Last week, I shared with you actions a teacher takes to help with classroom management. As this week begins, we are all preparing for the first day of school.  With all the information that is printed about classroom management, all agree that you must set your expectations the first day of school. Teachers are creating posters to establish those expectations or rules. As you walk through your building, each teachers posters are a little different.  When I taught, my expectations or rules were the "Four R's" - Respect, Responsibility, Reasonable and Rights. I pledged to my students that I would follow these expectations, as well. I wanted to prepare them for how to make correct choices when they were adults as well as how to make correct choices as a student. I related their classroom behavior with the behavior of an employee in a business meeting or professional development.

 So, what is the connection of the "Four R's" to normal expectations in a classroom.
     
                   Respect:  Knowing when to speak and how to speak in class shows respect to each class member as well as to the teacher.  Being on time is a sign of respect. As the teacher, I would listen when they spoke to me and respect their opinions.
                    Responsibility: Each student had the responsibility to participate 100% in class, doing their very best.  Student is to be responsible to bring supplies each day to class.  As the teacher, I would give 100% as their teacher, to make sure they had what they needed to be successful.
                    Reasonable: As a class, behavior needs to be acceptable - noise level as it should be in class. As a teacher, I should understand that the students are young teens who like to socialize.
                     Rights: Each student has the right to learn and we must respect that in whatever we do in class and students' correct behavior allows the teacher to have the Right to Teach.

These were helpful to me as a teacher.  What are your expectations/rules?  Share with others.