Classroom Rules:
A form with all of the rules discussed in class will be handed out to the students for them to sign. This form serves as a contract between the students and me. Those rules will include, but are not limited to the following:
· We should treat each other with respect
· We should listen when others they speak
· If there is any disagreement between two of us, we should settle the matter as a gentleman/woman.
· We should not use violence in the classroom.
· We are honest people; we will not commit dishonest acts!
Every student will keep the copy of this “contract” with them; thus, I will not include another copy on my classroom wall since I will treat my students as adults. Students will not need my permission to go use the restroom. They should be able to decide when they need to go. Before they leave the classroom, however, they should record the date and time and the reason that they decided to leave the classroom on the classroom log.
Cheating will not be allowed.
If a student is caught cheating during the process of grading the assignment for instance, a test, the student will not receive credit for the test; additionally, he/she will also need to work harder to regain my trust. Instead of making the students retake a different form of test to examine their knowledge on the lessons, students who cheated will be asked to either write a descriptive essay reflecting on what they have learned from the lessons, or they may transform their knowledge into a project that could be a powerpoint, or building a model of certain topic that we touched on. They will receive a grade for their “apology” although their original assignment will remain a zero. I want to set this rule 9in order to warn students that they will have to do more work if they decide to cheat.
I truly believe that there is always a reason behind every action. Thus, instead of punishing students when they do not follow the classroom rules or when they misbehave in classroom, I will not penalize them immediately. I will try to talk to them alone to find out the cause of their actions. Solving the cause of the problem is the only way to eliminate problematic behavior. Thus, everyone in my classroom will deserve a chance to redeem themselves and argue for themselves.