Analyse Different Ways to Establish Ground Rules
When teaching a class of students, regardless of age, it is always important to establish ground rules at the beginning of the term. In doing so, both students and teacher can be prepared to know what is expected of them in their conduct in class and to their peers.
Students need to know what you expect from them and what they can expect from you during the course. They need to know where the boundaries lie and what will happen if they step over the boundaries.
To begin with, you need to decide what are ground rules. Are they something to be used as a guide? Or rules that are to be set in stone? What are the consequences of breaking them? And how will you decide what these consequences are? Will there be warnings for any rule breaks? And how will a student know if they are breaking these rules? It can be very daunting to begin with, but getting these first steps to establishing ground rules right will redoubtably lead to a smoother running class and a respectful happy learning environment.
The ground rules that you set could be decided by having a discussion with the class. Allowing everyone to have an opinion on what they think acceptable behaviour in class is could result in everyone adhering to them. Using a brainstorming session could encourage students to speak out on what they think suitable rules should be put in place. They may even come up with a few ideas that you hadn't thought of! Discussing what the students think ground rules are first, and then adding what the establishment's main rules are, i.e. the 'Code of Conduct'. You could discuss what the students think these rules are needed for. Is it for safety? General good manners or enhancing everyone's right to learn equally? This will open the students minds to accept that this is a group, and respecting everyone in it is, in itself, a fundamental ground rule.
When the rules have been decided, there needs to be a clear...