Launching Your Teaching Career Part 3 - Rules and Procedures

Are you feeling great about the excellentin home working, turning in money and permission
progress you have made as you prepare for thatpapers, returning from recess set for learning,
first, enchanting day with real students in yourasking for instructions to be repeated, and
own classroom in your dream job? You may alsoheading out and returning from lunch). As the
feel tired - even exhausted. This is perfectly fineschool year unfolds, you will encounter more
and acceptable and I recommend that you getprocedures to clarify and must determine
used to it. Teaching is tiring: being responsible forappropriate behavior for each. By keeping a list
the learning success of 15, 20, or 200 students isyou will be better prepared for next year plus
an ominous task but one that is also richlywhen new students arrive in your room, you will
rewarding.have a handy tool for sharing the procedures in
To have your classroom operating on A+ level,your class.
rules and procedures must be clearly explainedWith definite expectations for procedures there
and then adhered to. Rules include items ofwill be fewer disruptions in instruction; fewer
behavior like being on time or being considerate todisruptions in instruction mean more students are
classmates and the teacher. Procedures arelearning; more students learning create success
every movement in the classroom andfor you and for them; success eliminates stress,
throughout the school. These are matters likefrustration, and disruption. See how it all circles
gathering materials, transitioning from subject totogether. If you are unsure about a procedure
subject, or moving through the hallways to music(like using the restroom during class time) check
or lunch.with a colleague on how he handles this situation.
Begin by identifying what will make the perfectYou can also experiment to see what works best
situation for discipline in your room. You want lifefor you and your students, i.e. written instructions
under control but you do not need to be a tyrant.on the board or in a hand-out or pencil sharpening
In fact you will find that if you have rule upon ruleonly before school instead of between subject
upon rule, it is more difficult to maintain a climatechanges.
conducive to learning. Too many rules can bringAs long as you are clear with your expectations
confusion. Plus you often must add more rules toto your students and you continually enforce and
enforce the rules you already have. The biggestmaintain your rules and procedures with absolute
considerations are: students on time and withfairness, problems will evaporate and learning will
learning materials and being courteous to others.radiate throughout your room. Kids really do like a
These just about encompass everything in ateacher who is competent and on top of teaching.
classroom. The remainder of a smooth runningThat is you with clear rules and procedures.
classroom is clearly delineated procedures:There are times that the best intentions for rules
sharpening a pencil, getting a drink, asking aand procedures fail: vomit, blood, irate parents, or
question, moving to a partner, gathering boxes ofmedical crises are examples. For these times
classroom materials, and so on.refer to your policy book for correct procedures
While youngsters who are new to the school(safety gloves and office notification), and forge
scene may need repetition of classroom ruleson as best as possible. Some of your favorite
(because some of them have never sat downstories next summer may well include a few of
and listened to anyone in their short lives), olderthe disasters that took place during your first
students already know the expectations. A quickdays on the job. I'll warn you that first graders
review should suffice. It is the procedures thatthrow up; physical education students fall down;
often create havoc for a new teacher. Jot downchemistry experiments run amuck; cooking
every possible movement for your studentsprojects catch fire. If all of these don't add to the
(those previously listed plus late work and turningthrill and excitement of the job, what does?