Creating Classroom Rules

Narrator: In this stage, the teacher guides the children as they organize the many rules they brainstormed into categories. This process, while messy at times, strengthens children's understanding and ownership of the rules. Teacher: Now, if these were our rules, and we put those up on the wall to live by all year, would we be able to remember all of these? Students: No Teacher: There's an awful lot of them aren't there? Looks like about fifteen or twenty. Student Maybe we should trim them down to Teacher: Abby? Student: Maybe we should trim them down to categories. Teacher: Do you have any ideas, Abby, of any that might go together? Student: Well, anything that might be something to do with being safe or could be that. Teacher: so what has to do with being safe? Student: Well Walking has to do with being safe. Teacher: Anyone else see antything that matches being safe? Harrison? Student: Be friendly person? Teacher: Because that's safe feelings?