Enforcing the Rules

Dont Sweat the Little Things
If you seem to spend a lot of time enforcing rules in your classroom, could it be that you have too many rules? Give some thought to the things that really matter -- the rules for which the benefits are at least equal in value to the hassle of enforcement. By reducing the number of classroom rules in that way, you might find that more time is freed up for instruction.

More Tips For even more Classroom Management Tips, check out our Classroom Management Tips Volumes 1-41. Do you have a tip to share? Send it to [email protected].

I Think, Therefore
What are your class rules? If a student breaks one of the rules, provide that student with a copy of a Think Sheet. Have the student write his or her name on the Think Sheet, check off the rule that was broken, and reflect on the behavior by responding to questions on the Think Sheet. Those questions might include
--- What did you do to break the rule?
--- How did your behavior affect the class?
--- What do you need to do differently in the future?
--- What do you think your consequence should be?
At the end of the class period, meet with the student who had to fill out a Think Sheet to discuss his or her responses to the questions. Hold on to students Think Sheets because if you end up having to involve the principal or parents in solving a students behavior problems, you will have the sheets to demonstrate a pattern of disrespect for classroom rules. A Postcard from Siberia
If a student cannot obey a classroom rule, send that student to Siberia! Siberia is the name one teacher has given to the isolation chair students are sent to when they break a rule. While in the chair, the student must write a postcard to his or her parents explaining what rule he or she broke to be sent to Siberia.

Article by Linda Starr
Education World®
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