Applying Classroom Rules and Procedures

Reinforcement are strategies teachers use to encourage students who are on task and follow instructions, and also ways on how to get students who do not follow the rules and procedures to be on task. It is important that every teacher is aware of what rules students are following and which ones they are not. When students follow rules, there are ways teachers could use to show them they appreciate their efforts and get them to continue being good students.

Once teachers and students have developed their classroom rules and procedures, teachers must take action either to recognize or to correct student behavior. Such actions are consequences. Effective consequences preserve the student’s dignity and increase his or her motivation to behave appropriately. Students should be aware of the consequence for every action they take. Rules should be age-appropriate. Consequences work best when they are also:
• Clear and specific
• Directly related to rules and procedures
• Arranged in levels of intensity or a hierarchy of alternatives
• Natural and logical

Using reinforcement on students who have followed or not followed directions of class rules and procedures is a good way to make students stay intact and be reflective of their behaviors. It is good to let students know or be aware of their own behaviors and the choice they make towards being the best or improving in themselves.

There are different strategies teachers use in showing students they appreciate them for following the rules and procedures in the class. For me as a teacher, I will, appreciate students who are following the rules and procedures, for example; when students raise hand before speaking, I will praise them by saying thank you for raising your hand, that’s a good job.

In the morning when students come into the class, the first sets of students who follow the morning routine of picking down their attendance, turning in homework, ordering lunch, picking binders and settling down for work for the day, gets stickers on their desk. At the end of the week the student with the highest stickers on his/her desk becomes the star of the week, and will have his/her picture and profile posted at a corner of the class.

Some other positive reinforcement I could use include are:

• praise and nonverbal communication (e.g., smile, nod, thumbs up)

• social attention (e.g., a conversation, special time with the teacher or a peer)

• tangibles such as stickers or new pencils

• activities or privileges such as playing a game, sitting in a special place in the class, drawing, writing, coloring, having lunch with the teacher, having extra time to play games or build castle with dominoes.

Other reinforcement such as check marks, tokens or money for students to accumulate in order to acquire tangibles or be allowed to participate in special activities.

These reinforcements work greatly for elementary students. Times like these:

For instance, a student submits an assignment on time, and also includes some extra information that he/she gathered about the topic that is been discussed. For me as the teacher wanting to appreciate the student's efforts, award him/her an extra points for his/her assignment. This way other students will try to meet up with the expectations and follow the rules and procedures of extra practice.

I will also extend other forms of positive reinforcement like verbal praises which also acts as a very good enforcer of a positive action. Phrases like "Good job", "Well done!", "Nice work.’’

When students show appropriate behavior, and interacting appropriately with peers in group activities this will allow them for more invitations to join such activities. It shows students are learning to work with different kinds of people and are learning how to interact and work with others without dispute. This is an intrinsic reinforcement and attitude that encourages collaboration.

When students are on task and working quietly, in the process of my formative assessment and going around to check students work, some of the words or reinforcement I would use will be:

• Good job, I can tell you are working really hard.

• expressions of approval by nodding my head, smiling, clapping, a pat on the back or giving a high five.

When students follow the rules and procedures of the class, they will be allowed to participate in their preferred activities such as games and also have the opportunity to choose their partners in the game or even get to watch a movie. This also provides social reinforcement from their partner.

Awards in form of certificates can be used to encourage students, also displaying student’s work and sending letters home to parents commending the student’s progress are all good reinforcement for students who follow the rules and procedures of the class.

In other hands, when students don’t follow the rules and procedures such as not turning in homework, they will stay in during recess to do their work and if a student is not respectful, he/she will receive a red card for their behavior. Also, students who do not get a good grade on a test will be given extra practice to work on, and those who don’t raise their hands before speaking will not be able to get attention from the teacher. Some other examples are, students who refuse to participate in classwork and discussions will be given extra homework and students who are not on task will have to work with another student to help them focus.