Rules vs Agreements

This week we considered Norms and Procedures as a concept and for our own classroom.  Many of the norms, agreements, routines and procedures that I plan to implement are explained here, in our group presentation.  In my class, we will have routines/procedures like a clean-up song, bathroom buddies and a magic word/word-of-the-day. The more detail oriented processes will be dictated by the class set up, school-wide expectations and the students themselves.  Without getting into all the little details, I'd like to touch on a few of the essential elements that I plan on incorporating in my own classroom:

Class Agreements
At Playworks, in one of our workshops, the facilitator brought up the questions of rules vs. agreements. We discussed the nature of a rule, that it is generally imposed upon people with little discussion. In contrast, an agreement is one that involves input, accountability and can be empowering for all involved.  It is with this idea in mind that I plan to facilitate class agreements on behavior/consequences, communication and participation.  This does not mean that everything the students suggest will be included, nor does it mean that all agreements will be flexible. What it does mean is that we will discuss the value of the agreements, including the student perspective and make sure that all students are informed and in agreement.

Circle Time/Community Circle
Community circle time is valuable for so many reasons. Students practice greeting each other, communicating their feelings through check-ins and otherwise making connections with each other.  It is also establishes a forum to review concepts, agreements and address issues if needed.

I-Messages/Peace Path
Students come to the classroom with such a spectrum of experience communicating their thoughts and feelings, it is essential to establish an expectation for addressing conflicts.  Introducing the concept of an I-message or other structured process for sharing feelings gives students a platform to express themselves.  I-messages teach students that you can be assertive in communicating your feelings without having to be confrontational.  See more about I-messages here.

In the course of our work this week, I have taken away one broader connection that I had not necessarily made before.  At Playworks we are very careful to teach all the skills, steps and processes involved in the larger games that we play, so that all student feel included and able to participate.  When introducing classroom routines and expectations, I realize that we need to take the same level of care in teaching the students.  That means making sure that all expectations are clearly stated, demonstrated, modeled and reiterated.  Students will need to practice to fully understand what is expected of them. As a teacher I will need to reflect on the norms and procedures to make sure they are relevant to my students and they are are inclusive for everyone. Here is an interesting piece that incorporates some of the ideas.

References
Classroom Tips (2014). PVS.org. Retrieved from: http://www.pbs.org/wnet/wideangle/classroom-tips/

Vega, V., Terada, Y. (n.d.) Research: How SEL Classroom Management Techniques Build Academic Achievement. Retrieved on April 12, 2014 from: http://www.edutopia.org/stw-sel-classroom-management-research