In a thread long ago and far away ... Would some folks post their class rules? Please indicate the age level and class or subject. Also, if anyone can cite some academic literature on class rules, it'd be helpful, too.
These are mine. I teach 9th grade English. We go over them on the first day and they remain posted on my desk throughout the year. Usually, when someone breaks a rule, I just have to look at the rules or point to them and an apology is muttered. CLASSROOM RULES: 1- If something does not belong to you, DON’T TOUCH/TAKE IT. 2- Nobody in this class is better than anyone else in this class. RESPECT EACH OTHER. 3- I don’t care what you did in middle school. With me, you have a clean slate. TAKE ADVANTAGE OF IT. 4- If you forgot something, don’t just sit there missing out on good stuff. ASK FOR WHAT YOU NEED. 5- I provide ample opportunities for extra credit. TAKE ADVANTAGE OF YOUR OPPORTUNITIES. 6- Cursing in my classroom will result in you leaving my classroom. WATCH YOUR MOUTH. 7- If you do not have your planner, you do not leave my classroom. YOUR PLANNER IS YOUR PASS. 8- My class begins at the bell. That means you are in your seat when the bell rings (NOT sprinting through the door). BE ON TIME. 9- I don’t care how boring you find me. NO CELL PHONES, I-PODS OR OTHER ELECTRONICS IN MY CLASSROOM. 10- Nobody wants to see your underpants. DRESS APPROPRIATELY. 11- I joke around a lot. If I’m being a jackanape and I don’t realize it, PLEASE LET ME KNOW.
i think the word is 'jackanapes'. my best guess is that you aren't boring, and i wonder why you put the rule in "i don't care what you think" terms, when you say you want to know if you're kidding around too much. i really like that you are doing your level best to make kids be responsible for themselves. the "you cannot leave my room if you don't have your planner" seems Draconian. i might give one free pass. i don't know whether this is a school-wide standard. we all make planning mistakes. since i'm a substitute, i don't get to set my own rules.
College: both lower- and upper-level classes I'm not huge on rules, but I do have a few. 1. Plagiarism (as in none) I give a definition that includes "intentional" and "unintentional" plagiarism. Intentional is fairly obvious, but I also explain that writers can unintentionally plagiarize by not sourcing or incorrectly sourcing material. 2. Classroom environment We have a university policy about sexual harassment, but I also include ground rules for discussion--addressing ideas without belittling someone; disagreeing with someone without attacking that person. To be honest, this usually isn't a problem. While I'm sure that privately many undergraduates hold beliefs that are quite racist, sexist, homophobic, etc. ["Borat" anyone?], I've rarely had anyone make offensive comments in class. In fact, I wonder which is worse--making the statements in public and having someone engage them or pushing them to the private conversations. But I digress... 3. No late work I explicitly state this in my syllabus and discuss it in my class. Recently, I have also added a statement to the effect that I do not accept any emailed assignments without prior approval. There is also a statement about extenuating circumstances (e.g., death in family, sickness that requires immediate medical attention, etc.) and what students are to do in the event they do not believe they can make a deadline. But if they don't contact me prior to the assignment deadline, it's a 0. 4. Turn off cell phones, headphones, iPods, etc. I address this in the context of not wanting to disturb the class. I get the ocassional phone going off, but I just stop and wait for the person to turn the phone off. I'm actually surprised it doesn't happen more often. I'm thinking of adding something next semester about text messaging during class. I hadn't really noticed it that much until this semester, but I've got a number of texters in class and it's quite distracting to me. 5. Grading philosophy I added this a couple of semesters ago. I state that some students assume they start the semester at 100%, and it's up to me to demonstrate to them why they aren't superior students. Instead, I tell them that it's up to them to demonstrate to me that they are superior. I don't know that it makes that much of a difference, but with grade inflation today, I felt like I wanted to have a rationale for why everyone in my classes doesn't automatically get an A. As far as academic literature, I'm sure someone has tackled the issue. One book I've read is McKeachie's "Teaching Tips." There is a lot of good stuff in there. There's also another book, but I've forgotten the title. It's in my library at home. If you're interested, post or PM me, and I'll try to find it.
John's rules are pretty similar to mine. I have something on there about penalizing chronic lateness. I almost put something in about in class knitting last year (like texting, more disturbing than you'd think, those needles make a lot of noise) but that fad seemed to die out. I also have a grade revision policy that I'll only consider revising a grade when the objections to the grade are made in writing and address the substance of my comments. That eliminates all the "I worked really hard" pleas that arise 2.4 seconds after students look at their papers and see "B-"
Yes, I have that one too in my grading philosophy. I give them 24 hours to respond in writing after the time I turn back an assignment.
I've seen the word used with and without the 's' and I just find that it looks less awkward without. As to the "I don't care..." opening to a couple of the rules, I tend to be very sarcastic and the phrasing is less threatening when I introduce the rules verbally. For an example, when I talk about not caring what they did in middle school, I usually say something like- "Were you a 5-star brown noser? I don't care, you've got to regain that reputation. Did you egg the principal's car every Tuesday for 3 years? I don't care. You've got a chance to start a more positive reputation"). The planner issue is a school policy. We're in the middle of a 5 year renovation project (they are literally rebuilding the school a section at a time while classes go on). Our school is a dangerous construction zone. The admins want students accounted for.
6th grade ELA and Social Studies. Rules - 1. Follow instructions immediately and without discussion. 2. Treat all adults with proper respect. 3. Come to class prepared: have homework completed, have all necessary materials, and be ready to work. 4. Avoid distractions: no food, drinks, gum, cellphones, music players, video games, etc. 5. Respect your classmates: no bullying, no name-calling, no foul language, no fighting. IT DOES NOT MATTER WHO STARTED IT. For younger grades (K-6), Elementary Classroom Management by Weinstein & Mignano is a good resource. For all ages there's always The First Days of School by Wong & Wong, an absolute necessity for all new teachers.
Do you hand out green dots? On a more serious note, I just learned that it is not legal to take a student's cell phone from them. Is this true? And if so, how do you handle students who break the "no cell phone" rule?
Mine. I teach 7th grade Social Studies but have used these for 7th, 8th, 9th, 10th, and 12th grades. The Five "P"s 1. Punctuality - Be in your seat when the bell rings, turn in assignments on time 2. Permission - please raise hand to ask for permission to pretty much do anything 3. Purge - any uncouth language or behavior will not be tolerated 4. Participate - Read ahead, do assignements and most importantyl, ASK QUESTIONS! 5. Protect - protect yourself, further rules will be added if teacher thinks they are needed
I would imagine that is a local law. I have taken plenty of cell phones in the 5 years I have been teaching. I just tell the student to get his or her mom to come pick it up.
That is what I am thinking, but at the same time, it is personal property possibly to be used for emergencies. Would you take a backpack or purse? This is my conundrum
Does every (high)school in the US have these hallway passes? I always considered them arkeward during my time as an exchange student.
Probably. If you could just leave class and wander the halls w/o reason, no one would have gone to class.
Well, we still have attendance lists in Germany and you have to give your teacher a reason to leave class. I think in general it comes down to that Germans expect more responsibility from their kids and - in general - get that.
Well then maybe you are misunderstanding the hall pass. The hall pass is only a way for a student to show that they have a "reason" to be in the hall. Rather than be questioned as to: Why they are not in class? Whether or not they are a student in the school?; the student has some sort of verification that they aren't in the hall under bad pretenses. Your point about expecting and receiving good behavior is probably right though.
@ Twenty26six: good point, forgot that... obviously has never been a big issue in German high schools.
We had them, but nobody actually used them. Technically you could be considered truant if you were in the hall without one during class, but I don't actually ever remember using one. Unless you were somebody's bad list, you would never get called out on it.
Out of curiousity, is this the same for the various "types" of high schools (if I recall, there are different types of high schools with differing career possibilities)? Apprenticeship, vocational, and university/professional are the divisions I recall.
As far as I know, yes. For the record, I only have been to the Gymnasium kind of high school, which is the one you need to go in order to get to university. Realschule and Hauptschule have more problems in general. Still never heard anything about hallway passes. more information on the German school system
Much the same when I was in high school. Though, on my subbing rounds, some schools are more relaxed on this than others. Some schools demand the student have a hall pass to go next door. Others don't mind if the student walks down the hall to get a drink of water.
We have them, but they're not really enforced. Except for the most anal-retentive teachers, you're usually just allowed to leave as long as the teacher is aware of what's going on. Although last year, we had an alleged rape in one of the bathrooms (which turned out to be false), and the school made a policy that any student leaving the room sign out, although it's not really followed that closely.
best rule I found in college was the "you can't come and talk to me about your paper for 24 hours" the professor loved this rule because it got rid of stupid arguements by students trying to change their grade.