Blog 21

Prompt: What is something you want to change about your classroom management?

I wish my classroom expectations and some procedures had been designed by my students. I created my own classroom management policies and set rules and expectations on the very first day without collecting any input from the class. As the semester went by, some smaller issues began to emerge that I hadn't considered before. To give an example, students began to shoot their trash into the can like a basketball, often missing and never bothering to clean it up. I had not made an explicit rule about throwing away trash aside from my policy of "keeping the classroom clean."

I brought the concern up to my kids and they suggested a new rule: every time they made a shot into the basket, I would give them a point (which was part of a reward program for each class) as an incentive to make it into the can. I agreed, but added the caveat that if they missed the shot, the class would lose two points. Since then, basket shots have decreased, slightly, but everyone picks up their trash and puts it into the basket afterward to redeem half of the points lost. We have a little fun with it, and some new rules have been created as a result. Students have to shoot from at least three feet away for a shot to "count" and shots can only be made during transitions or independent practice time. Together, my class and I have turned a simple nuisance into a fun rule. And my room is clean.

If I had asked my students to help create more classroom expectations and rules at the beginning of the year, I wonder what they would have created? If anything, I'm sure they would have been more invested and followed them closely.