keep a copy of them where all of your students can see and post reminders around the classroom that they can refer to. Regarding class rules, repetition is vital to reinforce them with your students.

Based on their effectiveness, you will learn what works well in your classroom and what does not. Make changes to improve them along the way instead of waiting until the end of the semester or school year. You can also adapt or adjust them according to feedback from your students so they are more comfortable with them.

Having too many rules can have the opposite effect, so it is best to keep it simple. If you have trouble coming up with enough rules, focus more on behaviors instead of actions. For example, if a student does not follow nonverbal cues like raising their hand or staying quiet during class discussions, that is the behavior that needs to be addressed.

Instead of worrying about your class rules, focus on how you will deal with breaking them. There are many ways to address poor behavior and discipline students accordingly, so do not get stuck on the number of rules you have for them in particular. They need to know that the rules are not there to make their lives more complicated but to help them succeed in class and beyond.

Related Reading: Ways to Implement Restorative Practices in the Classroom

Your students will notice if you are using exactly the same set of rules with other classes or teachers, so it is best to make them personal to your own teaching philosophy. You can always start with a list of rules from another teacher to use as a base, but make them your own by adding or removing certain ones along the way.

Ensure they are easily accessible and available for your students so they can refer to them when necessary. Having physical copies in several places, like on the front or blackboard, at their desks, or in a binder will make them easily accessible.

Remember to keep things balanced by not letting the rules become too much of a focus for your students during class time. It is equally essential to provide positive praise when they are following through with necessary actions or behaving well.

Some teachers like to start with rules during the first few days of class, but others prefer to wait until later on when their students are more comfortable with things. You can even use them right away if you know your students will be different and need an adjustment period. It all depends on how well they work for your specific students.

11. Make them age-appropriate

Think about what sort of rules will be the most helpful for your class and their needs. They should be age-appropriate, so if you are teaching elementary school students, then using complex phrases or words that might go over their heads is not recommended. When in doubt, picking ones that are familiar to them, like “raise your hand before speaking” or “come to class prepared for lecture,” will be helpful.

How To Uphold Classroom Rules?

Many teachers wonder how exactly they should keep their students in line when it comes to following classroom rules, so here are some effective methods.

1. Give consequences

When students violate the classroom rules, you should address them by giving them a consequence appropriate for their actions. If they did not follow one of your classroom discipline rules, just explain why and what the rule is in general so they understand it better.

2. Use positive reinforcement to reward good behavior

Teachers who use positive reinforcement with their students find that the students do not need as many consequences because they are already doing well! Make sure to compliment good behavior when you see it or hear about it, but avoid saying negative things about bad behavior since that might make them think acting out is okay.

You can even give tokens throughout the day to those who behave well, which will turn into credits at the end and can be used for special privileges like a student of the day, going to recess early, or choosing their own seat.

3. Track class performance

The key to being effective with classroom rules is to have a system that works for you and your students, so be sure to track their performance during the school year. You can use SplashLearn to get insights into how your students are performing as a whole as well as individual students so you can understand where they need the most work.

4. Be consistent with consequences and rewards

It is imperative that you are consistent with enforcing your rules and rewarding good behavior if you want them both to work well within your students’ lives at school! Ensure that you follow through with all punishments and rewards that you set forth, or else they will not encourage compliance.

5. Keep things positive

From day one, it is important to maintain a positive classroom environment where your students feel safe and comfortable so they do not want to act out as much as possible. Once you have established this type of classroom, you will see that most problems can be solved without needing consequences because they will be minimal in the first place.

6. Be patient

Remember that it takes a lot of time and patience to get through this process, so do not get frustrated if there are still problems from time to time. Talk with your students about the rules before starting class, and have them help you develop ways for problem-solving. By keeping the lines of communication open, you will be able to resolve issues as they happen, so you do not need to punish anyone.

7. Involve parents in reinforcing classroom rules 

Collaborate with parents to reinforce classroom rules at home. Regular communication with parents about their child’s behavior and progress helps create a consistent environment between school and home. This involvement ensures that students understand the importance of following rules and encourages positive behavior both in and out of the classroom.

8. Be prepared for emergencies

Unfortunately, even the best classroom rules and students can lead to accidents. Because of this, you must have a plan for how your class will handle emergencies before they happen so you are ready if anything happens. The more prepared you are ahead of time, the more effective you will be during an emergency.

The list of classroom rules can be endless, but here are 30 basic ones to help you start or refine your own. From simple rules like “raise your hand before speaking” to complex concepts like teaching students how their brains work, these principles can lead to higher success in school. 

Though it may seem daunting, applying these rules often results in less stress for teachers. If you have any additional rules, let us know, and we might add them to the list!

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

How can you make rules meaningful to the students.

Kids are easy to please, and science proves it! So many factors come into play when making rules meaningful to students. We suggest that you allow the students to have a part in making the rules. When that happens, everyone feels as if they have a stake in what is happening and that things are fair for all. In addition, they will feel as if their opinion is heard and valued by you as an educator.

How do I make sure students trust what I say?

Teachers must have credibility within their classrooms. If you are the teacher, then it is your goal to gain your students’ trust so that they listen to you when you need them to. There are several ways for you to do this. First, create a classroom culture where your students know that what you say goes and will be enforced. Second, never say something that you don’t mean. If you do, your students will quickly learn to ignore you when needed. Lastly, make sure to follow through with the consequences you make known ahead of time!

How many classroom rules should you have?

We all know that too many cooks in the kitchen spoil the broth. The same is true when it comes to classroom rules. Teachers who can get their student’s attention quickly without saying too much usually have fewer rules. However, this might not fit every type of level or age of the student. In addition, teachers should consider what their school expects from them regarding rules. In the end, no one can say for sure how many rules you should have in your classroom. It is best to consider all of the above and then create a list that works for you!

What is the most important rule to have in the classroom?

That all depends on what you are trying to accomplish as a teacher. For example, some teachers might say that their most important rule is “raise your hand before speaking.” In our opinion, this would be beneficial for students who have trouble staying focused or might not know when it is their turn to speak in class. If you are working with students who have trouble keeping their focus, that might be one of your most important rules.

What are the 5 P's classroom rules?

The 5 P’s classroom rules are: Be Prompt, Be Prepared, Be Polite, Be Productive, and Be Positive. These guidelines help maintain a respectful and efficient learning environment.

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36 Classroom Rules for Student Success

Written by Maria Kampen

• Teacher Resources
• Teaching Strategies

• A list of 36 classroom rules to get you started on making your own
• Techniques to help you build rules that work for your classroom
• Suggestions for upholding classroom rules
• Restorative practices in the classroom

For many students (and teachers), the idea of classroom rules feels oppressive, stifling and sometimes just downright unfair.

It’s difficult to balance the need for order and structure with the desire to build a collaborative, fun environment for learning. But proper classroom management techniques include developing rules that guide student learning and set expectations around classroom behavior.

Want to engage students and boost time on task? Use Prodigy, a fun and adaptive game-based learning platform, to help students practice math.

Promoting consistent and value-based rules can help build a positive learning environment where all students have the opportunity to explore and succeed.

Classroom rules

Classroom rules look different for every teacher. Some use only a few, while others prefer to use more. Here are 36 rules to get you started on building your own :

• Ask questions
• Respect and listen to your classmates
• Respect and listen to the teacher
• Raise your hand to speak
• Be prepared for class
• Be quiet when the teacher is talking
• Be quiet when classmates are talking
• Share new ideas
• Keep your hands to yourself
• Respect others’ property
• Keep your workspace tidy
• Always do your best
• Walk, don’t run, in the hallways
• Be a good friend
• Share with others
• Use equipment properly
• Help keep the classroom tidy
• Listen to all the teachers
• Obey all school rules
• Finish your homework on time
• Be respectful of classmates who are working
• Have a good attitude
• Use positive language
• Line up neatly and quietly
• Stay in your seat
• Listen with your ears and your eyes
• Contribute to discussions
• Be respectful of others’ ideas
• Follow the teacher’s directions the first time they are given
• Cooperate with your classmates
• Be creative
• Use technology appropriately
• Be proud of your work

Want to keep these rules close by? We've put together a downloadable PDF with all these rules that you can use in your classroom today!

How to create classroom rules

Build the foundation.

There are so many benefits to building a classroom that feels like a community:

improved student academics, respectful discussions, and a growth mindset are just a few. Classroom rules can help establish a sense of community when they’re built on collective classroom values.

Classroom rules: 1. Have a vision. 2. Be a learner, not a finisher. 3. Lean into struggle. 4. Feed your passion. 5. Own your education. — Amy Fast, Ed.D. (@fastcrayon) February 25, 2017

Start with the big picture: what core values should inform the way you and your students interact? Values like self-respect, positivity, encouragement and passion are all great places to start.

Take those big-picture rules and use them to create smaller, more actionable ones. If you want to promote respect in your classroom, create rules that ask students to use positive language, respect their classmates’ property and keep their hands to themselves.

Emphasize that rules are in place to guide student learning. Communicate to students that classroom rules make the classroom a safe and supportive environment for all students.

Get students involved in creating classroom rules

Take the core values you want to see in your classroom and present them to your class. Let students extrapolate and list behaviors that model key principles. Challenge them to think about what each looks like in the classroom and to develop specific scenarios that act out the rules they’ve brainstormed.

After brainstorming, develop a final list of rules as a group. Which ones do students think are the most important? If they disagree with a rule, ask them to explain why. Discuss with them why the rule was made and how you can adjust it to the specific needs of the class.

While it’s good to include students in the rule-making process, it’s also important to remember that the final say on what goes stays with you. When you explain and collaborate on the rules, students are more likely to accept and respect your authority.

Display classroom rules creatively

The only thing more boring for your students than a long, black-and-white list of rules nailed to the wall on the first day of school is listening to you read off the list as they sit in their desks and wish they were still on summer vacation.

Present classroom rules in an engaging way to get creativity flowing on the first day of school . Ask students to help make classroom rules posters or short skits that creatively demonstrate the rules for the rest of the class. When students are involved with presenting the rules, they’re more likely to remember and uphold them.

Be specific

Students, whether they realize it or not, thrive and succeed academically in an environment with clear rules and boundaries. General rules and classroom principles are a great place to start, but everyday rules should be clear and specific, with little room for creative interpretation or manipulation.

If you choose to make rules with your students, ask them to go deeper than general ideas. Have them consider what rules look like in practice, and what the consequences for breaking certain rules should be.

Be clear on consequences

Routine and structure are important aspects of any classroom, and as a teacher you have to be consistent in how you apply the rules — no playing favorites or backing down on the consequences. Students won’t respect and follow the rules if you don’t.

Be clear from the beginning on what the consequences are for breaking the rules. Consider a “fix what you broke” approach that asks the student to make amends for their behavior through actions or words, or set time-outs and temporary losses of privilege. Certain infractions are more serious than others (i.e. violence vs. speaking out of turn), so be prepared to respond appropriately.

Some quick tips to promote community and learning:

• Don’t be unnecessarily heavy-handed or look to embarrass students in front of the class
• Praise publicly, reprimand privately
• Always be able to explain how your consequences fit into your overall classroom rules

Give (small) rewards

While most teachers lay out consequences for misbehavior, consider also identifying areas where students can earn rewards. Positive reinforcement is a useful technique. Make sure to praise students for acting appropriately, and consider giving small rewards to students who exceed expectations.

Rewards can include stickers, a chance to be a “line leader” for the day, or even extra time on a fun, educational game like Prodigy Math.

Prodigy Math is an engaging, digital game-based learning platform . Students can create free accounts and go on adventures, collect pets, play with friends — all while answering standards-aligned math questions.

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Get parent buy-in

Parent involvement is the best indicator of student success — a principle that extends beyond academic involvement. Parents need to understand and align themselves with expectations for classroom behavior.

Keep in touch with parents and send home a letter at the beginning of the school year that details the classroom rules that you and your class have agreed on.

Consider taking a few moments from a parent evening to go over student expectations or ask for feedback on what values parents think classroom rules should uphold. Communication and collaboration with parents means more student success and fewer surprises during the school year.

Collaborate with your colleagues

Your colleagues are one of your biggest assets when it comes to establishing clear rules. Students often have more than one teacher throughout the school day, and communicating a consistent set of classroom rules can help reinforce student expectations.

Collaborating with other teachers is also a good way to make sure that your rules are in line with school culture . If the classroom is out of step with what the rest of the school is doing, students can get confused and start to act out. Speak with a supervisor or trusted colleague if you have any questions, and take their advice seriously.

How to uphold classroom rules

For many teachers, student discipline is a difficult subject to discuss. If every classroom needs rules, then it stands to reason that breaking the rules should come with appropriate consequences.

In any classroom, broken rules mean wasted teaching time and emotional exhaustion for teachers. In one study about classroom discipline , researchers noted that:

“ The ultimate goal of classroom order is to enable instruction . Classroom order is not a goal in itself, nor is it a way to correct classroom disruption. Effective teachers have fewer classroom disciplinary problems not because they are good at restoring discipline, but because they are good at establishing classroom procedures that maximize time available for instruction.”

With that in mind, here are some tips for making sure student discipline, when necessary, is used as a way to get back to what your students are really there for: learning!

Collaborate with your students — again

While you’re making the rules, consider making the consequences as well. In order for students to respect the rules, they have to realize what’s going to happen when they break them. Give students hypothetical situations, and ask them to develop consequences based on shared classroom values.

Even if you decide to make the consequences on you own, don’t think that being unnecessarily harsh will earn you respect. If you truly want to build an efficient and positive learning environment, you should always keep the best interests of your students in mind.

Be able to explain consequences when students ask. Take circumstance into account — an unusually egregious offence needs to be escalated more quickly than a small classroom disturbance. Apply the rules consistently so students learn the value of responsibility.

Continue to reinforce classroom rules

If you want students to listen to classroom rules all year round, make sure you’ve reinforced them throughout the school year. If rules are continually taught, students have less of an excuse for misbehavior . In her Cooperative Discipline Model, teaching specialist  Linda Albert recommends that:

“The behaviors calls for  must be taught, not taken for granted , and the code should be discussed regularly. This keeps it in the foreground for reminding students and for use when correcting misbehavior. When serious violations of the code occur, procedures of conflict resolution are applied. All the while, the teacher makes ongoing efforts to help students feel capable, connected with others, and contributors to the class and elsewhere.”

If students are aware of the rules and know you take them seriously, they’ll be more likely to respect them.

Balance discipline with compassion

Albert also theorizes that misbehavior is merely students trying to achieve “mistaken goals,” including revenge, attention-seeking or assumed disability. She encourages teachers to reframe this as an opportunity to build a positive relationship with students.

While discipline is a way to encourage a safe and positive working environment for all students, it’s important to remember students are also learning how to function as responsible and effective members of society. Difficult home situations, mental health issues and challenging social situations are all factors that can cause students to act out.

While none of these factors excuse bad behavior, it’s worth checking in with a chronically misbehaving student to see if you can address any underlying factors. Work with administrators, support staff and parents to develop a response to intervention plan for students who might be struggling in the classroom, or guide students to resources that can help them succeed both personally and academically.

Restorative practices: moving away from classroom rules?

If you've implemented classroom rules or understandings yourself, you know there can be pros and cons. Some teachers have had success using them while others have not.

While they may work for in some environments, these classroom rule systems can interrupt students' learning journeys and, in some case, result in the same or more challenging behavior down the road.

Compared to classroom rules, restorative practices focus on empowering students to learn from their choices that aren't acceptable, understand the impact of those actions and, from there, to grow personally in their knowledge of how to make better decisions and resolve problems.

Benefits of restorative practices in the classroom

As highlighted by EdWeek , restorative practices can help students:

• Build relationships
• Strive to be respectful to all
• Involve relevant stakeholders
• Encourage all to take responsibility
• Address harms, needs, obligations
• Provide the opportunity for equitable dialogue and decision-making

Examples of restorative practices

Whether you're thinking of ditching traditional classroom rules altogether or want to find a way to bring them together with restorative practices, here are some ideas to get your class started.

• Affective statements — Also known as "feeling statements", students can form and share them in response to someone else's actions, be they a student or a teacher. It follows a simple structure: how you're feeling, why you're feeling it and what you need to feed better.
• Collaborative class agreements — Your students will likely feel more inclined to help create a positive classroom environment if they play a role in creating classroom rules or understandings or agreements. Instead of having classroom rules set in stone before the school year starts, wait until the first week of school to create class agreements together.
• Mindfulness — create room for practicing mindfulness daily to help your students focus on being present, deep breathing and growing awareness of themselves and those around them. Your mindfulness moments can be silent or guided — one or the other might be more suitable on any given day.
• Restorative circles — These are great for helping your students build social awareness, relationship skills and a sense of community. It will require vulnerability (something not all students may be comfortable with), so you may need to help lead this time and share thoughts, feelings or concerns of your own.
• Problem-solving anchor chart — These are a great tool help empower students to constructively and collaboratively solve their own problems. As a class, brainstorm two types of scenarios: ones that students would require teacher help to resolve (e.g., class theft, a fight) and others that students can try to solve independently (e.g., a student is using an item that another one wants, someone who wants to play or work independently instead of as a group).

Recognizing that classroom rules are but a part of classroom management. Depending on your class' specific set of classroom rules, restorative practices can provide a more empathetic approach to solving problems

Final thoughts on classroom rules

Each teacher uses their classroom rules differently, because each class is different. Some students might need structure and clearly defined boundaries, while others respond positively to more freedom. Encourage student buy-in, continuously communicate the rules and uphold them as necessary to find what works best for your classroom.

Long days and large classes can make it difficult to respond to every need or problem equally. Do your best, and make sure that your students know that you want to see them succeed — that’s what matters the most.

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What’s the Right Amount of Homework?

Decades of research show that homework has some benefits, especially for students in middle and high school—but there are risks to assigning too much.

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Many teachers and parents believe that homework helps students build study skills and review concepts learned in class. Others see homework as disruptive and unnecessary, leading to burnout and turning kids off to school. Decades of research show that the issue is more nuanced and complex than most people think: Homework is beneficial, but only to a degree. Students in high school gain the most, while younger kids benefit much less.

The National PTA and the National Education Association support the “ 10-minute homework guideline ”—a nightly 10 minutes of homework per grade level. But many teachers and parents are quick to point out that what matters is the quality of the homework assigned and how well it meets students’ needs, not the amount of time spent on it.

The guideline doesn’t account for students who may need to spend more—or less—time on assignments. In class, teachers can make adjustments to support struggling students, but at home, an assignment that takes one student 30 minutes to complete may take another twice as much time—often for reasons beyond their control. And homework can widen the achievement gap, putting students from low-income households and students with learning disabilities at a disadvantage.

However, the 10-minute guideline is useful in setting a limit: When kids spend too much time on homework, there are real consequences to consider.

Small Benefits for Elementary Students

As young children begin school, the focus should be on cultivating a love of learning, and assigning too much homework can undermine that goal. And young students often don’t have the study skills to benefit fully from homework, so it may be a poor use of time (Cooper, 1989 ; Cooper et al., 2006 ; Marzano & Pickering, 2007 ). A more effective activity may be nightly reading, especially if parents are involved. The benefits of reading are clear: If students aren’t proficient readers by the end of third grade, they’re less likely to succeed academically and graduate from high school (Fiester, 2013 ).

For second-grade teacher Jacqueline Fiorentino, the minor benefits of homework did not outweigh the potential drawback of turning young children against school at an early age, so she experimented with dropping mandatory homework. “Something surprising happened: They started doing more work at home,” Fiorentino writes . “This inspiring group of 8-year-olds used their newfound free time to explore subjects and topics of interest to them.” She encouraged her students to read at home and offered optional homework to extend classroom lessons and help them review material.

Moderate Benefits for Middle School Students

As students mature and develop the study skills necessary to delve deeply into a topic—and to retain what they learn—they also benefit more from homework. Nightly assignments can help prepare them for scholarly work, and research shows that homework can have moderate benefits for middle school students (Cooper et al., 2006 ). Recent research also shows that online math homework, which can be designed to adapt to students’ levels of understanding, can significantly boost test scores (Roschelle et al., 2016 ).

There are risks to assigning too much, however: A 2015 study found that when middle school students were assigned more than 90 to 100 minutes of daily homework, their math and science test scores began to decline (Fernández-Alonso, Suárez-Álvarez, & Muñiz, 2015 ). Crossing that upper limit can drain student motivation and focus. The researchers recommend that “homework should present a certain level of challenge or difficulty, without being so challenging that it discourages effort.” Teachers should avoid low-effort, repetitive assignments, and assign homework “with the aim of instilling work habits and promoting autonomous, self-directed learning.”

In other words, it’s the quality of homework that matters, not the quantity. Brian Sztabnik, a veteran middle and high school English teacher, suggests that teachers take a step back and ask themselves these five questions :

• How long will it take to complete?
• Have all learners been considered?
• Will an assignment encourage future success?
• Will an assignment place material in a context the classroom cannot?
• Does an assignment offer support when a teacher is not there?

More Benefits for High School Students, but Risks as Well

By the time they reach high school, students should be well on their way to becoming independent learners, so homework does provide a boost to learning at this age, as long as it isn’t overwhelming (Cooper et al., 2006 ; Marzano & Pickering, 2007 ). When students spend too much time on homework—more than two hours each night—it takes up valuable time to rest and spend time with family and friends. A 2013 study found that high school students can experience serious mental and physical health problems, from higher stress levels to sleep deprivation, when assigned too much homework (Galloway, Conner, & Pope, 2013 ).

Homework in high school should always relate to the lesson and be doable without any assistance, and feedback should be clear and explicit.

Teachers should also keep in mind that not all students have equal opportunities to finish their homework at home, so incomplete homework may not be a true reflection of their learning—it may be more a result of issues they face outside of school. They may be hindered by issues such as lack of a quiet space at home, resources such as a computer or broadband connectivity, or parental support (OECD, 2014 ). In such cases, giving low homework scores may be unfair.

Since the quantities of time discussed here are totals, teachers in middle and high school should be aware of how much homework other teachers are assigning. It may seem reasonable to assign 30 minutes of daily homework, but across six subjects, that’s three hours—far above a reasonable amount even for a high school senior. Psychologist Maurice Elias sees this as a common mistake: Individual teachers create homework policies that in aggregate can overwhelm students. He suggests that teachers work together to develop a school-wide homework policy and make it a key topic of back-to-school night and the first parent-teacher conferences of the school year.

Parents Play a Key Role

Homework can be a powerful tool to help parents become more involved in their child’s learning (Walker et al., 2004 ). It can provide insights into a child’s strengths and interests, and can also encourage conversations about a child’s life at school. If a parent has positive attitudes toward homework, their children are more likely to share those same values, promoting academic success.

But it’s also possible for parents to be overbearing, putting too much emphasis on test scores or grades, which can be disruptive for children (Madjar, Shklar, & Moshe, 2015 ). Parents should avoid being overly intrusive or controlling—students report feeling less motivated to learn when they don’t have enough space and autonomy to do their homework (Orkin, May, & Wolf, 2017 ; Patall, Cooper, & Robinson, 2008 ; Silinskas & Kikas, 2017 ). So while homework can encourage parents to be more involved with their kids, it’s important to not make it a source of conflict.

35 Effective Classroom Rules That Promote a Positive Learning Environment

Ausbert Generoso

Classroom rules shape the energy in your space, setting the foundation for how students work together and feel throughout the day. If the usual guidelines aren’t bringing the focus or cooperation you want, there are ways to make them work better for you and your students.

In this blog, we’re going through 35 classroom rules that aim to create a positive and engaging learning space. And while you know your classroom best, sometimes, a fresh take or a new idea can make a world of difference. Let’s get started!

Why Set Classroom Rules

Students might fear the idea of rules, especially in the classroom. But it’s crucial to present these rules in a way that students can understand and see as beneficial. While rules might seem restrictive, they are designed to enhance the learning environment and ensure that everyone can focus on what really matters—education. Here are a few reasons why setting clear classroom rules is so important:

• They provide clear guidelines. Rules make it evident what is expected from students, preventing confusion and ensuring consistent behavior.
• They minimize disruptions. By establishing boundaries, rules help maintain focus and reduce interruptions in the learning process.
• They create a structured environment. Rules offer a predictable routine, which helps students know what to expect and how to navigate their day.
• They encourage positive behavior. Rules guide students towards respectful and cooperative behavior, fostering a more harmonious classroom.
• They teach social skills. Rules help students develop essential social skills like respect, cooperation, and communication, enhancing their interactions with peers and teachers.

35 Classroom Rules You and Your Students Will Benefit From

1. Be in your seat and ready to learn when the bell rings

Start class on time with your materials ready to go.

2. Think big, but start small

Big goals are awesome, but focus on small, consistent actions each day to achieve them.

💡 Bonus interactive tip for teachers : Use ClassPoint’s Word Cloud feature to aggregate and visualize students’ goals. This interactive real-time activity allows students to submit their goals as responses, which are then displayed in a dynamic word cloud. Save this slide to revisit and reflect on progress at the end of the school year, fostering a sense of achievement and motivation.

800,000+ educators and professionals use ClassPoint to boost audience engagement right inside PowerPoint.

3. Use technology responsibly

Devices are for learning, not for scrolling through TikTok during class (unless it’s a TikTok lesson!).

4. Raise your hand before speaking

Wait for your turn by raising your hand when you want to contribute or ask questions.

💡 Bonus interactive tip for teachers : Utilize ClassPoint’s Q&A feature to manage classroom discussions more effectively. Students can submit their questions or comments during a discussion right from their devices without having to disrupt the flow of your current instruction. You can address them in an organized manner, ensuring everyone has a chance to participate without interruptions.

5. Be a problem-solver, not a problem-maker

If something goes wrong, find a solution before it becomes an issue—whether it’s missing homework or a group conflict.

6. Keep your hands and feet to yourself

Respect personal space and avoid touching others or their belongings.

7. Own your actions—good and bad

Celebrate your wins and learn from your mistakes. Don’t shift the blame.

8. Complete all assignments and turn them in on time

Stay on top of your work and submit it by the deadline.

💡 Bonus interactive tip for teachers : Run live assessments with ClassPoint’s interactive quiz question types . These real-time quizzes help engage students, provide immediate feedback, and keep the class on track. Time the assessments to your requirement to set deadlines for each question, ensuring students stay focused and complete them promptly.

9. Give it 100%, even on tough days

Some days are harder than others, but always try your best to stay focused and engaged.

10. Respect everyone in the room—classmates, teacher, and yourself

Use kind words, listen when others are speaking, and treat everyone with courtesy.

11. Ask questions, but also listen for answers

Being curious is awesome, but make sure you’re listening to what others are saying before asking more questions.

12. Stay in your assigned seat unless told otherwise

Remain in your seat during lessons unless you’re asked to move.

13. Turn challenges into adventures

Treat problems or difficult tasks as puzzles waiting to be solved. This perspective shift makes learning more enjoyable.

💡 Bonus interactive tip for teachers : Incorporate ClassPoint’s gamification elements to transform learning challenges into engaging adventures. Award stars , help them advance through levels, and display badges on the leaderboard to motivate students and make everyday lessons fun.

14. Bring positive energy into the classroom

Be the reason someone else smiles today—positivity is contagious!

15. Follow classroom signals and instructions right away

Pay attention to your teacher’s signals (like a hand raise or bell) and respond quickly.

16. Keep it clean—your workspace, your mind, and your language

A tidy desk leads to a clear mind, and a clear mind leads to a successful day. Leave the negativity outside.

17. Take care of classroom and school property

Treat desks, books, and other equipment with care.

18. Help others when you can

Got a classmate who’s struggling? Give them a hand, whether it’s explaining a concept or sharing notes.

💡 Bonus interactive tip for teachers : Use ClassPoint’s Grouping feature to organize students into peer review groups directly within PowerPoint. This allows students to collaborate, support each other, and learn together, enhancing their understanding of concepts through teamwork.

19. Keep food and drinks outside of class, except for water

Water is okay, but save snacks for break times.

20. Keep an open mind to new ideas and perspectives

Be willing to listen to others and consider different viewpoints. Growth happens when you’re open to learning from everyone around you.

21. Keep your language appropriate for school

Speak respectfully and avoid inappropriate language.

22. End every class stronger than you started

Every day is a chance to learn something new—make sure you leave class knowing more than when you walked in.

23. Be your own biggest cheerleader

Celebrate your own progress, even the small wins. Confidence grows from within.

💡 Bonus interactive tip for teachers : Showcase students’ achievements and progress by highlighting their rankings on ClassPoint’s leaderboard . This feature helps students visualize their accomplishments and fosters a positive, competitive spirit in the classroom.

24. Keep the noise down—both literally and metaphorically

Keep conversations low in volume, but also avoid gossip or negativity. Both can disrupt the class vibe.

25. Learn something new about a classmate each week

Building connections matters! Make it a goal to learn one interesting fact about someone you don’t know well.

26. Use failure as a stepping stone, not a roadblock

Mistakes happen—what matters is how you bounce back and learn from them.

💡 Bonus interactive tip for teachers : Monitor student progress and classroom data when you manage your classes with ClassPoint’s My Class . Access detailed reports through the ClassPoint web app to track improvements, identify areas for growth, and provide targeted support, turning setbacks into opportunities for learning.

27. Find your passion in every subject

Not every class will be your favorite, but challenge yourself to find something interesting in each topic.

28. No idea is too wild

Don’t be afraid to share creative or unconventional ideas. Innovation comes from thinking outside the box.

💡 Bonus interactive tip for teachers : Encourage creative thinking with ClassPoint’s multimedia quiz question types, including Slide Drawing , Image & Video Uploads , and Audio Record . These tools allow students to express their ideas in various formats, catering to every student in any learning style they exhibit.

29. Challenge yourself to step outside your comfort zone

Growth happens when you push your boundaries—volunteer, take the lead in a group, or tackle a tough question.

30. Be mindful of mental breaks

It’s okay to pause, take a deep breath, and reset when things get overwhelming. Mental clarity is key to success.

💡 Bonus interactive tip : Use ClassPoint’s Timer & Stopwatch feature to easily time and manage breaks during class. This can help students stay refreshed and maintain their focus throughout the lesson.

31. Share the credit when you succeed

When you shine, recognize the people who helped you along the way—whether it’s classmates or teachers.

32. Curiosity is your superpower

Never stop asking “why” or “how.” Curiosity fuels growth and keeps learning exciting.

33. Know the difference between a break and procrastination

Breaks are essential for focus, but too much downtime becomes procrastination. Know when to refocus.

34. Treat class like your future job

Show up on time, take it seriously, and give your best effort—it’s good practice for whatever career you choose.

35. Turn your learning into action

Don’t just absorb knowledge—apply it! Use what you learn in the classroom to make an impact outside of it.

Quick and Actionable Strategies for Implementing Classroom Rules Effectively

Now that we have established our 35 classroom rules, it’s essential to ensure they are not just understood but also embraced by everyone. Here are quick tips to ensure your classroom rules are both effective and engaging:

• Involve students in rule-making. Let students help create the rules. This approach makes them feel more invested and committed to following the guidelines.
• Focus on positive actions. Instead of framing rules as prohibitions, like “Don’t interrupt,” use positive language such as “Raise your hand to speak.” This encourages the desired behavior.
• Use creative displays for rules. Engage students with posters they design or interactive skits that demonstrate the rules in action. Creative methods make the rules more memorable.
• Adapt rules as needed. Keep the conversation about rules ongoing throughout the school year. Be flexible and make adjustments based on how the classroom dynamics evolve.

Final Thoughts

As you implement these classroom rules, remember that the ultimate goal is to create an environment where students feel supported and motivated to learn.

Keep in mind that every classroom is unique, and it’s important to adapt these principles to fit your specific needs. Regularly revisit and refine your approach to ensure it continues to serve your students effectively.

About Ausbert Generoso

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My 10 best classroom rules for students

In this guide

• Arrive on time
• Raise your hand
• One mic rule
• Respect others
• Respect the space
• Keep your hands and feet to yourself
• Use appropriate language
• Come prepared
• Ask for help
• Do your best

Establishing classroom rules with your students early on is imperative for creating a safe and productive learning environment. By creating a code of conduct for your class, you provide guidelines for everyday behavior and set expectations for your students that will ultimately contribute to fostering a more respectful and comfortable classroom for everyone.

How I set ground rules in the classroom

There are plenty of methods out there for setting ground rules. If you want to establish yourself as the primary authoritative figure, you might want to create and communicate the rules yourself. Personally, I find classroom rules more effective when everyone has a stake in them.

In my first classroom, the very first activity I did with my students was to create a “social contract” for our time spent in class. This manifested in a large piece of paper that recorded the classroom rules, which was ultimately displayed at the front of the classroom for the rest of the year. The students and myself decided on what rules would go on the page together, and we all signed our names at the bottom to signify our agreement.

Now that I teach primarily in informal spaces like museum galleries, I do this verbally. After introducing myself and outlining the day ahead, I ask my students; “What rules do you think we should have together so we can have a fun and safe time today?” Students generally have a good grip on the rules already, so they’re eager to share out and receive positive reinforcement for demonstrating their knowledge. By establishing the ground rules together, both students and teachers have a personal stake in their enforcement. 

Want to make setting or reinforcing rules a little more fun for younger learners? Try singing them!

My favorite classroom rules

Remember, classroom rules are meant to keep students safe and the learning continuous – they are not meant to establish a dictatorship or to govern students based on your personal behavior preferences. That said, here are some rules that I find most effective, and that students generally accept. 

1)  Arrive on time

Nobody likes repeating themselves – which is exactly what you’ll end up doing if your students trickle in after the bell and routinely ignore the class start time. Not only is it disrespectful to you and the students who are eager to jump into the lesson, it ultimately takes away from the tardy student’s education. Encourage your students to be present and ready to learn when your time begins. 

2) Raise your hand

It’s a good thing when your students have questions or comments – but constant calling out makes for a chaotic environment, and may even make quieter students feel isolated. Early on, let your students know that you want to hear from them and you want to answer their questions, but they should indicate that quietly and wait patiently until you’re ready to call on them.

3) One mic rule

This is crucial for me when I’m teaching in a gallery, and just as important when you’re disseminating information in your classroom. “One mic” means that only one voice should be heard at a time. If I’m sharing something, that should be me. If I call on a student to ask or answer a question, it should be them – there should be no other competing voices. 

Using a prop to visually indicate whose turn it is to speak is both a fun and effective way to incorporate this! 

4) Respect others

This goes hand in hand with one mic, and many of the other rules on this list. How one student shows respect towards another may differ across cultures and across classrooms, so you should make it crystal clear what that means in your classroom. Ultimately, it means that all students should feel safe and comfortable. 

5) Respect the space

You – and possibly any custodial staff at your school –  work hard to keep your classroom in tip top shape, and it’s insulting for everyone when students throw their trash on the floor or treat classroom objects without care. Remind them that this is their space, too. After all, how would they feel if you went into their bedroom and trashed it? 

6) Keep your hands and feet to yourself

Again, a very important one in a museum gallery! Making this rule broad not only ensures the protection of the objects and spaces around you, it also protects other students. This obviously means no hitting or kicking others. 

7) Use appropriate language

Our classroom is an academic setting – that means no cursing or inappropriate language. The language we use sets the tone for the environment, so make sure you’re leading by example. I don’t allow cursing, overly-gross or inappropriate phrasing, or negative self-speak among my students.

8) Come prepared

This means that the student is responsible for bringing whatever they need for a successful lesson. A pencil, a notebook, last night’s homework assignment, etc. This will differ among classrooms and content, but it’s ultimately the students showing up how you expect them to – even if that’s just physically present and armed with a can-do attitude. 

9) Ask for help

I was an anxious student. When I didn’t understand a concept or assignment, I suffered in silence, inwardly berating myself for being so inept. Did this strategy work for me? Nope – I failed chemistry because I was too proud and embarrassed to go to extra help or to ask my teacher to clarify his lessons. 

It wasn’t all my fault, though. That teacher was particularly unapproachable. Let your students know that it’s okay – and even encouraged – to ask you or another student for help when needed. The best learners are the ones who know how to obtain the information they need. 

10) Do your best

All students have varying talents and abilities, and you can’t expect them all to get 100%, 100% of the time. In my classroom, doing your best means making every effort to learn the content or to complete the assignment. After all, our best is all we can do! 

Displaying classroom rules

Once you’ve gone over the rules with your students, you should ensure these rules are displayed somewhere visible in your classroom. This will serve as a daily reminder of your expectations for your students. 

If teaching virtually, a PowerPoint or Prezi can be used to visualize these rules. If you have a digital classroom space online or in an app where students submit homework or ask questions, that’s also a great place for these reminders. 

When you’re creating the display, here are some guidelines to keep in mind:

• The rules should be simply stated
• The rules and wording need to be developmentally appropriate
• Any accompanying visuals must be simple and clear

Another means of upholding a democratic space centering on student input is making time to revisit the established rules. This can happen mid-year, or at the end of each quarter or semester. Take some time to really discuss what’s working, what’s not, and if any changes should be implemented. 

Upholding classroom rules

Of course you hope that by establishing and displaying clear and reasonable classroom rules, you’ll never have a student act out of line. Unfortunately that’s not reality, and you’ll eventually have to enforce these rules. 

Your classroom management style is up to you, but I’d recommend addressing a first offense by reminding the student of the rule, and why it exists in the first place. If an interventionary conversation doesn’t cut it, you may need to consider an appropriate disciplinary action or punishment . 

It’s also essential to keep in mind that not every student may have the capacity to follow every rule you set. As with any classroom directive, ensure you are able to create and accept modifications for students who are neurodivergent , ELL’s , or who may have different social and emotional needs . 

Further reading

• Getting Started with Establishing Ground Rules | Center for Teaching Innovation  
• Robert Boostrom (1991) The Nature and Functions of Classroom Rules, Curriculum Inquiry, 21:2, 193-216, DOI: doi.org
• Edwards, Patricia (2016) “Managing Your Classroom – Establishing Rules, Goals, and Expectations,” Michigan Reading Journal: Vol. 48: Iss. 2, Article 9. scholarworks.gvsy.edu  
• Bayer, A. (2004). Promulgating statements of student rights and responsibilities. New Directions for Teaching and Learning, 2004(99), 77-87.
• DiClementi, J. D., & Handelsman, M. M. (2005). Empowering students: Class-generated course rules. Teaching of Psychology, 32(1), 18-21.
• Forton; Mary Beth, Porter; Deborah; Wood, Chip. (2003). Rules in School: Strategies for Teachers. Center for Responsive Schools, Inc. 
• Smith, M. (2023). I Can Follow the Rules. United States: NEWMARK LEARNING LLC.

Jessica Pastore

Museum Educator

Jessica Pastore is a museum educator living and working in New York City. Her background is in social studies education and world history. She has taught in both classroom and gallery settings for the past ten years.

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20 Teacher-Tested Ways To Establish Classroom Rules and Set High Standards

Start things off on the right foot.

Since 1998, Solution Tree has been dedicated to helping educators raise student achievement. They offer research-based resources, professional development events, and tools for professional learning communities. Join the 50,000 educators who trust Solution Tree to improve learning outcomes for all students.

From the first moment students walk into your classroom, you want them to feel welcome and safe. One important way to do that is by establishing your rules, procedures, and expectations up front. We’ve partnered with our friends at Avanti by Solution Tree to bring you top tips and ideas for creating, sharing, and enforcing meaningful rules, as well as setting high expectations from day one.

Creating and Sharing Classroom Rules

Enforcing classroom rules, setting high expectations.

Even the most laid-back teacher needs some rules to make their classroom a safe and enjoyable learning space for all. But how do you determine exactly what rules make sense for your situation? Here are some tips and ideas for writing and sharing classroom rules worth keeping and enforcing.

1. Be clear and specific

Here’s a tip from Avanti: Don’t assume your students already know the general classroom rules and expectations, even high schoolers. Instead, give them clear and specific rules you expect them to follow, and help them understand what it looks like to follow those rules. Encourage buy-in by involving them in a discussion about the value of the rules, too, emphasizing words like responsibility , rights , freedom , and equality .

Watch Avanti’s Video: Establishing Rules and Procedures Based on School Beliefs

2. Keep it simple

Your school likely already has a handbook full of detailed rules for students, so there’s no need to reinvent the wheel here. Instead, choose a handful of rules that you feel are most important to keep students safe, protect classroom resources, and create a welcoming learning environment.

Learn more: What Makes for Good Classroom Rules? Real Teachers Weigh In

3. Write the rules with your students

Here’s a popular idea from Avanti: Let your students help you write the classroom rules as a first-day-of-school activity. Through a guided exercise, students work together to brainstorm their ideas of a good classroom environment. Then, they narrow them down and vote to establish their class’s “standard operating procedures.”

Learn more: 38 Must-Teach Classroom Rules

4. Start with respect

Ultimately, all rules are about respect. That means your rules might be as simple as “Respect Me. Respect the Classroom. Respect Yourself.” If you go this route, be sure to spend some time on your first day discussing what respect looks like and why it matters so much.

Classroom Activity: Start by asking students to write a short journal entry about a time they felt disrespected and how that made them feel. Then, break them into small groups and ask them to brainstorm examples of respect and disrespect in the classroom. Share these with the entire group, and discuss them together. Finally, ask each student to write their own definition of the word “respect” on a sticky note, and post it on an anchor chart to hang on your wall.

5. Try the 5 Ps

This idea came from an educator in the We Are Teachers HELPLINE group. The 5 Ps stand for: Positive, Polite, Prepared, Productive, and Prompt. They’re easy to remember, and they all fit within the larger category of respect too. Talk about the meaning of each word, and give some examples of what fits and doesn’t fit into each P.

Classroom Activity: Post five charts around the room, one for each of the five Ps. Have students work in groups to rotate around the room and write examples of each word. Then, ask them to use a sticky note to write which rule means the most to them and their reason why. Stick them to or around the appropriate chart, and read off a few for each one.

6. Role-play rules with students

Try this first-day-of-school activity idea from Avanti to make your rules easier for students to understand. Break students into small groups, and assign each one a rule from your list. Ask them to create two short skits: one that shows what it looks like to follow the rule, and one that shows what it looks like to break it. (Kids love this one!)

Setting and sharing rules is just the first step. Now you’ve got to make sure students actually follow these rules. Explore these ideas for keeping classroom behavior on track throughout the year.

7. Don’t set rules you don’t want to enforce

Sometimes we make rules just because, well, they’ve always been the rules. Ultimately, though, these rules may not be beneficial, and trying to enforce them is a waste of time and energy. For example, insisting students raise their hand if they want to speak can stifle class discussion. And fussing over a strict dress code takes up time that could be spent learning instead.

Learn more: 4 Classroom Rules I Always Forget To Enforce

8. Provide cues when rules are bent or broken

Students don’t always break the rules on purpose. Sometimes they forget or just get carried away in the moment. It’s especially hard for them to follow rules that are new to them, meaning younger students are more likely to need frequent reminders rather than immediate punishments. Try using verbal and nonverbal cues to draw students’ attention to infractions. Solution Tree has lots of great practical and useful ways to rein in behavior before it gets out of control.

Learn more: Free Classroom Management and Behavior resources from Solution Tree

9. Establish meaningful consequences

Rules without consequences are just empty words. Be clear about how you’ll enforce your rules, and what the consequences will be for breaking them. Try to ensure your consequences are meaningful, rather than just writing demerits or keeping a kid in from recess. Instead, consider what might actually cause them to rethink their behavior in the future. For instance, if someone breaks your rule about chewing gum in class, have them shadow the janitor for an hour to experience the challenges of cleaning up gum and other trash.

Learn more: 30 Logical Consequences for Student Behavior

10. Be consistent in enforcing rules

Once you’ve established simple meaningful rules, enforcing them is important. For one, it shows that you truly believe in the rules. Plus, enforcing your rules consistently means you don’t risk showing some students preferential treatment. Hold students accountable for their behavior, and you might even find that they start holding one another accountable too.

Learn more: 10 Ways To Discipline Students Without Taking Away Recess

11. Check in and review rules from time to time

Teachers are already pros at using formative assessments to check in with students throughout a lesson, making modifications on the fly to improve the learning experience. You can do the same with your classroom rules and procedures! When you return from an extended break, give a quick Kahoot quiz to review the rules as a refresher. Use an exit ticket to ask kids to list a classroom rule or procedure they feel isn’t working, and make suggestions for improvements. Make your rules and procedures a living document, altering them as needed to keep your students safe and focused on the learning process.

Watch Avanti’s Video: Informally Assessing the Whole Class With Quick Checks

Expectations are broader than rules, and they set an overall tone for your classroom. They’re often just understood rather than communicated directly. Learn how to set high expectations for your classroom with these tip and ideas.

12. Aim high

People tend to live up to the beliefs we hold about them, rather than the expectations we declare. Here’s a fascinating insight to consider: A Harvard study revealed that having a boss who respects and believes in you can actually improve your job performance. This idea extends to the classroom as well. When teachers and students have confidence in each other, it can lead to better outcomes for everyone involved.

Learn more: The Harvard Trick That Has Transformed My Classroom Management

13. Be equitable

We already mentioned how important it is to be consistent in enforcing classroom rules, to ensure you’re fair and equitable to all students. But it can be hard to recognize when we’re treating some students differently than others. Teachers need to take a close look at the expectations they hold and reinforce in their interactions with students. Use Avanti’s self-assessment activity, and you might be surprised what you learn about your own behavior with students.

Watch Avanti’s Video: Identifying Differential Treatment of Reluctant Learners

14. Encourage a growth mindset

Let students know right off the bat that it’s absolutely OK to make mistakes in your classroom. Mistakes are an incredibly important part of the learning process, and embracing them is key to a growth mindset. Encourage your students to try and fail, participate even when they’re not sure of the answer, and accept feedback to learn from the mistakes they do make.

Learn more: Growth Mindset: A Practical Guide for Teachers

15. Emphasize self-care

Research shows that kids these days experience more stress, anxiety, and other mental health issues than ever before. Unreasonable expectations for academic performance may contribute to these challenges. That’s why more schools and teachers are taking time to ensure students know how to practice self-care, including getting enough rest and prioritizing their own well-being. Make sure your own classroom expectations balance academic performance with mental health.

Watch Avanti’s Video: Scheduling Intentional Breaks at School

16. Expect participation

Learning is best when it’s an active process. Passively listening to a lecture isn’t nearly as effective or meaningful as participating in a discussion or trying something hands-on. Let students know you want to hear from each and every one of them, and find ways to ensure they’re all comfortable participating at some level. That being said, grading participation may not necessarily be the way to go, so weigh your options carefully.

Learn more: Should We Grade Participation?

17. Be inclusive

The word “inclusive” can mean many things to many people, but it all comes down to ensuring your classroom welcomes, respects, and supports learning for every single student. It doesn’t always take overt actions to alienate marginalized students; it can be as simple as poor word choice or the inability to see themselves reflected in your learning materials. Expect students to foster a sense of inclusivity in your classroom, and start by doing so yourself.

Watch Avanti’s Video: Understanding Students’ Backgrounds and Interests

18. Model good behavior

Be the person you expect your students to be, and try not to ask something of them that you wouldn’t do yourself. If you do need to make an exception to a rule (say, using your phone in class), acknowledge and explain your actions. Respect is a two-way street, and “because I’m the teacher” is never a good answer when you’re trying to build relationships.

19. Recognize success

We’re always quick to point out rule infractions, but why not recognize when students are following them perfectly too? You might say, “I really appreciate that everyone came to class completely prepared today,” or “Thank you so much for listening quietly during that presentation.” Sure, these might just be things they should be doing anyway, but a few words of appreciation and positive reinforcement can go a long way.

Learn more: Ways To Encourage Good Behavior, Without the Junky Prizes or Candy

20. Keep your eye out for new ideas

Building a classroom culture you and your students love spending time in is an ongoing process. Keeping high expectations for your students is tough, but help is available! Definitely head over to Avanti by Solution Tree. With over 700 quick strategy-based videos on every topic teachers need, you’ll have all the great ideas you need. There’s always something new being added, and there’s a great community of educators to connect with. It’s a perfect way to keep learning new ways to improve as educators in a time and manner that respects everything teachers already do for their students.

Visit Solution Tree today to see how they’re making professional development content that actually works for today’s teachers.

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Classroom Rules: Importance and Tips for Creating and Enforcing Them

In the complex ecosystem of a classroom, rules and expectations play an important role in fostering a safe, efficient, and conducive environment for learning. This blog post will provide an in-depth look at the significance of these rules; the impact they have on student behavior and academic performance, and the strategies educators can employ to create and enforce them effectively.

This comprehensive guide will equip you with practical insights and actionable tips to ensure that classroom rules serve their intended purpose – enhancing productivity, maintaining order, and promoting an optimal learning environment. Let’s get started!

Understanding the Significance of Classroom Rules and Expectations

Classroom rules play a significant role in classroom management. They set clear expectations for behavior and provide a framework for the daily operations of the class. This structure fosters a sense of safety and stability, allowing students to focus on learning rather than navigating social uncertainties.

Furthermore, classroom rules contribute significantly to a productive learning environment. They help minimize disruptive behaviors and encourage desired behaviors, contributing to a positive atmosphere beneficial to learning. Rules provide students with clear guidelines on what is acceptable and what is not, fostering mutual respect and cooperation among students and teachers.

The impact of classroom management and rules extends beyond creating an orderly environment to influencing student behavior and academic performance. Rules and expectations teach students about responsibility and self-discipline, essential skills for effective learning and long-term success. Moreover, rules that reward good behavior can motivate students to perform better, while rules that curb disruptive behaviors can reduce distractions, leading to an overall improvement in academic performance.

Strategies for Creating Effective Classroom Rules and Expectations

Classroom rules and expectations should be developed to identify and illustrate acceptable and desirable classroom behaviors.

• Rules are the explicit statements of behavioral expectations for students.
• Expectations are the desired behaviors or outcomes.

Rules should provide guidelines for desired student behavior. Students need to know how to meet the behavioral expectations of the teacher. Rules help everyone know what is expected, from teachers and students to parents and administrators.

Creating effective classroom rules is essential for maintaining a positive and productive learning environment. Here are some strategies to consider:

Involve Students in the Creation of Classroom Rules

By involving students in the rule-making process, they will feel a sense of ownership and responsibility towards following the rules. This can be done through class discussions, brainstorming sessions, or voting on proposed rules.

Keep Rules Clear and Simple

Make sure that your rules are easy to understand and remember. Use concise language and avoid complex or ambiguous wording. This will help students know exactly what is expected of them. Instead of, “Respect the physical and psychological space of others,” a more effective rule is, “Keep hands and feet to yourself.”

Begin Each Rule with a Verb

Starting each rule with a verb makes them action-oriented and provides clear guidance on what behavior is expected. For example, “Raise your hand before speaking” or “Come to class on time with all supplies and completed assignments.”

Frame Rules in the Positive Versus the Negative

Instead of focusing on what students should not do, frame rules in a positive manner. This helps to create a more positive and encouraging classroom culture. For example, instead of saying “No running,” say “Walk in the classroom.”

Focus Classroom Rules on Observable or Measurable Behaviors

Make sure that the rules are specific and can be easily observed or measured. This makes it easier for both students and teachers to determine whether the rules are being followed. For example, “Complete assignments on time” or “Use respectful language.”

Consider the Age and Developmental Level of Students

Tailor your rules to suit the age and developmental level of your students. Younger students may require simpler rules, while older students may benefit from more detailed guidelines. Consider their ability to understand and follow the rules when creating them.

By implementing these strategies, educators can create classroom rules that are clear, fair, and effective in promoting a positive and conducive learning environment. Remember, consistency and enforcement of these rules are equally important to ensure their effectiveness.

Equip Your Teachers with Online Training

Have your teachers implemented classroom rules but still need help with classroom management? With courses on de-escalation strategies, behavioral interventions, self-regulation, and more, our learning management system provides hundreds of courses to help your teachers be successful!

Examples of Classroom Rules by Age

The following are a sample set of rules for an elementary classroom:

• Respect others
• Follow all directions
• Be prepared
• Stay focused

The following are a sample set of rules for a middle school classroom:

• Respect others and their property
• Settle your differences peacefully
• Listen to others and speak softly
• Do quality work

The following are a sample set of rules for a high school classroom:

• Be kind to self
• Be kind to others
• Be kind to the environment

How to Effectively Implement Classroom Rules

Implementing classroom rules is just as important as creating them. To ensure that students adhere to the rules, educators must be proactive and consistent in enforcing them. Here are some tips for effective implementation:

Post Classroom Rules Prominently: Display the rules prominently in the classroom, making them easy to find and remember. Put them up on the wall or use visuals like charts, posters, or videos to reinforce the message.

Review the Rules Regularly: Periodically review the rules with the class to ensure that they are aware and understand them. This can be done through class discussions or role-play activities.

Model the Rules: Show students how the rules should be followed by modeling the desired behavior. This helps to create a positive learning environment and reinforces the importance of following the rules.

Provide Positive Reinforcement: Reward good behavior with positive reinforcement. This could be verbal praise , stickers, or small rewards, which can help to motivate students to follow the rules.

By employing these strategies, educators can ensure that classroom rules are being followed and that a productive and safe learning environment is maintained.

Enforcing Classroom Rules

Part of the goal of classroom rules and expectations is to create a positive classroom climate, involve students in their learning, encourage ownership of their behavior, and teach them how to successfully navigate social interactions and their emotions, which lead to better student outcomes. Teachers play a critical role in this by preventing unwanted behaviors, leveraging surface management strategies to reduce instruction interruptions, and utilizing corrective consequences to encourage desired behaviors.

Prevention: Student behavior is another form of communication. Prior to an undesired behavior, a student may be giving you signals of an unmet need. For example, you could have a student who is craving attention. They might appear restless, relentlessly tap their pencil, try to make eye contact with their peers, etc. If you ignore that behavior, they might escalate to more disruptive behavior like blurting out or throwing something. As a preventative measure, you could give the entire class a 5-minute movement break or you could give that student a role in the lesson plan.

Service Management Strategies: Ideally if a student is only mildly missing expectations, and their behavior doesn’t pose a threat to safety or run the risk of spreading to other students, it’s best to try to employ service management strategies before resorting to consequences. These are subtle behavior management strategies that do not draw attention to student behavior, and do not require you to interrupt your instruction or activity. Surface management strategies include planned ignoring, nonverbal communication, proximity, positive interest, humor, support, structure, and strategic breaks and redirection.

Todd Finney, former seventh-to-12th-grade English teacher, shares with Edutopia that “to interrupt a class of aggressive complainers, I cued up Katrina and the Waves on my CD player. When the first grumbling complaint occurred, I raised my palm and played

“I’m walking on sunshine, woooah / And don’t it feel good!” Everybody laughed. Another kid started to whine until I pressed play again. Bigger laughs. After that, complaints rarely occurred.”

Corrective Consequences: When an expectation or rule is broken, it should quickly and calmly be met with a corrective consequence as opposed to punishment. The difference may seem nuanced, but punishment typically focuses on deterring negative behavior, whereas corrective consequences aim to encourage the desired behavior and teach students about accountability.

For example, let’s say a student uses a school computer to access an inappropriate site during worktime.

Tips for Engaging Parents and Guardians in the Rule Process

Inviting parents and guardians to participate in the rule-making process can foster a sense of ownership and investment in the rules. This collaborative approach can lead to parents becoming more proactive in reinforcing the classroom rules at home, and prove invaluable in developing a strong, unified approach to classroom discipline.

Communicating classroom rules to parents and guardians is an essential step in ensuring they understand and can ideally help reinforce these rules. This communication can be done through parent-teacher meetings, newsletters, emails, or dedicated school platforms. Encouraging a home-school connection  helps to create a consistent environment for the child which can improve student outcomes .

Creating and enforcing effective classroom rules is central to establishing a safe, orderly, and productive learning environment. As an educator or administrator, it’s essential to equip yourself with the knowledge and strategies necessary for successful classroom management. But remember, you are not alone in this endeavor. PublicSchoolWORKS is here to support schools every step of the way, offering innovative solutions and expert services to ensure your classrooms are safe and compliant. Whether it’s our StudentWatch solutions to encourage communication and manage student behavior, or EmployeeSafe to help manage your staff safety and mandated training, we’re committed to fostering an environment conducive to learning and growth. So why wait? Let’s partner together to make your classrooms a beacon of safety and productivity.

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Designing Effective Homework

Best practices for creating homework that raises student achievement

Homework. It can be challenging…and not just for students. For teachers, designing homework can be a daunting task with lots of unanswered questions: How much should I assign? What type of content should I cover? Why aren’t students doing the work I assign? Homework can be a powerful opportunity to reinforce the Shifts in your instruction and promote standards-aligned learning, but how do we avoid the pitfalls that make key learning opportunities sources of stress and antipathy?

The nonprofit Instruction Partners recently set out to answer some of these questions, looking at what research says about what works when it comes to homework. You can view their original presentation here , but I’ve summarized some of the key findings you can put to use with your students immediately.

Does homework help?

Consistent homework completion has been shown to increase student achievement rates—but frequency matters. Students who are given homework regularly show greater gains than those who only receive homework sporadically. Researchers hypothesize that this is due to improved study skills and routines practiced through homework that allow students to perform better academically.

Average gains on unit tests for students who completed homework were six percentile points in grades 4–6, 12 percentile points in grades 7–9, and an impressive 24 percentile points in grades 10–12; so yes, homework (done well) does work. [i]

What should homework cover?

While there is little research about exactly what types of homework content lead to the biggest achievement gains, there are some general rules of thumb about how homework should change gradually over time.

In grades 1–5, homework should:

• Reinforce and allow students to practice skills learned in the classroom
• Help students develop good study habits and routines
• Foster positive feelings about school

In grades 6–12, homework should:

• Prepare students for engagement and discussion during the next lesson
• Allow students to apply their skills in new and more challenging ways

The most often-heard criticism of homework assignments is that they simply take too long. So how much homework should you assign in order to see results for students? Not surprisingly, it varies by grade. Assign 10-20 minutes of homework per night total, starting in first grade, and then add 10 minutes for each additional grade. [ii] Doing more can result in student stress, frustration, and disengagement, particularly in the early grades.

Why are some students not doing the homework?

There are any number of reasons why students may not complete homework, from lack of motivation to lack of content knowledge, but one issue to watch out for as a teacher is the impact of economic disparities on the ability to complete homework.

Multiple studies [iii] have shown that low-income students complete homework less often than students who come from wealthier families. This can lead to increased achievement gaps between students. Students from low-income families may face additional challenges when it comes to completing homework such as lack of access to the internet, lack of access to outside tutors or assistance, and additional jobs or family responsibilities.

While you can’t erase these challenges for your students, you can design homework that takes those issues into account by creating homework that can be done offline, independently, and in a reasonable timeframe. With those design principles in mind, you increase the opportunity for all your students to complete and benefit from the homework you assign.

The Big Picture

Perhaps most importantly, students benefit from receiving feedback from you, their teacher, on their assignments. Praise or rewards simply for homework completion have little effect on student achievement, but feedback that helps them improve or reinforces strong performance does. Consider keeping this mini-table handy as you design homework:

The act of assigning homework doesn’t automatically raise student achievement, so be a critical consumer of the homework products that come as part of your curriculum. If they assign too much (or too little!) work or reflect some of these common pitfalls, take action to make assignments that better serve your students.

[i] Cooper, H. (2007). The battle over homework (3rd ed.). Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin Press.

[ii] Cooper, H. (1989a). Homework .White Plains, NY: Longman.

[iii] Horrigan, T. (2015). The numbers behind the broadband ‘homework gap’ http://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2015/04/20/the-numbers-behind-the-broadband-homework-gap/ and Miami Dade Public Schools. (2009). Literature Review: Homework. http://drs.dadeschools.net/LiteratureReviews/Homework.pdf

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About the Author: Claire Rivero is the Digital Strategy Manager for Student Achievement Partners. Claire leads the organization’s communications and digital promotion work across various channels including email, Facebook, Twitter, and Pinterest, always seeking new ways to reach educators. She also manages Achieve the Core’s blog, Aligned. Prior to joining Student Achievement Partners, Claire worked in the Communications department for the American Red Cross and as a literacy instructor in a London pilot program. Claire holds bachelor’s degrees in English and Public Policy from Duke University and a master’s degree in Social Policy (with a concentration on Education Policy) from the London School of Economics and Political Science.

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Teaching Students About the Definition of Spheres of Influence

Teaching students about the definition of vaporization, teaching students about speed in physics, teaching students about invertebrates, teaching students about god of the sea in greek mythology, from ‘the holler’ to higher ed: james russell’s first-gen journey, i-dream grant implemented for first american students pursuing careers in education, etsu prepares health science students with apocalypse course, quality metrics ignored in australian international student caps, governor brought tiger to lsu; student jailed over threat, 21 ways to ensure that students complete their homework tasks.

Are you looking for ways to ensure that students complete homework tasks? If so, keep reading.

1. Make sure the learner knows that homework not finished and turned in on time must still be finished and turned in.

2. Get the learner to orally repeat the homework task to reinforce the learner’s understanding of the task.

3. Get the learner to prioritize tasks by importance (e.g., task A must be done today, task B can be done today, and task C can wait until tomorrow).

4. Find a tutor (e.g., a volunteer in the community, one of the learner’s classmates, etc.) to help the learner finish homework .

5. Get the learner to set a timer to finish tasks in a sensible period.

6. Provide instructions orally to increase the likelihood of the learner’s comprehension of homework tasks .

7. Urge the learner to follow a less desirable task with a more desirable task . Make the conclusion of the first appropriate to perform the second.

8. Provide consistent expectations within the capacity and ability level of the learner.

9. Urge the learner to set time limits for finishing homework tasks . Urge the learner to be aware of time constraints when working on projects.

10. Urge the learner to say a mantra to themselves when they bring work home (e.g., I will finish, I will finish, I will finish).

11. Reinforce all measures of improvement.

12. Connect with the learner’s parents about the need to create homework rules at home (e.g., start homework upon arriving home from school, finish homework before watching TV or talking on the phone, ask for help when appropriate, etc.).

13. Urge the learner to lessen the number of visual distractions around them (e.g., move their work area away from windows, doors, kitchen, TV, etc.).

14. Urge the learner to put finished homework tasks in a designated place to be taken to school (e.g., in front of the door, at the bottom of the stairs, etc.).

15. Create homework task rules: • Remain on-task. • Finish tasks. • Meet task expectations. Examine rules often. Praise students for following the rules.

16. Urge the learner to select exciting or stimulating learning activities as a reward for finishing less exciting learning activities (e.g., finish homework before going to the mall).

17. Get the learner to keep a chart or graph representing the number of homework tasks finished and returned to school.

18. Urge the learner’s parents to check over their child’s homework when they are finished so the learner can be sure that everything is finished.

19. Connect the learner to other resource persons who may be of help in performing homework tasks (e.g., librarian, special education teacher, other staff members with expertise or time to help, etc.).

20. Connect with parents (e.g., notes home, phone calls, etc.) to disseminate information about the learner’s progress. The parents may reinforce the learner at home for returning finished homework to 21. Consider using an education app to help the student sharpen their organizational skills. Click here to view a list of apps that we recommend .

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