Creating Personalized Behavior Expectations with your Class

It is so important to establish goals and set expectations at the beginning of every school year. BUT, it is equally important to revisit and reestablish these goals and expectations at any point in the year if you feel that things aren't going as you originally intended. I have created a fool proof method to get student behavior back on track at any point in the school year!

I really like to use this system after Christmas Break AND after Spring Break to reengage and keep those expectations high.

Here's how to use it:

First things first! You need to get the kids to BUY-IN! Buy-in is of ULTIMATE importance as we set expectations. The goal here is to create a sense of community in your classroom in-person or virtually. This is a place where you (and your students) will spend 7 hours a day for the rest of the school year. So what do you and your class want it to look like?

Sit down with your students and MAKE A LIST of behaviors that we all DON’T want to see in our classroom. Behaviors that make it hard to learn. Behaviors that bring us down or make us feel sad or angry. Then list these behaviors AND make a parallel list of equally important consequences to those behaviors. Agreed upon by the majority!

From there, MAKE IT OFFICIAL! Put it into an Expectation Contract that can be printed out and signed by each individual student and a parent.

I found an amazing editable contract at https://theowlteacher.com/oh-those-challenges/

Next, COMMUNICATE your contract with parents by sending the contract home with kids. Print one out for each student to read and sign so that they can explain how THEY came to create this document as a class to their parents.

Then, if you are in-person, POST expectations around the room or refer to them daily, if virtual, as a reminder of what everyone committed to. I printed out about six posters and had the kids hang them around the room. This way, it’s not teachers against students. It’s us... creating our own environment where we GET to spend all the hours until June!

Finally, HOLD EACH OTHER ACCOUNTABLE! Teach the kids how to encourage one another if they see them exhibiting any of these behaviors, and talk about how we react when someone holds us accountable. (Help kids to give gentle reminders and point to the expectations if they see someone not holding up their end of the bargain.)

I am hoping this inspires you to reengage with your students and keep those expectations high while continuing to build that positive classroom atmosphere that we all want to be a part of!

Always cheering you on!

Angie