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Tara Larsen
Professor Nugent
EDUC 231s
16 February 2016
Application Assignment: 5 Rules and 5 Routines
Creating clear rules and routines is essential for creating a successful classroom. They are
in place to give students a basis for how they should behave in one specific teachers room.
That is why rules and routines should be specific and understandable. To give students vague
instructions is to set the students up for failure. The author made the point that, Its important to
recognize [the students] do not know your specific expectations. Your students probably see five
different teachers each day, and specific expectations vary from class to class (94). The students
will either break the rules because they do not understand what is expected of them, or because
they want to see how far the vague rule or routine can stretch. Also, home environments may
dictate a normal behavior that is different from the teachers expected classroom behavior (95). A
teacher cannot assume that the students will, know how to behave because theyve been in
school many years (94). Classrooms pull together a diverse population that may be crowded.
Having rules and routines in place for students to follow will allow both the teacher and the
students to make the most out of the time they have. This is done by enabling the housekeeping
tasks to be completed effortlessly, leaving more time open for learning (95).
Rules:
1. Raise your hand if you want to talk while another person is talking, or when you have a
2.
3.
4.
5.

question during quiet time.

Treat others how you want to be treated
Treat the classroom materials and equipment with respect
Remain alert and engaged during class times
This is a cell free zone, unless instructed by the teacher

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These were rules that Hannah and I came up with in class. I actually like the rules and think I
can integrate them into my own classroom. The rules are succinct, but not vague enough to throw
students off. They are not abstract enough to have no meaning either (99). Those that can be
counted as ambiguous (three and four), can be explained quite easily, therefore, still following
the second guideline, Rules need to be clear and understandable (98). Treat the classroom
materials and equipment with respect can be broken down as: No sitting on desks or countertops,
no leaning back in chairs, no writing on the desks, and no breaking the crayons and pencils.
Remain alert and engaged during class time can also be explained: do not sleep in class, do not
stare out the window during lecture time, and do not do any personal reading during lecture or
group work time.
Rule five is interesting because it still follows guideline three, Rules should be consistent
with instructional goals and with what we know about how people learn. Cell phones are a
necessary evil in the classroom at times. Students may use them to text or play games, but I also
can use them for assignments. Apps such as Schoology, Stop Motion Studio, QR Reader, Haiku
Deck, and Shakespeare in Bits, can actually help a student with their learning. Using their own
devices may help to personalize their learning. Some students may be perplexed by the familial
connections in Romeo and Juliet, but S in Bits can provide them with a family tree and a side by
side dictionary to help the students comprehend Old English words. Stop Motion Studio is great
for visual and tactile learners, because they can create stories in which they can portray the
actions of the characters.
Treat others how you want to be treated and Treat the classroom materials and equipment
with respect (two and three) follow guideline four in that, Classroom rules need to be consistent
with the school rules (98). If the school has an anti-bullying policy, that would fall under rule

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two. If the school says no vandalizing school property, that would fall under rule three. All of the
rules follow guideline one, Rules should be reasonable and necessary (98). Specifically, in rule
one, if it is quiet time, it is necessary for students to raise their hands as to not disrupt their fellow
classmates learning. Like Donnas example about loving gum, but not chewing it because it ends
up in the wrong place, not using technology is the same (99). I love using my phone, but if I had
easy access to my phone, how would I do any teaching? Therefore, I will not use my phone in
the classroom, even if I want to, because the temptation is real. I expect the students to follow,
and not use their phones as well, unless told otherwise.
Routines:
1. Taking attendance
a. Class-Running Routine (Administrative routine)
b. I will take attendance while the class is working on their bell ringer. Students will
follow the school policy about tardies and absences.
2. Entering the room at the beginning of the period
a. Class-Running Routine (Routines for students movement)
b. Students will sit down at their desks as they enter the classroom, take out their
homework and lay in on the top right corner of their desk. Then they will
complete the days bell ringer.
3. What to bring to class
a. Lesson-Running Routine
b. Students should be prepared each day by having their textbook, notebook,
homework, planner, and writing utensil.
4. Collecting homework
a. Lesson-Running Routine
b. Homework will be collected at the beginning of every period after the bell ringer
is completed. Students will grab their homework from the top of their desk when I
tell them to turn their homework in. While remaining seated, they will take their
homework, pass it right side up to their neighbor on their right. Once the person at
the end has the rows paper, they will give it to the person in front of them. The

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individual in the front right desk will then take the homework and put it in the
homework bin.
5. When the teacher needs the classs attention
a. Interaction Routine (Talk between teacher and students)
b. When I need the classs attention, I will have a bell that I will ring. I expect the
students to quiet down and look at me within the five seconds of ringing the bell.