Recall your favorite teacher and think about the way she or he managed the class to make it a positive learning experience for you.  Now, read Chapter 5 of your text to explore the various strategies for effectively managing a classroom and see if you can make a connection between what the text says and your favorite classroom experience.  Keeping that comparison in mind, answer the following questions: · When you think about managing a classroom, what do you feel most confident about?  · What are your biggest concerns?  State carefully one possible way to deal with your greatest concern and relate it to Kounin’s preventive approaches to managing a classroom.  · Why do you think your solution will work?  What challenges or obstacles could impede its success?  Explain. Refer to Chapter 5 of your text, additional resources and your own insights/experiences.  CHAPTER 5 BELOW The classic study of what effective teachers do when it comes to managing the classroom was published in 1970 by Jacob Kounin. Kounin's research involved the analysis of numerous hours of videotaped segments from classrooms at various grade levels. Kounin observed that teachers who prepared and proactively managed their classrooms were far more effective in teaching and engaging students. Because of the impact of his work, some have called Kounin the "father of classroom management." In this section, we will learn some of Kounin's concepts that emphasize preventive approaches to managing the classroom. Managing by Being "Withit" Photo of students in a classroom using cellphones. Blend Images/Blend Images/Superstock There are so many things to consider when teachers begin their teaching careers that crafting a classroom management system often falls low on the priority list, when in fact it should be one of the first topics addressed. Jacob Kounin (1970) is known for introducing several helpful management concepts. Perhaps the best known is withitness. This term signifies a teacher's awareness of what is going on in his classroom and the communication of this awareness to his students. Teachers most often communicate their withitness in nonverbal ways, anticipating potential difficulties and warding off problems very quickly. Withit teachers act as if they have eyes in the back of their heads. For example, a withit teacher might go right on teaching when two students are chatting with each other, simply laying a hand on each desk as he walks by. In most instances in a well-managed classroom, this is the only action necessary to nip things in the bud. Withit teachers also possess the ability to overlap, that is, to do more than one thing at a time. By "overlapping," Kounin meant the teacher's ability to handle two or more simultaneous events, or in today's terminology, to multitask. For example, a teacher who can overlap can answer a student's question and hand another student a hall pass without neglecting the first student. Situations continually arise in the classroom ...

1. Recall your favorite teacher and think about the way she or he
managed the class to make it a positive learning experience for
you. Now, read Chapter 5 of your text to explore the various
strategies for effectively managing a classroom and see if you
can make a connection between what the text says and your
favorite classroom experience. Keeping that comparison in
mind, answer the following questions:
· When you think about managing a classroom, what do you feel
most confident about?
· What are your biggest concerns? State carefully one possible
way to deal with your greatest concern and relate it to Kounin’s
preventive approaches to managing a classroom.
· Why do you think your solution will work? What challenges
or obstacles could impede its success? Explain.
Refer to Chapter 5 of your text, additional resources and your
own insights/experiences.
CHAPTER 5 BELOW
The classic study of what effective teachers do when it comes to
managing the classroom was published in 1970 by Jacob
Kounin. Kounin's research involved the analysis of numerous
hours of videotaped segments from classrooms at various grade
levels. Kounin observed that teachers who prepared and
proactively managed their classrooms were far more effective in
teaching and engaging students. Because of the impact of his
work, some have called Kounin the "father of classroom
management." In this section, we will learn some of Kounin's
concepts that emphasize preventive approaches to managing the
classroom.
Managing by Being "Withit"
Photo of students in a classroom using cellphones.

2. Blend Images/Blend Images/Superstock
There are so many things to consider when teachers begin their
teaching careers that crafting a classroom management system
often falls low on the priority list, when in fact it should be one
of the first topics addressed.
Jacob Kounin (1970) is known for introducing several helpful
management concepts. Perhaps the best known is withitness.
This term signifies a teacher's awareness of what is going on in
his classroom and the communication of this awareness to his
students. Teachers most often communicate their withitness in
nonverbal ways, anticipating potential difficulties and warding
off problems very quickly. Withit teachers act as if they have
eyes in the back of their heads. For example, a withit teacher
might go right on teaching when two students are chatting with
each other, simply laying a hand on each desk as he walks by.
In most instances in a well-managed classroom, this is the only
action necessary to nip things in the bud.
Withit teachers also possess the ability to overlap, that is, to do
more than one thing at a time. By "overlapping," Kounin meant
the teacher's ability to handle two or more simultaneous events,
or in today's terminology, to multitask. For example, a teacher
who can overlap can answer a student's question and hand
another student a hall pass without neglecting the first student.
Situations continually arise in the classroom that call for the
teacher to overlap.
Kounin (1970) also discovered that effective classroom
managers are conscious of momentum and aim to achieve
smoothness. Momentum refers to the rate or pace of the lesson,
and smoothness involves the lesson's flow. Teachers carefully
watch students for signs of boredom or frustration and intervene
appropriately. They must be aware of the lesson's momentum
and plan ahead for transitions, those times between lessons and
activities when chaos can erupt if not planned for. Teachers can
productively use transition time, either by giving warnings

3. (e.g., "You have 2 minutes to complete this task") or by
preparing for the next task in advance (e.g., "Once you have
turned in your math problems, take out your daily journal and
enter today's date and a sentence about what we did first this
morning").
As a way to enhance lesson smoothness, teachers can use group
alerting. Group alerting includes what the teacher does to keep
students on their toes. For example, teachers who wait to call on
a particular student until after giving all students a chance to
think about a question are using group alerting. In addition, a
teacher who says, "Everyone look up here," is also using group
alerting as a way to focus the class's attention.
Along with exhibiting specific behaviors, maintaining activity
flow means that the teacher does not engage in certain
behaviors. Kounin (1970) used some colorful terms for these
behaviors. One such teacher behavior that leads to what Kounin
called "jerkiness" is overdwelling, in which the teacher goes
over the same point or direction repeatedly. When a teacher
overdwells, students lose interest, become frustrated, and may
take advantage of opportunities to misbehave. Another teacher
behavior to avoid is what Kounin labeled stimulus-boundedness.
This occurs when the teacher is distracted by some external
stimulus (e.g., the teacher may comment on something she sees
in the hallway and thus cause the students to redirect their
attention). A teacher who is stimulus bound is easily drawn off
track; the result is confusion on the part of students.
Holding Students Accountable
Kounin (1970) observed that, in a well-managed classroom,
teachers hold students accountable for the work assigned.
Emmer, Evertson, and Worsham (2000) present three ways
teachers can promote greater student accountability. First,
teachers should clearly communicate assignment expectations

4. and requirements. This can be done both verbally and in
writing. Directions must be clearly stated. It is also helpful to
provide students with the grading criteria at the time an
assignment is given.
Second, in order to hold students accountable, teachers should
monitor their progress. During class, this can be accomplished
by circulating around the classroom and giving corrective
feedback. For assignments completed outside the classroom, the
teacher can monitor students' work by scheduling progress
checks.
Third, students are more accountable when teachers provide
regular and prompt feedback. The importance of such feedback
was described in Chapter 3 in our discussion of Skinner and
behaviorism. Now we can see that it is important for both
learning and behavior. When students know where they stand,
what they are lacking, and how closely they have hit the mark,
they are more motivated to perform. Note how this feedback
mechanism already exists in most sports. For example, kids
know immediately whether they have hit an archery target and
can see where they need to aim next time. Teachers need to
provide students with a similar kind of feedback in order to
keep them focused on learning tasks. They also need to help
students learn how to self-evaluate.
An issue related to helping students be accountable is raised by
Kohn (1996, p. 19) when he suggests that a key question to ask
when students are off task is "What's the task?" Sometimes
students do not follow through with the work assigned because
they do not see the purpose of it; they may perceive it as busy
work or may question its relevancy. Thus, teachers should make
sure that what they are asking students to do has value. Can
they provide a reason for students to do what they are asked to
do? Is the task itself interesting, relevant, and meaningful? If
not, then teachers must recognize that students may not engage

5. in the work.
Also note that if students are held to a high level of
accountability, they will usually rise to that level, but if
students are not expected to perform well, they probably will
not. This is true for both academics and for teachers as well as
students. The foundational research leading to this finding came
from the work of Albert Bandura (1993) on self-efficacy. When
teachers have a strong belief in their capabilities, they tend to
make greater efforts toward their students' success. This leads
to better student performance and the students' beliefs in their
own self-efficacy. Next, the teachers are encouraged by the
students' successes, believing even more strongly in their own
self-efficacy, and the cycle continues.
Important to the self-efficacy theory is the idea that teachers
have a willingness to persist in their efforts, to try new
practices including better planning, organization, and
professional commitment. Such attitudes on the part of teachers
have been shown to lead to more positive student attitudes
toward school. In other words, schools that implement processes
to help students meet their high academic and behavioral
expectations have high rates of academic success (Akey, 2006;
Gambone, Klem, Summers, Akey, & Sipe, 2004). This means
that everyone (including the teacher) should be held to high
levels of expectation. This does not mean the same goals for
everyone. For individual students, it may mean different
expectations based on their individual capabilities. For teachers,
it means not giving in to assumptions and stereotypes, instead,
as Bandura would say, believing that all students can succeed to
the best of their abilities, no matter what their backgrounds may
be.
Take, for example, a recently admitted student. The principal
tells the teacher that she is homeless, has not been in school for
several months, and has attended five schools in the last 3

6. years. It is not out of the question to assume, at least initially,
that this student will be below grade level and in need of
support simply because she has not been in school. Whether this
is true or not is not important. What is important is to give this
student the respect, acceptance, and high expectations as well as
the tools and support she needs. The messages that teachers
communicate to students are important; they affect their self-
image and ability to be successful. Conveying positive and high
expectations in a classroom and school environment can affect
students' beliefs about themselves. In addition to having
successful students in an academic sense, schools with high
expectations have lower rates of problem behaviors, including
dropping out, alcohol and drug abuse, teen pregnancy, and
delinquency (WestEd, 2008).
In the classroom, there are many ways that teachers can
communicate high expectations from academic and behavioral
standpoints. For instance, teachers should not accept students
opting out of participating in class or achieving success,
regardless of students' excuses. This approach is known as "no
opt out" (Lemov & Atkins, 2010). Looking at "no opt out" from
a behavioral standpoint, a teacher must ensure that students
don't have the option to behave inappropriately and provide
accommodations to help them succeed. If teachers set high
expectations, all students, even the ones with typically poor
behavior, will eventually rise to them if proper supports are
implemented.
A second way to communicate high expectations is called "right
is right" and is about accepting things being partially right
versus completely correct. This means that teachers should
encourage students when they are on the right path and their
answers are almost correct. The teacher can make statements
that convey that students are closing in on the right answer or
that she likes the work they have done so far (Lemov & Atkins,
2010). The same can be said of expected behaviors in the

7. classroom. Teachers should compliment and acknowledge
behaviors to let students know they are on the way to achieving
the acceptable standard. Recall from Chapter 3 that this is
known as "shaping."
A third way to communicate high expectations, called "without
apology," describes the fact that we often inadvertently lower
expectations by the way we talk about students and apologize
for having to set a rule or expectation. Holding students to high
expectations requires no apology.
Planning the Physical Setting
Think back to the dinner party described at the start of this
chapter, with its advance environmental preparations so
important for success. As we mentioned then, these preparations
are as important in the classroom. While the physical
environment was not a focus of Kounin's study, a teacher can be
proactive in this area as well, and such decisions about layout
and décor will affect how students think and act. It might be
said that the furniture even "talks," telling students that they are
to be quiet and listen to the teacher if the desks are placed in
rows facing the front, or, alternatively, telling them that they
are expected to participate actively with each other if the desks
are placed in groups of four or five. The younger the students,
the more they are affected by layout. Kindergarten children, for
example, need room between tables and centers to navigate their
still-awkward bodies. They, and primary children as well, need
frequently changing concrete materials that hold their attention,
rather than a day filled with dreary pencil-and-paper drills
(Slentz & Krogh, 2001).
All ages will respond to a colorful and friendly environment.
Prints of professional artwork can provide enjoyment as well as
a basis for study. Posting student artwork promotes an
atmosphere of respect. While at the beginning of the school year

8. it is the teacher's responsibility to create a pleasant
environment, turning that responsibility over to the students
adds even more respect and fosters independent decision-
making. In general, student-created art should be emphasized
over beautiful, aesthetically pleasing work. In addition to
student artwork, photos of the students, newspaper clippings
that contain students' names, and calendars of students'
birthdays make the room more personalized. Classroom space
should be attractive and inviting. Students should feel welcome
there.
For making decisions about the layout of the classroom, Emmer,
Evertson, and Worsham (2000, pp. 2–3) provide the following
five keys to good room arrangement:
Use a room arrangement consistent with your instructional goals
and activities.
Keep high-traffic areas free of congestion.
Be sure students are easily seen by the teacher.
Keep frequently used teaching materials and student supplies
readily accessible.
Be certain students can easily see instructional presentations
and displays.
Some teachers ignore (or are unaware of) these guidelines, and
thus, through neglect, ignorance, or oversight, they contribute
to a poorly managed learning environment. Of the five keys, the
first one is the most important. Your decisions about the look
and feel of your classroom should be determined by what you
are trying to accomplish. Thus, before arranging your
classroom, you will need to think through your long-term goals
for students. For example, a high school business education
teacher who desires to prepare students for the workplace might
decide to arrange her classroom to resemble an office.
Similarly, a third-grade teacher who wants students to learn
how to work cooperatively and plans to use small groups
frequently may place students' desks in pods of four. And

9. finally, a teacher at any grade level who wants to provide easy
computer access for Internet research would set up the
classroom so that computer usage could be monitored and so
that those students on the computers would not disturb other
students.
The major work of preparing your classroom takes place during
the few days before students arrive. However, changes can and
should be made throughout the year in response to students'
needs and on the basis of instructional changes. You should not
view arranging your classroom as a onetime event. Whenever
behavior problems arise, look for signs that the physical
environment could be the source. It may be, for example, that
arranging students in small groups has led to misbehavior on the
part of some children. Placing desks in rows for a
time―possibly a week or two―might be helpful in returning
the class to better organization and calm.
MORE OF CHAPTER 5
Effective teachers implement a management system at the
beginning of the school year. Rules and procedures are
important components of any management system (Emmer,
Evertson, & Worsham, 2000). Rules are clearly stated
expectations that guide student behavior. If rules are unclear or
fuzzy, or if they change from day to day, students are likely to
push or test the limits. Rules can be established by the teacher,
or by the students with guidance from the teacher. Research
offers the helpful information that "students are much more
likely to adhere to a set of rules that they helped establish than
those they perceive are forced on them" and that "it is important
to explain the classroom standards clearly and state the reasons
for them" (Bradley, Pauley, & Pauley, 2006, p. 37). During
group learning, rules also protect students from harm (both
physical and psychological) and assist in the smooth operation
of the class so that learning can result.

10. When developing rules, with or without participation from the
students, teachers should create a small number (generally three
to five), phrase them clearly, and use positive statements (i.e.,
state what students should do rather than what not to do). Once
decided upon, the rules should be posted where they can be seen
by everyone and easily referred to. Younger students will need
opportunities to practice the rules. As an example, the class
might have established a rule that asks everyone to line up for
recess quietly. Practicing once or twice immediately following
the rule's creation will prove helpful later when it is time for
recess, because otherwise, children might be too excited about
going outside to think about appropriate behavior.
Procedures are routines for accomplishing tasks, making
efficient use of time and space. Think about everything that
happens in the classroom on a daily basis. Procedures range
from how students enter the classroom and how homework is
collected, to how students ask for help or how permission is
granted to go to the nurse's office. Students must master
learning classroom procedures just as they master subject matter
material. Thus, procedures, like anything else in a classroom,
must be taught and reviewed regularly. Research has
demonstrated that "fewer behavior problems occur in
classrooms that adhere to established routines" (Bradley et al.,
2006, p. 37).
Keeping It Clear and Simple
Advance thought and planning, with buy-in from the students,
will be well worth the time devoted to it, because "ultimately
more time can be devoted to teaching and learning" (Bradley et
al., 2006, p. 37). Part of the classroom management system is to
create procedures and systems that make classroom expectations
clear, so it is important to be transparent and succinct about
what they are. Expectations must be meaningful, relevant, and

11. connected to the work in the classroom. Having rules and
procedures that are clear and well thought out reduces wasted
time and allows everyone in the classroom to work efficiently.
One of the key characteristics of a well-managed classroom is
that "there is relatively little wasted time, confusion or
disruption" (Wong, 1991, p. 89).
Photo of young students lining up to be counted in class.
Cusp/Cusp/Superstock
Something unexpected will always come up in the classroom,
often with unique consequences. Simplicity is the key to
remembering your classroom management system well enough
to be able to adapt it in the face of unexpected events.
Of course, having a set of rules or procedures that covers every
classroom misbehavior or disruption is unreasonable and
impossible: "Just as the list of behavior problems is nearly
endless, the effects of misbehaviors are also limitless"
(Manning & Bucher, 2013, p. 6). Something unexpected will
always come up in the classroom, often with unique
consequences. Simplicity is key to remembering your classroom
management system well enough to be able to adapt it in the
face of unexpected events. Simplicity is even more important
for students. It will ensure that they remember expectations,
rules, and procedures. As an example of what doesn't work, take
the complicated directions that come with new technology or an
appliance. Few people ever read them, and most of us try to
figure things out as we go. It is only when we stumble or get
hopelessly lost that we read directions, search for answers
online, or ask for assistance. The point is, we rarely read
directions or follow procedures when they are not short, simple,
and easily accessible. The same is true in the classroom. The
list of rules should be easily manageable and simple enough to
explain in a couple of minutes. The rules must be reasonable,
positively worded, enforceable, and integrated into your
classroom systems (Burden, 2006; Grossman, 2004; Kerr &
Nelson, 2006; Maag, 2004).

12. As an example of how rules can be made to work, let's assume a
class of second graders. It is the beginning of the year, the
teacher is new, and the children have just now graduated from
the K–1 playground to the field that the big kids use. The
teacher gathers the class together and prepares the children for
this new and more grown-up playground they are about to enter.
She asks them, "What do you know about a good way to go to
the playground?" Responses might include:
We should all line up quietly.
In first grade, if we were noisy we had to go to the end of the
line.
"Great," responds the teacher. "Those are the only two rules we
need. What about coming back in?" The children look a little
confused. They're really not ready to think that far ahead. So,
the teacher continues, "When it's time to come in, I'll blow this
whistle three quick times." She gives a brief demonstration.
Hands now go up:
I guess we should line up quietly all over again.
And go to the end of the line if we fool around.
Now there are just two rules for leaving and two for coming
back. "We can write them down later," says the teacher. "Since
it's our first time, let's just see how well your rules work. Good
job thinking of some helpful choices!"
Another piece of important advice is to know yourself and what
you can and cannot handle in the classroom. Many classrooms
are poorly managed because teachers do not take enough time
thinking through their own needs. Do you like to have a lot of
movement in the classroom, with students walking around and
working with other students? Do you prefer to have a quiet
room? Do you want students to ask for permission to use the
restroom? How do you want homework passed out or turned in?
Who should be in charge of these things: teacher or students? It

13. is important to know what keeps you calm, collected, and able
to function, thereby helping you and your students succeed.
Many teachers react in the moment and change rules and
procedures because they have not thought through what they
needed. Perhaps the second-grade teacher in the example has
already determined that she will have the class line up quietly
and that misbehavers will go to the end of the line. Not wanting
to chance the children thinking of inappropriate suggestions,
she doesn't engage them in dialogue but simply informs them of
the rules. She may include the children in such decision-making
another time. The time it takes to reflect on your own needs will
save time down the road. Benjamin Franklin perhaps stated it
best when he said, "An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of
cure."
Using Appropriate Methods
Spotlight: Classroom Rules
Pre-planning can save the teacher many headaches once class
begins. Teachers must be familiar with school policies and
procedures, documentation, and support structures. Students can
also help devise rules that allow each student to learn.
Critical Thinking Questions
Both the video and the textbook suggest it is a good idea to let
students participate in establishing classroom rules. Does this
approach in any way make you feel uncomfortable or unsure
about your capabilities? If so, list your concerns and ways you
might deal with them. If not, prepare a statement you can share
with others in which you give your reasons for thinking it will
be a positive experience for you.
The video suggests it will be important for you to learn your
school's behavioral expectations and to establish your own
expectations so that they do not conflict. What will you do if
your philosophies of management and discipline conflict with
those of the school? For example, perhaps you support the idea

14. of students helping establish classroom rules but the
administration believes principals and teachers should establish
them before school opens each year.
Rules work best when they make sense to students and to the
teacher and when they are explicit with no possibility of
misinterpretation. The same can be said for having a list of
consequences. Rules can serve as a mechanism to build
cohesion and community among students and teachers,
particularly when students have had input in their construction
(Henley, 2006). When students know they can rely on fair and
equal treatment, they will more readily accept and respect the
rules.
Reconsider Punishment
In the past, the most frequent response teachers had to behavior
problems was punishment. In recent years, the use of
punishment has been widely criticized (Gordon, 1989),
although, as discussed in Chapter 3, B. F. Skinner had unkind
things to say about it decades ago. Kohn (2006) challenges
teachers to consider the messages sent to students about
learning when punishment is the method of correction. He
suggests that teachers need to examine why they use
punishment. Among the reasons that he outlines are the
following:
Punishment is expedient—it's fast and easy (for the teacher).
Teachers may know no other strategies.
The use of punishment makes teachers (and other adults) feel
powerful.
According to Kohn (2006), one of the primary reasons why
teachers use punishment is because they falsely think that it is
the only choice, that "until we have made the wrongdoer suffer,
we haven't really taken any action" (p. 31). There is no reason,
Kohn argues, to think that punishment will ever be "effective at
helping students to become caring, responsible members of a
community" (p. 32). A problem-solving approach, on the other

15. hand, not only helps offenders learn better behavior, but also
fosters the building of a classroom community.
Favor Natural and Logical Consequences
When teachers view rule enforcement as a teachable moment,
they are more likely to use natural or logical consequences
instead of punishment. A punishment is discipline imposed by
an external authority; a natural consequence is something that
occurs naturally as a result of behavior. In many situations,
natural consequences already exist in the students' worlds, thus
making the concept easily understood. For example, if a student
fixes dinner while wearing nice clothes, a natural consequence
might be that her clothes become soiled. Or perhaps the student
makes an unkind remark to another child. The natural
consequence of this behavior, perhaps, would be the other
child's unwillingness to interact again with the student who hurt
his feelings. In other words, the unpleasant consequence can be
thought of as a type of natural punishment, leading to an
avoidance of these acts in the future.
Natural consequences can be distinguished from logical
consequences, which are defined as "situations where the
consequence is, in effect, arranged by the parent or another
adult rather than being solely the result of the child's own acts"
(Dreikurs & Grey, 1968, p. 65). In order for the consequence to
be effective, the student must experience it as logical in nature.
In fact, Wong and Wong (1998) emphasize that students
cooperate more readily when they understand that consequences
logically follow behavior. For example, should a student leave a
messy work station in science lab, the logical consequence
would be for her to clean up the area.
According to some education writers, teachers should follow
three guidelines when selecting consequences (MacKenzie &
Stanzione, 2010; Nelsen, Lott, & Glenn, 2000):

16. The consequence should be related to the behavior.
The consequence should be reasonable.
The consequence should be delivered in a respectful manner.
When consequences are related, students see the connection
between what they have done and its outcome. For example, if a
student leaves paper on the floor, a related consequence would
be to pick up the trash. Teachers can formulate reasonable
consequences by making sure their decisions do not seem
arbitrary to students. In addition, consequences that are
respectful are administered in a way that does not seem overly
harsh; respectful consequences have well-defined beginnings
and endings (MacKenzie & Stanzione, 2010).
Another way to ensure that consequences are respectful is to be
sure that they are not viewed by the students as punishments,
which could so easily happen. If everyone—teacher and
students alike—views the classroom as a community, then
consequences are simply a step in repairing a problem or
restoring a positive atmosphere. And everyone is responsible for
this. For example, if paint is spilled from a kindergarten easel,
the child who did it knows it is his responsibility to clean up the
mess. If this happens in a highly functioning community, other
nearby children would offer to help. And if the classroom has
been efficiently set up, the necessary clean-up materials would
be near at hand. As a second example, two middle school girls
might have engaged in a quarrel that includes loudly
interrupting each other. In this case, the teacher begins to
realize that the class rule "Be respectful of one another" is
perhaps too vague. In this case, she would work with the
students to define the problem and create a solution that would
be satisfactory to them both. Together they might decide to
refine the rule to be "Listen as much as you speak."
Deciding on the consequences of inappropriate behavior (the
middle school argument) or unintended mistakes (the easel
mess) is a part of creating rules. It is also the case that these

17. two experiences offer two different examples of rulemaking. In
the example of the easel spill, the teacher, with the children's
help, no doubt created a rule for clean-up at the beginning of
the school year. Thus, there are no questions about what to do
when mishaps occur. The middle school disagreement, however,
leads to the need for in-the-moment rule creation. The general
rule for being respectful doesn't fit every occasion, including
this one. Now, the two students and teacher will need to refine
the rule to meet the current problem. They can later take the
situation to the class as a whole for agreement or further
refinement.
As discussed earlier, students have more ownership of rules that
they help create (Scherer, 2008). The same is true in deciding
on consequences, and part of teaching children to create rules is
teaching them what consequences would be most appropriate.
The latter is actually a more difficult process, particularly for
younger children. This is an important reason for keeping rules
to no more than three to five. If we use the same two examples
again, we can see that a simple consequence for making messes
will be to clean them up, and the consequence for fighting will
be to create a satisfactory resolution, possibly with
accompanying apologies. In both cases, rules and their
consequences as created by teacher and students together will
lead to the creation of a well-functioning community of
learners.