Criteria for Creating Rules

The following list will entail a more specific look at the criteria for creating
well designed rules.
1. Make rules acceptable to both teacher and student. Rules should be
reasonable, they should be changed when conditions change, and they
should be decided upon jointly by teacher and student if at all possible. Giving
a voice to students in the formulation and acceptance of rules increases the
likelihood that students will follow them. This in turn will facilitate a more
positive learning environment.
2. Begin each rule with an action word. Action words prompt students to act
accordingly, with desirable behavior. Thus, action words serve as a reminder
to students as to what they must do in order to exercise the correct behavior
associated with the rule. The importance of clear and concise wordage stating
rules that promote and prompt appropriate behavior for students with
particular disabilities cannot be overstated.
Example of precise rule statement: Raise your hand to be recognized.
Example of vague rule statement: Students should never talk when the
teacher is teaching.
3. State rules in positive terms. When a rule is stated in positive terms, it implies
that students are expected to act in a mature and responsible manner. A
negatively stated rule may communicate a negative expectation.
Example of a positive rule statement: Walk in the halls.
Example of a negative rule statement: Don't run in the halls.
4. Focus the rule on observable behaviors that can be taught in association with
well-established procedures. A rule must be observable in order to be
measurable.
Example of observable rule statement: Raise your hand to be recognized.
Example of unobservable rule statement: Think before you speak.
Observable rules are also measurable. In the example it is possible for the
teacher to count the actual number to times the child remembered to raise his or
her hand during the lesson. Measurable behaviors associated with particular
rules are necessary in order to give a positive and corrective feedback to the
student.
 Specific feedback lets students know you appreciate their effort in
following class rules. Corrective feedback that includes problem-solving
components help students see how their behavior might be improved in a
particular area.
Example of positive feedback:
"I noticed that practically all the members of the class remembered to
raise their hands to be recognized while the speaker was here."
Example of positive and corrective feedback with a problem-solving component:
"I noticed that all students followed the speaker's directions. However,
several warnings had to be given to students who frequently failed to raise their
hands to be recognized. It seemed our speaker was having trouble telling us
about his exciting adventure because of so many student interruptions. Can
anyone suggest what we might do in the future to be better listeners for guest
speakers?"
5. Relate rules to work and safety habits. Rules should never specifically
address academic achievement, but they can reinforce the principles of
developing good work habits and establishing a safe environment.
Example of positive rule statement: Begin work on time.
Example of negative rule statement: Everyone must make 85% on the
weekly test.
6. Design rules that are general and transferable. Students with learning and
behavioral differences often have difficulty transferring what has been taught
in one setting to another setting. Therefore, designing rules that help students
behave properly across a variety of setting demands is recommended.
Example of general rule statement: Begin work on time. Follow directions
at all times.
Example of specific rule statement: Do your work.
Do what the teacher says.
7. Keep the number of rules small and in sequential order. A general rule to
remember is to limit the number of rules to no more than eight, fewer if
possible. It is also important to list the rules in a way that will prompt
appropriate behavior from the moment students enter the classroom until the
end of the school day. This is possible when rules and procedures are clearly
delineated.
8. Post rules so they can easily seen by students and the teacher. Displaying a
set of well-designed rules in a significant place in the classroom reminds
students and the teacher of a specific code of behavior that has been
established and agreed upon by the entire class. For students who have
difficulty using appropriate behaviors, the posted rules serve as a helpful
visual reminder about how to act appropriately. Teachers benefit by the
posted rules because they can easily refer to a specific rule when giving
verbal reprimands and that offers the student some choices.
Example of specific rule statement: "Jane, remember our rule is to stay on
task. It's your choice, so get back to work."
Example of vague rule statement: "Jane, you know when you continue to
talk to Sam that it bothers everybody."
Giving a Simple Warning is Easy
Instead of the stress and frustration of reminding, glaring, and correcting,
all teachers could save themselves a lot of trouble by giving a simple warning.
A warning works best as a first consequence because…
 It’s easy to be consistent.
When you have a classroom management plan that includes a warning, it
takes the guesswork out of handling initial misbehavior. Student breaks rule…
teacher gives warning. It’s as easy as that.
 It’s not personal.
By consistently giving a warning whenever a student breaks a rule (for the
first violation), you avoid the drama that can result from a direct and personal
confrontation.

 It builds trust.
Doing exactly what you say you will do builds your students’ trust in you,
which makes it easier to influence behavior.
 It’s quick and easy.
 There is no interruption when giving a warning. You just give it and move
on without a second thought.
 It’s stress free.
You don’t have to rely on persuasion or intimidation to stop misbehavior.
You don’t have to yell, remind, glare, or use any of the other stress inducing
methods so many teachers feel trapped into using.
 It makes sense to students.
When you follow your classroom management plan exactly as stated -
which includes a warning - there is no confusion for students. They know exactly
what to expect, which gives them a sense of safety and frees them to be their
best selves.
Note: A warning is only effective when backed by a strong, take-action
consequence.
The Purpose of a Warning
A warning is just a warning - and nothing more. So when you give one to a
student for breaking a rule, leave it at that. You ruin the effectiveness of a
warning by adding a lecture, a scolding, or anything that shows your displeasure.
That may sound counter intuitive, but a warning only works when its purpose is to
allow students to fix their mistakes on their own.
A warning is another way of saying:
“You broke a class rule, but I trust that you will check yourself
and ensure that it doesn’t happen again”.

When students are given the freedom to make the right choice, rather than
having it forced upon them, it says loud and clear that you believe in them and
their capacity to control their behavior. And this makes all the difference.
But so many teachers mess it up by giving a warning and then adding, “I
don’t want to see you do that again. Do you understand me?” or something
vaguely threatening like that.
You have to give trust before students will show you they’re worthy of it.
When a student first breaks a classroom rule, give them the opportunity to show
you they can get themselves back on track by letting your warning be a warning.
Keep your personal feelings out of it.
 Again, we want students to look inward when they break a rule. The last
thing you want is for them to get mad at you for their mistakes. If your students
get angry with you or blame you when they break a rule, then classroom
management will be infinitely more difficult.
Finger-wagging lectures, added reminders, scolding, sighing, threatening.
They’re all self-sabotage.
How to Give a Warning
There is only one way I recommend giving a warning: Quickly,
dispassionately, and with as few words as possible. However, there are two
variations depending on the situation. We’ll go over both so you can begin using
them tomorrow.
 First Variation:
If a student breaks a rule, and you’re sure the student knows what rule
was broken, then you simply write his or her name on the board, place a yellow
card in the student’s designated pocket, or do whatever you do to signify a
warning.
And that’s it. You never speak to the student. The student sees the yellow
card turned over and knows that a warning has been issued. The onus, then, is
on the student to do what he or she needs to do to avoid further consequence.
This is how you’ll give a warning about 75% of the time.
 Second Variation:
The other 25% goes like this: If a student breaks a rule, but you’re not
sure the student is aware of it, then approach the student and say, “You have a
warning because you broke rule number two.” Say it matter-of-factly and then
immediately walk away. At your first opportunity, write the student’s name on the
board - or however you prefer to indicate a warning.
Make Sure You Do This
To make your warning most effective, make sure you do the following:
 Include everyone. Even the best-behaved students make mistakes once in a
while. Resist the urge to look the other way when they break a rule. In fact,
 when your top student breaks a rule, it’s a great opportunity to show the entire
class your consistency and integrity.
 Back it up. A warning is only effective when backed by a consequence your
students don’t like. They need to know that if they break a second rule, you
will hold them accountable.
Use Enduring Classroom Management Strategies
The classroom management strategies and methods you are enduring; no
tricks or trends that weaken over time. This “hit and run” method of giving
warnings is a good example. The longer you consistently use it, the more
effective it becomes.
The reason is simple. When your students begin to grasp that the
responsibility for breaking rules in your classroom falls firmly - and solely - in their
laps, behavior will improve.
 Use Positive instead of Negative Language.
As soon as you tell someone not to do something, the first image in that
person’s head is what you said not to do. I’ll show you: Don’t think about ducks
wearing hats. Are you thinking about ducks wearing hats? Thought so. To avoid
the meddlesome subconscious, opt for positive-language instead of negative-
language rules. For example:
1. “Be prepared” instead of “Don’t forget your pencil.”
2. “Shut the door quietly” instead of “Don’t slam the door.”
3. “Listen to your teacher and peers” instead of “Don’t talk in class.”
And use the word “consequences” instead of the extremely negative
“punishments.”
 Make your students feel responsible for their own learning environment.
Give your students agency over their learning environment, which gets
them feeling responsible for their own learning. Create rules together as a class,
encourage those with leadership personalities to direct the in-class discussion,
and walk around instead of standing up front for the entire lesson so that you
aren’t the funnel for conversation. Ask students to “check” themselves, as in
“Check yourself to see if you are using your indoor voice,” which sends the
message that you see the students as individuals who are capable of handling
themselves.
 Praise efforts and achievements for their own sake, not for the sake of
teacher approval.
Give constant feedback about good behaviors: “I notice that Daniel has
her book out and is ready to go. Now her whole row is ready!” But keep the
emphasis on the behavior, not on the teacher’s approval. Avoid saying, “I like
how…” because it doesn’t matter what the teacher likes. Students shouldn’t do
things to please the teacher; they should do things because they are the right
things to do.
 Be mindful of different learning paces and keep the students occupied.
Not all students learn at the same pace. Stick with those who don’t
understand the topic and check in with them regularly to help them keep up to
speed and don’t get frustrated and act out in response. On the flipside, bored
students cause problems. Make sure that you are challenging the students who
move more quickly through the material by over-planning and preparing extra,
quiet activities. For example, if a student has finished their still life painting with
20 minutes to spare, challenge them to step up to the next level - introduce an
unfamiliar object and a clean piece of paper.

 Avoid confrontations in front of students.

It is never a good idea to make an example of a student by shaming them
in front of his or her peers. If you’re dealing with misbehavior, speak to the
student in the hallway or after class to resolve the issue instead of allowing an in-
class confrontation.
 Connect with the parents.
Make contact with parents early and often. Encourage attendance at
parent-teacher conferences, if your school uses them, and demonstrate that you
want to work with the parents to instruct their children to the best of your ability. If
you develop a good relationship with the parents, you’ll open a dialogue between
parent, student, and teacher that allows for a freer flow of feedback — and it
always helps to have the parents’ trust.
 Interactively model behaviors.
Teacher Apple
The first time you do something; show the students how to do it. Then ask
them to share what they noticed about what you did. Then ask a student to do it,
and discuss that action with the class. Then have the whole class practice. If you
go slowly the first time, you’ll be able to go faster later with the assurance that all
the students know how to perform the action the right way.
 Get the attention of every student before beginning class.
This doesn’t require shouting “Be quiet, class is beginning” - in fact, that’s
almost sure to backfire. Instead, stand silent and wait until the students shush
each other and settle. Or, if that’s not your style, redirect the beginning-of-class
chatter by throwing out an engaging question, comment, or observation: “It’s
been snowing for three days straight! Has anyone been playing in the snow?”
Once you have everyone’s attention, proceed with the day’s lesson plan.
 Use proximity and directness to your advantage.
If a student is misbehaving in class, continue your lesson but walk over
and stand next to them. Having a teacher so close usually shuts down a
student’s misbehavior. You can also use a direct question to snap them back into
the lesson: “Kevin, why do you think Hamlet is so indecisive?” Be sure to start
the call-out with their name so that they hear the full question.
 Be organized.
Structure, both within a lesson and throughout the academic term, will
help your students stay on top of their work. Write the day’s activities on the
board before class. Hand out a syllabus at the beginning of the semester and
stick to it; if you get off track, provide a revised syllabus so that students always
know where they are in the course. During class, be prepared for each ensuing
activity; lag time waste both you and your students’ time and introduces apathy
into the classroom.
A Small Role, But a High Priority
 A common mistake teachers make is assuming that a classroom
management plan is able to do more than its intended - and quite narrow -
purpose.
On its own, it provides little motivation for students to behave. Its
usefulness comes from how it’s implemented, enforced, and carried out, from
how you communicate with your students, from how much leverage you have
with them, and from how much they enjoy being part of your classroom.
Your classroom should be exciting and creative. Your classroom management
plan, however, shouldn’t be.
The kindergarteners need to know that your classroom management plan
and the rules by which it governs are sacred, serious.
Let it have a look worthy of its utilitarian purpose. Two large pieces of
poster board or construction paper - rules on one, consequences on the other -
will do. Put them up on your wall, prominently, so everyone who enters your
classroom will know that behaving in a manner that is most conducive to learning
is a priority in your classroom. Then honor the contract you made with your
students by following it exactly as it’s written.

Behavior and Classroom Management

Classroom management and discipline are very important parts of
teaching. In any given class, “you may have six students with special needs, two
students needing to make up work, four disruptive students, three students with
attention deficit-hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), four students without books or
homework, five without a pencil and two without notebook paper … and that’s on
a good day!”
Anyone can see why you might collapse without something to support
you. That something is classroom management. While it is very important to
know your subject, you wouldn’t be able to teach all the wonderful things that you
know without classroom management and discipline.
 Classroom management is the way you arrange your class. You must
think about every aspect of the lesson, routines, procedures, a multitude of
interactions and the discipline in the classroom. The more you think it out
beforehand, the easier it will be when something unplanned happens - which it
always does, since you’re dealing with so many different personalities. You will
find several tips and tricks for how run an orderly classroom in Classroom
Management: 7 Tips from an Experienced Teacher.
Classroom Management: 7 Tips from an Experienced Teacher
Classroom management starts months before you or your students step
into the classroom. Experienced teachers end each year troubleshooting their
classroom management strategies from the previous school year. While not a
comprehensive guide, here are seven tips that can make classroom
management a little less challenging and help you fulfill your goal of keeping all
students safe, engaged, learning and on task.
1. Establish Relationships
As a teacher, your relationship with a student starts the moment you meet
them. No matter how difficult a student may be, you need to embrace the
challenge of getting to know him or her. Every child deserves love. Life has
enough hard knocks in store for a child who struggles socially, and you may be
one of the few people that child believes cares about him or her. This could make
a difference in his or her life choices, or at least in his or her decision not to
disrupt your class.
Many teachers naturally form relationships with children. They enjoy their
presence, listen to them and respond appropriately, look with interest at what
children show them - from a rock star’s picture in a notebook to a squishy worm -
and ask questions about it. They learn their students’ names and greet them at
the door. When a dispute arises, they listen and try to be fair. They don’t play
favorites. Teaching is a very active job, especially in higher grade levels, in which
teachers have less than two minutes per child per class period to establish a
relationship.
2. Create a Positive Learning Climate
 One of the most important things you can do to proactively manage your
class is to establish a climate that encourages learning. Teachers need to be
aware of students’ intellectual, emotional, physical and social needs and
establish rules and procedures to meet them. Students should be recognized as
individuals, each of whom has something to offer.
Arrange student seating strategically, grouping students by skill level or
arranging them in a manner that’s conducive to group work or sharing in pairs.
Also, plan for patterns of movement within the classroom and have your students
practice until its second nature; moving students in a structured, timed way can
enliven your classroom, while maintaining control and adding focus. Nothing is as
impressive and cohesive as a class moving into prearranged groups for an
activity in 30 seconds. This also allows for more variety in your lessons; for
instance, you could teach a 15-minute lesson to students at their desks, then
move the class to a different setting and teach a different, but related 20-minute
lesson.
Establishing student expectations is also an important part of establishing
a positive learning climate. Make sure that every student is welcomed in a group
and expected to participate. Also, practice good time management and plan to
teach from the first day of school.
3. Encourage Helpful Hands
Letting students take part in the classroom helps them feel invested - and
it can be a help to you as well! Some experienced teachers use task cards on
which students’ names rotate weekly. Strategies such as this provide fair ways to
distribute classroom jobs. It can also be helpful to post a sign that tells how to do
a job. For instance, if you assign students to straighten and clean a bookshelf,
you might place a list of steps to follow on the bookshelf.
You might also allow students to help in more casual ways, such as
assigning group runners for supplies or allowing students to pass out papers or
straighten the room. These tasks can serve as helpful self-esteem builders for a
child who often feels left out; however, you should note how many times a
student helps to avoid favoritism.
 Teach Needed Skills
You should teach students the skills needed for success in your
classroom. Often, teachers think about teaching content, without realizing how
important it is to teach other skills, such as social skills, thinking skills, study
skills, test-taking skills, problem-solving skills, memory skills and self-regulation.
Many school issues disappear after a few lessons in anger management
or another needed skill. Students can benefit greatly if you find small segments of
time to teach and model a skill; however, you may need to be creative, since not
all students need instruction in the same skill. However, if students are struggling
to get along with peers, be organized or be on time, which is better: to discipline
them for what they lack or to teach them what they need to know?
 Set Up Structure and Procedures
Structure and procedures are vital parts of classroom management. Every
part of the day needs to be thought through and brought into alignment with what
works best for your teaching style, your students’ personalities, the age group
and any special challenges that could cause a distraction.
Start planning as soon as you see the classroom. Envision each class;
ask yourself what you will do and how it can be done easily. When your students
arrive, get them on board by teaching classroom procedures, along with your
content, during the first week of class. For example, explain how to enter, how
get the needed supplies and start the warm-up exercise during the first few
minutes of class, how to turn in and pass out work, how to work in a group, how
to move between activities and how to exit the classroom. Also, be sure to cover
your expectations, including how to behave in class and the consequences of
misbehavior.
 Organize the Lesson
A lesson that engages all students, moves forward smoothly and allows
the teacher to talk to every child can only be accomplished through preparation.
You need to design your lesson with classroom management in mind.
First, build as many teaching strategies and interventions as possible into
the lesson. Use time management techniques (like setting a timer to help the
class transition through a series of activities), and implement quick feedback
techniques, such as a checklist to keep up with student progress.
Next, plan one-on-one and small group strategies, design appropriate
movement and allow time for social interaction and reflection time. For instance,
you could ask students to write in their journals at the end of an activity to give
them time to think about what they just learned.
Organization also involves spending time after school arranging handouts,
preparing supplies, writing on the board and taking care of other tasks. In doing
so, you can prevent pauses during the lesson and better manage your
classroom.
 Use Effective Discipline
Classroom management can help you avoid most discipline problems. At
the beginning of the school year, be sure to explain and post your discipline plan,
establishing that no one will be put down, bullied or made fun of in class because
it is a “safe zone” where everyone, including the teacher, is allowed to make
mistakes and learn from them.
Usually, this forms a cohesive learning environment, where students trust
you to take care of their needs and where they respect one another. Much can
be said about positive (or negative) peer pressure in a class. If there are students
who want to learn and they act accordingly, the dynamic of the class will likely
remain fairly stable; however, if students who don’t want to learn disrupt and
influence their peers, you may need stronger discipline skills or even an
administrator to fall back on.
Even if you are diligent in setting up your discipline plan and have
developed signals to warn students that they are about to be disciplined, not
every student will comply. When that happens, follow the steps of your discipline
plan. If that doesn’t work, you may refer the student to response to intervention
(RTI), or you may spend time researching other available discipline plans for
ideas. Whatever, you do, don’t give up, the students who are not disrupting – and
even those who are - need you.
 Some students with special needs have a behavior plan (learn more about
Functional Behavior Assessments and Behavior Intervention Plans here), or a
series of steps that teachers follow when the student misbehaves. Other students
may have RTI behavior plans because they spend so much time in the office that
they are at risk of failing.
A school may provide a school-wide behavior plan (like CHAMPS), or you
may need to create one for your classroom. There are many available and some
will fit better than others, but, the best plans teach discipline, instead of just
punishing or persuading.
The Functional Behavior Assessment
Functional behavioral assessment (FBA) is a part of the positive
behavioral support (PBS) mandated by IDEA 2004. Good classroom
management and structured classroom discipline stop most disruptive behavior,
but some students will continue to disrupt. These students need more help so
that they can stay in class and succeed.
FBA is a process which describes a student’s disruptive behaviors, looks
for the reasons behind the behaviors and offers interventions that teach new
behaviors to replace the undesired ones. Not all disruptions merit an FBA, which
is usually reserved for behaviors that interfere with learning; however, FBAs are
available to all students, especially those receiving interventions associated with
tier two or tier three of the response to intervention (RTI) framework. For students
with disabilities, a FBA may be part of an individualized education program (IEP).
Direct Assessment
To start the FBA process, the FBA team (not defined in IDEA, but typically
consists of the student’s teachers, and other professionals who have directly
observed the child, as well as, the parent) use both direct and indirect means to
assess the problematic behavior. Direct assessment typically tracks the
frequency of disruptive behaviors and the time of day, often teams will utilize a
scatter plot to show clearly the behavior pattern. In addition, the observers track
antecedent behavior, which is behavior that precedes the behavior and may
indicate the trigger for that behavior. One tool that is used is an antecedent
behavioral consequences chart (ABC). An observation note example could be:
“The teacher asked the class to get their math books out of their
desks. Rick threw his math book. The class was disrupted.”

Recording the entire cycle of disruption can provide clues to the trigger or
the benefit that the student reaps from the behavior. For our example, you might
include on the ABC chart that Jill became more agitated as she tried to work on
long division problems, and then shouted at you and stormed out of the room.
The ultimate result was she did not complete the assignment. Additionally, when
you spoke to her later, Jill reminded you that she could not have finished the long
division assignment, since she was in the office without her books. Recording the
entire cycle of the behavior from beginning to end can help you understand the
reasons that Jill is behaving in this way, as well as provide clues to the function
of this behavior (i.e., seeking attention or trying to escape an undesired
situation).
Indirect Assessment
Indirect assessment involves interviewing teachers, parents and other
adults who have contact with the student, asking questions about the behavior
and when and where it occurs. For example, how often does the behavior occur?
Who is usually present? Are there times when it doesn’t occur? These questions
can help the FBA team determine if the issue at hand is due to a performance
deficit (the student won’t do what is asked of him or her) or a skills deficit (the
student cannot do what is asked of him or her). In some cases, it can also be
beneficial to interview the student in an informal matter. More than likely the team
will collect both types of data in order to get a clear picture of the child’s
behavioral pattern. If an FBA does not discuss the antecedents, frequency and
time of behavior and other trigger patterns, the assessment should be
questioned.
Analyzing Behavior
In general, all behaviors serve some function. Although you can’t always
know exactly what function a particular behavior serves, you can often uncover
the meaning behind it by examining the information collected through the
assessments and asking strategic questions. Building on the previous example,
was Jill getting attention from her peers through her behavior? Was she able to
get out of a difficult assignment? Does she know how to do long division?
Answering questions like these helps to determine if the behavior is linked to a
difficulty in learning, like being unable to perform a skill (long division) or to some
other reason, such as being embarrassed that she doesn’t understand a skill that
may seem easy for other students.
After the data is gathered from the ABC chart, scatter plot and interviews,
this information can be condensed and recorded on a data triangulation chart.
This chart can give clues to the function of the behavior and will be used in the
FBA meeting. Note that these specific tools are being used here as examples of
what a quality FBA will consider; there is no provision in the law that requires a
school or school district to use them.
As the FBA team discusses the data that’s been collected, it forms a
hypothesis about possible deficits and causes for the behavior. It then puts this
hypothesis to the test by creating variations in the learning requirements and
environment to see if and how the student responds.
For our example, you may help Jill develop an indiscreet way to signal her
teacher when she is frustrated with her work and needs help. If Jill’s disruptive
behavior stops after using this intervention, nothing more needs to be done;
however, if Jill’s disruptive behavior does not subside or even intensifies, the
team may create a behavior intervention plan (BIP).
The Behavior Intervention Plan
The behavior intervention plan (BIP) targets one to three of a student’s
undesirable behaviors with interventions that are linked to the functions of the
behavior; each intervention specifically addresses a measurable, clearly-stated
targeted behavior. A BIP can include prevention strategies, which stop the
behavior before it begins, as well as replacement behaviors, which achieve the
same function as the disruptive behavior without causing disruption. The
environment is considered, and the FBA/BIP team may determine that a change
in a student’s schedule or in the arrangement of his or her classroom is called
for. In addition, the BIP provides a plan for responding to the old behavior that is
being replaced and promoting the new behavior.
For students without disabilities, the BIP can be adjusted as the student
improves without another meeting; however, frequent monitoring is still required.
For students with disabilities, the BIP is a legal document that is a part of an
individualized education program (IEP). It must be followed both inside and
outside of the classroom and it can’t be adjusted without calling a meeting of the
admission, review and dismissal (ARD) committee. (Not every state refers to this
team as an ARD; a number of states simply call it an IEP team. These terms are
generally interchangeable.) This committee reviews the BIP each year and can
change it at that time. An ARD meeting can also be called by a teacher or parent
any time there is a concern. If the disruptive behavior leads to a student being
removed from class a total of 10 or more days, the law requires that the IEP or
ARD team meet and conduct a manifestation determination (determining if the
behavior being disciplined is a part of the child’s disability or not), which may
require a change in the BIP.
Lastly, your attitude is crucial. Be consistent and keep your cool. Be kind
and steady. If a student breaks a rule, apply the consequence and continue with
the lesson; however, if you must stop to de-escalate a behavior, follow your
behavior plan, and then return to teaching as quickly as possible. Read about
how to respond, prevent and de-escalate disruptive behavior in The Behavior
Issues Guide.
Building Self-Esteem in Children with Special Needs
Self-esteem is always a concern for students with special needs. In a
mainstreamed classroom, it’s not difficult to see students divide into groups. If
you as a teacher are aware of this, you can take steps to ensure that the entire
class is cohesive. For instance, there may not be a real peer group for the only
student in class with visual impairment; therefore, you need to make certain that
the entire class is a peer group. This is accomplished through classroom
management.
 Focus on Talents
Not all students will excel in academic skills. As a teacher, take time to ask
all students what they are really good at and use those skills as much as
possible. Are they artistic? Do they play an instrument? Do they have great
social skills? There is nothing greater than eavesdropping on a conversation in
which a student with special needs is lauded by other students for his or her skill
and students form connections based on a common interest.
As the parent of a child with special needs, you can make a list of things
that the teacher might do or say to help improve your child’s self-esteem. If your
child does something very well, take a sample to show his or her teacher. Those
teachers who are receptive will look at your child with new respect and they may
mention the skill to other students. This could be a huge self-esteem boost.
 Encourage Effort
Everyone struggles when they learn something new. It’s important to
explain to students with special needs that they are not necessarily struggling
because they have a learning disability: they may be struggling because the
information is difficult. This helps to reassure students who may be sensitive to
their slower rate of learning. Tackling a challenge provides a wonderful chance to
gain self-esteem: if students keep trying until they accomplish a goal, their self-
esteem increases. Sometimes, the harder the goal, the greater the boost to self-
esteem will be. The key to helping students with special needs persevere is to
break a difficult task into smaller steps to reach a larger goal.
 Rejoice in What They Do Well
Students gain self-esteem when they do something well, and it’s helpful to
focus on the little things they can do well. Many tasks are frustrating for students
with special needs; as a parent or a teacher, be patient with what they can’t do
and rejoice over what they can do. There are things each of us can’t do, and a lot
depends on the standard to which we are held. Most of us would be at a loss in a
room full of astrophysicists; however, while we can give ourselves a little grace,
knowing that we just can’t do what these scientists can do, sometimes we have
trouble translating this concept as it relates to students with disabilities. Help
these students understand that everyone has things that they can’t do and things
they can do. Help them discover their strengths.
 Help Them Look Beyond School
While it is important that students with special needs meet the
requirements of testing and the school, help them to think beyond school. Allow
them to explore careers. Look at their positive traits, keeping in mind that these
can be very valuable to a potential employer. Do they always arrive early? Do
they turn in their work on time? Do they clean up after themselves or others? Are
they observant? Can they greet people at the door and make them feel
welcome?
 Involve them in Hands-on Activities
If it is possible, enroll students with special needs in some kind of
adventure or science field class in which they are exploring or collecting samples
outside. This builds self-esteem by giving them a sense of connection and
accomplishment. It also allows them to work in groups to solve a problem.
How to Teach Classroom Management on the First Day of School
Although classroom management will make up only part of your first day
of school, doing it right is essential. Because it sets the boundaries within which
inspired teaching can take place. It establishes an impenetrable wall,
safeguarding your students from distraction, interruption, bullying, disrespect,
and the like.
To be most effective, you mustn’t ease your way into it. You mustn’t tiptoe
your way around it or add it as an unpleasant aside. No, you must set your feet,
narrow your eyes, and teach classroom management in a way your students
won’t soon forget.
Here’s how:
 Make a commitment.
Before your students arrive, make an ironclad commitment to yourself to
abide by the guidelines set forth in your classroom management plan. This will
give your instruction a level of conviction your students need to see in order to
trust you and buy into your plan.
 Start early.
The earlier in the day you can begin your classroom management lesson
the more it will communicate its importance. This doesn’t mean, however, that
you must start immediately. Within the first hour is a good rule of thumb.
 Make a promise, part 1.
To begin your lesson make a promise to your students that you will uphold
your classroom management plan every minute of every day, no exceptions. Go
on record. Lay your reputation on the line. Express your commitment to them and
to protecting their education.
 Make a promise, part 2.
Now promise your students that you will always treat them with respect.
Promise that you will never yell, scold, or humiliate them in any way. This public
declaration will instantly put them in your corner, eager to support your plan.
 Communicate its purpose.
Many teachers present rules and consequences as if they were bad news.
The truth, however, is the exact opposite. Your classroom management plan is
the very thing that ensures your students’ freedom to learn and enjoy school
without interference. It must be presented as such.
 Teach with Gusto.
If you don’t feel a surge of energy as you begin your lesson, then you’re
not ready to teach classroom management. Managing behavior effectively
means everything to your success. Thus, you must convey its sacred importance
with passion.
 Refer to a visual.
Your rules and consequences should be posted prominently, not hidden
behind a door or banished to a far corner. Write them poster-size in your own
script and place them high upon the front wall of your classroom.
 Give an impassioned review.
To introduce your classroom management plan, provide an impassioned,
full-picture review of your rules and consequences. Although you’ll do no
modeling at this point, your words must be delivered with boldness, conviction,
and zeal.
 Show the progression.
Provide an example of a misbehaving student progressing from an initial
warning to the return of a signed letter. In other words, let your student’s
eyewitness exactly, and in a highly detailed way, what will happen if they break
your class rules.
 Model in their shoes.
The lesson is most effective if you pretend to be the misbehaving student.
Sit at one of their desks and call out without raising your hand, side-talk with a
classmate, or engage in any other common misbehavior. You can even have a
student play the part of the teacher.
 Leave no stone unturned.
The idea behind teaching classroom management so thoroughly right out
of the gate is to remove any and all excuses for poor behavior before they gain a
toehold and become part of the culture of your classroom.
 Encourage questions.
When you finish your lesson be sure and give your students a chance to
ask questions. No part of your plan should be secret. No part should be unclear,
nuanced, or difficult to defend. Openness and transparency are strengths your
students will respect and find comfort in.
 Freedom
Most students are used to a haphazard form of classroom management.
They’re used to uncertainty and ambiguity. They’re used to inconsistency and
shifting definitions of what is and isn’t acceptable behavior. They’re used to
teachers who say one thing and do another, and accountability based on moods,
whims, and angry confrontations.
Your job on the first day of school is to set the record straight.
How to be Consistent from the First Day of School to the Last
There is great freedom in consistency. Because when you follow your
classroom management plan to a tee, you remove the guesswork. You eliminate
the stress of lecturing, correcting, and trying to convince your students to behave.
You wipe away the friction and resentment.
The responsibility for misbehavior, then, falls entirely on them—with none
of it clinging to you.
Your students are free to reflect on their mistakes, and you’re free to move on
as if nothing happened.
 A Slippery Slope
It’s common for teachers begin the school year determined to be consistent.
But somewhere along the line they lose their way. They get distracted and
let minor misbehavior go. They look the other way when crunched for time. They
take misbehavior personally, become angry, and deliver a dressing-down
instead. Before long they’re enforcing rules based on their mood, who the
student is, or the severity of the misbehavior rather that what their plan actually
says.
Which leads to distrust, animosity, and more and more misbehavior?
Unfortunately, it’s so, so easy to ski down this slippery slope . . . and so, so
difficult to find your way back up.

 One Thing
There is, however, one simple thing you can do on the first day of school
to make sure you stay consistent throughout the year. It’s a strategy that makes
following your classroom management plan something you do naturally, even
effortlessly. It becomes automatic, like opening the door when an expected guest
knocks or answering the phone when it rings. It isn’t, however, for the
fainthearted, for it entails going on record, making a commitment, and putting
your reputation at stake.
 The Promise
The way the strategy works is that on the very first day of school, within
the first hour, you’re going to make an ironclad promise.
 You’re going to make a promise to your class that you will follow your
classroom management plan precisely as it’s written. No exceptions. It will come
while you’re introducing your plan and be repeated during every subsequent
classroom management lesson as you teach, model, and practice the ins and
outs of your rules and consequences.
“I promise that I will protect your right to learn and love school by
following our classroom management plan every time a rule is
broken.”
Pause, look them in the eyes, then say it again. Keep on saying it every
day until doing it becomes second nature to you, until you’ve proven to yourself
and your class that you are indeed a person of your word.
 All In
Teachers are quick to ask students to make promises regarding their
behavior, even asking for them to be written out and signed. But the real power is
when the teacher makes a promise.
Because when you publicly state your intention and commitment, you
create powerful internal leverage to actually do it. Even when it’s inconvenient,
when you’re rushed, and when the storm of the century is raging outside your
classroom door. By putting yourself on notice and holding yourself accountable
for doing what you say you’re going to do, being consistent becomes remarkably
easy.
In no time you’ll be someone your students know they can trust and count
on - maybe for the first time in their life. You’ll become someone worth looking up
to and following and behaving for.
Go all in. Lay it on the line within the first moments you meet your new
class. And the soft pressure to honor your promise, to do the right thing, to
ensure your students the best learning experience they’ve ever had . . . Will
never, ever leave you.
6 Things You Must Do on the First Day of School
You have one opportunity to start your school year on the right classroom
management foot, one shot to propel your first day of school into the best
learning experience your students have ever had.
 You can’t afford to leave it to chance. You can’t afford to be unprepared,
uninspired, or unfocused. You can’t afford to be anything other than on top of
your game. For a lasting first impression will set the tone for the rest of the school
year. It will set the tone for behavior, work habits, respect, responsibility,
camaraderie, and so much more. Thus, your first day of school should reflect
your vision of a dream class. It should reflect who you are, what you expect, and
what it means to be a member of your special classroom.
It should stir in your students the desire to become more or better or
somehow different than when they walked through your door.
What follows are six things that, when infused with your passion and
conviction, and sprinkled with a dose of your wonderful imperfection, will make
your first day of school one your students won’t soon forget.
1. Make a connection.
Building rapport begins the moment your students lay eyes on you. Greet
them with a smile and let them know in no uncertain terms that you’re glad
they’re a member of your class and now part of a unique community. Your initial
friendliness and open, welcoming heart will put them at ease and spark an
immediate desire to please you, follow your lead, and pay forward your kindness
throughout the classroom.
2. Set a tone of excellence.
After just a few introductory remarks, send the message that you expect
excellence in everything they do by showing your students how you expect them
to enter the classroom in the morning. Make it highly detailed, demonstrating
every precious step. This first routine, when taught with depth and precision, and
then practiced successfully, paves the way for all other routines to be learned
quickly and thereafter performed with excellence.
3. Have some fun.
Whether it’s a getting to know you game, a rollicking story of your youth,
or just your everyday humor, be sure your students see, and experience, that
being in your classroom also means having fun.
 It’s key to not only their motivation and attentiveness and instilling a love
for learning, but it also affords you the leverage and influential presence to ask
for and expect hard work, respect, and kind behavior . . . and get exactly that
from your students.

4. Make a promise.
By now your students will be buzzing with the understanding that yours is
no ordinary classroom. The startling expectations, the joyful learning, and the
quiet thrill in their heart is evidence enough that it’s going to be a remarkable
year.
They are now primed to hear from you a most important promise, a
promise that will largely determine your and their success. You’re going to
promise them that you will protect their special community, that you will protect
their right to learn and enjoy school.
5. Fulfill your promise.
When students understand its true purpose - that is, a safeguard against
interruptions, disrespect, name-calling, etc. - your classroom management plan
takes on a whole new meaning. Rather than being viewed as a negative, it will be
seen for what it is: a means to preserve their love of school.
Teach your plan, not as a hard-edged disciplinarian, but as one who cares
enough about their education to defend it to the hilt. Although you’ll spend parts
of the rest of the week modeling and practicing your plan, a detailed overview on
the first day is a must.
6. Dive headlong into academics.
Establish from the get-go that your classroom is in the business of
learning by diving into a challenging academic lesson (or two or three) on the first
day of school. Be sure, however, that it’s spot-on - high interest, participatory,
leaving no doubt as to what you want your students to know and to do.
Their success understanding and then performing your first academic
objective is crucial to their confidence going forward, setting the stage for
limitless improvement.
Beautiful Imperfection
Although the six items above won’t be all you’ll do on the first day of
school, they are the most important. It’s a mistake, though, to assume that
because they’re important, you have to be perfect. You don’t - far from it.
Have your content, your objectives, and the overall tone of the day
pictured clearly in your mind, but allow yourself room to mess up, to stumble over
your words (or the trash bin you forgot was behind your desk), and to pause and
consider what to say next.
In this way, your natural, influence-building charisma will shine through.
So let go of any and all pressure to be perfect - self-imposed or otherwise. Let go
of the what - ifs and the negative trains of thought. Let go of the performances.
Take a long, slow, deep breath and exhale it all out into the ether, saying
goodbye forever. Just be you. Your students will love you for it.
How to Avoid a Bad Start to Your School Year
It can sneak up on you quickly.
Your students, after all, are eager to please. They want to do well. Many
are determined to turn over a new leaf, to put the past in the past and start a
fresh. Every year of school is a clean slate, a chance to get it right.
So, in the first couple of weeks, it’s easy to get lulled into feeling like you
got it wired, like you got this teaching thing down. Your students are happy.
Attentiveness is good. And misbehavior has yet to become an issue. But just
below the surface there is a danger lurking, a danger that can lullaby even the
most vigilant teachers to sleep at the wheel. You see, as soon as the excitement
of a new school year wears off, as soon as the novelty loses its luster, it’s natural
for things to begin fraying at the seams.
If you look close, lo about the third week of school, you’ll notice a smidgen
of sloppiness in the way your students line up for lunch or turn in their homework
or gather themselves into groups.
Nothing drastic, mind you. Nothing particularly eye-catching. But it’s there.
They raise their hand per your modeling, perhaps, but start talking before you call
on them. They dawdle a second or two longer before following your directions.
They jostle or murmur under their breath or look away as you teach a lesson.
You find yourself repeating the same things again and again, talking louder, and
feeling the first pangs of frustration.
Now, for many teachers, this natural phenomenon, this slow but sure
retrogression of general behavior and attentiveness, doesn’t occur to them until
it’s too late - if it occurs to them at all. And so they’ll remind. They’ll warn and
threaten. They’ll harp and harangue on the importance of listening, performing
routines, and giving a good effort. But for the most part, it falls on deaf ears
-because the students are too far gone.
They’re so far down the ski slope that they can only hear the echoing of
your voice. The dewy leaves are already turning brittle. And the distractions . . .
the distractions grow greater every day.
Your only choice, then, is to start over, to wipe the slate clean, to begin
from the beginning, as if it’s the first day of school all over again. Of course,
because you no longer have a captive audience, this is made more difficult the
second time around.
Better to capitalize on an open, eager, and malleable class right from the
beginning. Doing so, however, takes a bit of shrewdness. It takes proactivity. It
takes being a stickler for the little things - those that may not seem so important
at the time. It takes a strategy that, when employed from day one, need not be
used very often.
It’s a strategy that has become a mantra among the most exceptional
teachers, for it promises to draw out the best in your students - whether the first
week of school or the last.
The strategy is this: Never move on until you’re getting exactly what you
want from your students. In other words, don’t transition, start your lesson,
continue the work, make the project, work in groups, or anything else unless your
students are meeting the standards you’ve set for them. Usually, this takes
nothing more than a pause. Other times, though, you may have to stop them in
their tracks, rewind to the beginning, and start again.
 But if you stay true to what you want, if you stay true to what you know
your students are capable of, then you’ll never lose control of your class. You’ll
never feel like a comedian dying on stage. Is this thing on? Instead, you’ll ensure
that active listening, attentiveness, and sharply performed routines are part and
parcel to being in your classroom. You’ll ensure good habits, maximum time-on-
task, and optimal learning.
You’ll ensure confidence in knowing that you’ll never have to prod, plead,
remind, or merely hope things will get better. When you steadfastly refuse to
continue on and on, unsatisfied and unhappy with what you’re seeing in your
students, there is no telling what can be accomplished. There is no telling the
surprises in store. There is no telling the staggering progress your students will
make.
How a First-Day-Of-School Lesson can Improve Classroom Management
for the Rest of the Year
There exists a strategy that, if taught on the first day of school, can have a
profound effect on the rest of the year.
One of the best things you can do on the first day of school is set the bar
of what is normal far above what your students are used to. Far above what your
colleagues are doing. Far above what most teachers mean when they use the
term “high expectations.”
The good news is that you can make this leap in a single lesson. You can
rewire your students’ internal understanding of excellence in one short but
electric block of time. It’s a lesson they’ll readily accept without so much as an
eye roll because they’ll assume that in your class, your grade level, or your
subject area, it’s just the way things are.
Furthermore, on the first day of school your students will be more open to
change than at any other time during the year. They’re primed and ready to start
fresh, to turn over a new leaf, to put the mistakes and failures of the past behind
them.
 How It Works
 The way the strategy works is that you’re going to teach your students a
common, everyday routine - like how to enter the classroom in the morning, in a
way that is highly, minutely, even obsessively, and detailed.
It will establish a standard that will continue for as long as you maintain it.
Teaching this bar-raising strategy entails creating a memory map for your
students to follow every single morning.
Here’s how:
 You Model
Borrow a student’s backpack and, while pretending to be an actual
member of your class, perform the morning routine precisely how you want your
students to do it.
Show purpose, expediency, and concentration as you model your way
through the steps you want them to take upon entering your classroom. This may
include hanging up backpacks and jackets, checking mailboxes, organizing
personal materials, and displaying or turning in homework. It may include
greeting tablemates or reviewing the daily schedule.
It’s smart to add details rather than making it too simple. Challenge is
good and will increase concentration, improve memory, and keep your students
focused and purpose-driven from the moment they walk through the door. Extend
the routine to the point where they’re either working independently or sitting
quietly, facing you, and ready to begin the first lesson.
A specific, well-oiled routine will eliminate morning apathy, irritability,
sleepiness, silliness, and the like, ensuring a peaceful rather than stressful start
to each day. It also saves time and allows you to be a teacher rather than a
micromanager.
 Student Models
After modeling twice, and asking your students if they have any clarifying
questions, choose a single student to model.
Ask them to mimic your actions and movements, and even your focused
expressions, in minute detail. When they finish, calmly praise them for what they
did well. Remember, praise is both effective and worthy when students are
learning something for the first time.
It provides feedback that further illuminates the path you want them to
follow. Having one student model causes the rest to visualize them doing it right
along with them.
It also proves that it can be done, and done well. If, however, even one
step strays from your initial instruction, then point it out, re-teach it, and have the
student do it again. It is the smallest details that make the biggest difference.
Done correctly, you should feel as if you’re going overboard in your
instruction.
 More Model
Now call on a few more students to model, one at a time, for the class.
Follow them as they go through the steps and movements, nodding along the
way.
Use papers, books, umbrellas, laptops, and sweaters as props. Make it as
close to the real thing as you can. Again, if corners are cut, ask them to start over
again from the beginning. Have the mindset that you’re only going to teach this
particular routine one time. So teach the heck out of it. Get it right and it will set
the tone for all routines to follow.
It will set the tone for effort, behavior, and academic performance too. This
doesn’t mean, however, that you’re going to be a demanding ogre. Be sure you
teach with a spirit of fun and confidence.
Routines can be drudgery if you drill them like an old football coach.
 All Model
Once you feel confident your students can do the routine individually, and
then send your entire class outside with their backpacks to perform the routine
simultaneously.
Emphasize politeness as they work around each other to hang up hats
and maneuver around desks. “Good morning,” “please,” and “excuse me” should
be the predominant communication during the opening routine.
 You’re only job during this time is to observe, saying as little as possible.
Resist the urge to talk them through the routine - which will weaken rather than
strengthen performance and create dependency on you.
Let them do it on their own. Give them a chance to mature and grow and
test themselves. It builds confidence and competence, and their body language
will show it. When they finish if they get it right be sure and tell them that it’s
perfect, that it can’t be done any better. Many teachers are afraid to do this.
They’ve been led to believe that no one ever arrives, that there is always
more to learn. But it isn’t true. Once they prove they can do it well, then heartily
let them know.
Note: Although you’ll want to practice until they get it right, it’s okay to take a
break and revisit the routine later in the day - or the next. Repetition, after all,
isn’t a bad word.
 It Starts Now
Teaching a highly detailed routine to perfection on the first day of school is
the single best thing you can do to ensure a well-behaved and productive school
year.
It sets the standard for every routine, lesson, and activity to follow. It
raises the bar of what is normal from mediocrity to excellence. It sends the
message that your new students are now part of something special, something
different, and something bigger and more important than themselves. And they’ll
love it. It feels good. It fills them with purpose and drive. It motivates and inspires.
It’s a lights a fire of intrinsic motivation to listen, to learn, to behave, and to
enjoy being a valued member of your classroom.
You are not every teacher. And yours isn’t any old classroom. You can
have the dream class you want. You can have the teaching experience you
envisioned when you first decided to become a teacher.
How to Set the Tone on the First Day of School
Of the many goals you have on the first day of school, none compares in
importance to setting the proper tone for your students.
It is the initial impression of your classroom, after all, that establishes its
culture. It’s the feeling, the pace, the attitude, the mood, and the spirit of the
experience that expresses who you are, what you value, and what it means to be
a member of your classroom. It’s the heady mixture of hope and possibility that
fuels everything you do and say with greater significance.
Although your first-day lessons and activities play an integral part in
setting the tone, it’s your style and demeanor that rule the day. What follows isn’t
so much what to do on the first day of school . . . it’s how to be.
 Be Likable. The old maxim that you shouldn’t smile the first two months of
the school year is terrible advice. In fact, you should lavish your smile upon
your students. It means so much and communicates so many wonderful
things. Yet, amid the busyness of the first day, it’s easy to forget.
It’s easy to get so caught up in your objectives that you forget the human
connection. A genuine smile creates instant likability, builds effortless rapport,
and activates the power of reciprocation.
 Be Calm. Your calm demeanor alone, without having to say a word, has a
powerful effect on students - much more than most teachers realize. It settles
first-day jitters. It allays fears and uncertainties. It sweeps away misbehavior-
causing excitability and allows your students to focus on you and your
message.
It also helps establish the peaceful but focused learning environment you
want by providing an example for your students to follow. Fill your classroom
with positive, all-is-well vibrations, and they’ll respond in kind.
 Be Clear. When it comes to effective classroom management, clarity trumps
all. Present every lesson, activity, and transition with utter simplicity. Pause
often while speaking, make eye contact to assess understanding, and model
explicitly through each moment of your instruction.
It’s critical in the beginning for your students to develop the habit of
successfully listening and understanding everything you teach. In this way, as
you move on to more complex, multi-step material, they’ll be right with you.
 Be Confident. If you’re unsure about what to do next, if you hem and haw,
repeat yourself, change your mind, think out loud, speak too much or too fast,
 or appear befuddled, you’ll lose your students. A compelling teacher
perpetually provides value. They’re worth following and listening to.
To engender confidence and begin grooving the habit of keen
attentiveness, you must make your words count. When giving instruction, tell
your students only what they need to know. Be direct and concise. Speak with
conviction and don’t waste their time. They’ll remember everything you say.
 Be Fun. For many, many reasons - which we’ll cover in a future article - it’s
important that your students leave for the day happy and excited about the
upcoming school year.
It’s important that they run home and excitedly tell their parents how much
they like you and love being in your classroom. Although playing a first-day,
getting-to-know-you game is a great idea; it’s your personality that will
resonate. It’s your openness to laughter, your generous spirit, and your love
and enthusiasm for teaching that will shine the brightest and mean the most.
 Paving the Way. The first day of school isn’t just about setting the tone for
your students. It’s also about setting the tone for yourself. You’re laying the
groundwork, developing the habits of exceptional teaching and classroom
management.
The keys above not only position you for a successful first day, but for a
successful year. They imbibe you with a demeanor and style that allow you to
naturally build rapport, elicit fervent devotion, and cause your students to
want to behave.
They make them receptive to your instruction and nodding along in
agreement with your soaring expectations. They pave the way for the best
school experience your students have ever had.