Inservice 2

Establishing Rules and Procedures

PURPOSE

Have you ever noticed that your best teachers have the fewest discipline problems? Is it because you’ve given them the best-behaved students in the school? Probably not. Have you noticed that your best teachers almost always possess the happiest demeanors in the school? Who wouldn’t be happy when their students are behaving so well? Yet you may have also noticed that these teachers have the fewest rules of anyone in the school. Have you noticed that the few rules they do have are enforced consistently?

Your best teachers will tell you that they rarely have to discipline a student for breaking a rule. Yet those same students are breaking rules left and right in the classrooms of other teachers. So what are the secrets known only to the very best teachers? Not only will we share these secrets, but we’ll guarantee that anyone who implements them will begin to experience fewer discipline problems.

Speaking of problems, let’s establish just what the main problem is when teachers are struggling to manage their classrooms. If you walk through almost any school, you will notice that most teachers post their rules somewhere on a classroom wall. Notice that there is often a rule to “raise your hand before speaking.” It can be stated in many ways, but the point is that this particular “rule” has something to do with talking. This is a giant red flag: it alerts you that these teachers do not understand the difference between rules and procedures. And because the most basic components of classroom management are rules and procedures, good classroom management will be lacking in these classrooms.

Regrettably, many teachers do not possess a basic understanding of classroom management because they’ve never been taught the difference between rules and procedures.

Today you will teach them.

And, by the way, knowing the difference between rules and procedures and implementing them consistently is the first secret to the success of your very best teachers. Another secret is that they have very few rules and lots of procedures. By the end of today’s ten-minute inservice, all your teachers will know what the best teachers have already figured out.

INSERVICE

After greeting each teacher today as he or she enters the faculty meeting, use the procedure you established in Inservice 1, “Securing Students’ Attention.” Spend a minute or two allowing a few to share how their new procedures for securing student attention have been working. Remind them that consistently implementing such a procedure was necessary to get them to the next step of classroom management.

Tell your teachers that today you will be sharing some of the secrets of effective classroom managers. These secrets will help them have fewer discipline problems. Share the fact that many teachers, through no fault of their own, do not understand the difference between a rule and a procedure. And because clearly established rules and procedures are the key to effective classroom management, a lack of understanding of the difference between the two can lead to many discipline problems.

Provide the following example to prove your point:

Some teachers have a rule about talking. Yet talking is not a serious offense. An aggravating offense? Yes. A serious offense? No. Because rules regulate serious offenses only, then talking out of turn falls under the category of “procedure” as opposed to “rule.”

Make and share a copy of the following for each teacher:

image Rules and Procedures Simplified

You will probably notice that once teachers are clear about the difference between rules and procedures, most will have trouble thinking of five rules. Some have only one or two. This is fine, as long as those one or two are enforced consistently.

Make the point that all effective classroom managers have lots of procedures. However, they do not implement them all at once. Rather, they implement the most important ones first (such as a procedure for securing the attention of their students), and they continue to add a few at a time. In the classrooms of effective managers, students are never confused about what is expected of them. The procedures are discussed, modeled, and practiced. When a student forgets, he is reminded of the correct procedure. If practice is needed, it is provided by the teacher. If a rule is broken, there is no discussion; rather, there is a consequence. The students know this, so there is no element of surprise. They do much less “testing of the teacher” to see how much they can get away with. Structured, preestablished rules and procedures, followed consistently, equal a well-managed classroom every time.

Please note (and share with your teachers) that chronic misbehavior can lead to consequences for one or two particular students. For instance, if a teacher has a procedure for talking out of turn, and one student continues to talk out of turn after much practice and many reminders, then the teacher might need to inform the student that the next time he talks out of turn, there will be a consequence. Teachers should be very cautious about this, of course. Doling out a consequence for violating a procedure should be used only when the misbehavior is chronic, not simply because the teacher is aggravated. As we stated, rules are used to regulate serious offenses. Although talking out of turn is not a serious offense, it can lead to consequences if and when the behavior becomes a chronic problem. In Inservice 3, “Effective Ways to Address Misbehavior,” we will share a strategy that works beautifully when dealing with chronic talkers.

IMPLEMENTATION

Knowing the secrets to successful classroom management is not enough—you have to be able and willing to implement them. So now, send your teachers off with a two-part assignment: (1) have each decide on no more than five rules and introduce those rules to the students; (2) have each determine their procedures and begin implementing and practicing them. Note that in Inservice 3, “Effective Ways to Address Misbehavior,” we will provide a strategy for dealing with a student who does not follow a particular procedure. Today’s goal is to ensure that all teachers are clear on the difference between rules and procedures so that they can begin implementing both on a consistent basis.

When students are clear on exactly what they can and cannot do in the classroom, and when they know that the teacher is consistent in enforcing rules and practicing procedures, they are much more likely to actually follow the rules and procedures. Ask any effective classroom manager!