New Rules

I am starting to do a fair bit of thinking and planning for next year. Now that I understand my school and the students better, it is time to rewrite my classroom rules. Originally, I began with some vague, pretty-sounding sentiments about “respect” and figured that would do. Now that I know better, it is easy to come up with six specific, pointed rules that cover at least 90% of the incidents that annoy me and generally detract from the classroom environment. Stating my rules so unambiguously should make them more enforceable. Drum roll, please!

1. If you have not done your homework, do not complain.
2. Listen and be quiet when the teacher is speaking.
3. Ask permission before leaving your seat.
4. No food, gum, or drink.
5. No insults or hit-backs. Retaliations will be punished!
6. Head up at all times.

I am especially happy about the innovation of Rule #1, as it has been such a problem in Algebra II, with my surly and lazy students complaining, “This is not Advanced Algebra!” and so on, that it deserves top-billing. I am seriously planning to give consequences for it next year. I like how it is not so authoritarian as to say, “No complaining,” but rather establishes a prerequisite effort required to make a valid complaint. The wording of Rule #6 is chosen so as to make it especially unambiguous and enforceable, rather than something subjective like “Pay attention,” or “No sleeping.” I swear, I will warn them once, and if they put their head down again, I will write them up for “failure to obey teacher” and send them out! “I’m not sleeping!” is not an excuse.