With the beginning of school right around the corner, this is the time to start thinking about classroom rules and expectations. Though schools have many safety systems in place, the children need to understand their own role within this setting. Knowing how to behave kindly and safely will go a long way toward establishing and maintaining a strong and thriving school community.
When planning back-to-school activities, it isn’t uncommon to focus on classroom rules. This is where children spend most of their day, so ensuring it runs smoothly is important. However, do they also know what kindness and safety look like in other contexts?
- How do we stay safe on the playground?
- Are there specific bus rules we need to know?
- And what about the hallways and cafeteria?
Gracious… the cafeteria. Yours too?
Many schools display behavior posters in key spots around the campus. And maybe the principal goes over all the rules during the big back-to-school assembly. You know… the one where you and your teammates are trying really hard to keep 140 kids quiet while sitting on a hard cafeteria floor because you suspect someone might be judging your behavior management skills and it’s the only the first day of school?
Yeah, that one.
That’s great for a general fly-by. But tiny children aren’t tall enough to see the posted posters. And as for the assembly? You know all those kids were looking around the room to see if they could find someone they know so they could show off their new shoes. And you’re left wondering… did they actually get any of that?
Unlikely.😂
TAKE MATTERS INTO YOUR OWN HANDS
How well your students understand the school-wide rules and expectations is the result of work you do in your own classroom. Conversations and activities done in this smaller setting can help them visualize and practice safe and positive behaviors.
I love these little books for K-1 kids!👆 They’re short and simple, but straight to the point so the children get the information they need without feeling overwhelmed. Each book covers how to behave safely and kindly in different areas around the school, including:
- in their classroom
- on the playground
- in the hallways
- in the cafeteria
- on a school bus
I get the reality of the beginning of the year in kindergarten and first grade classrooms… several (maybe most) of the children aren’t yet reading with proficiency. No worries. Use these little books as a casual read-aloud, discuss the content, and then invite the children to echo-read with you… you read a page, then they echo what you just said.
That’s a fun, non-threatening way to get kids to participate, and by saying the words out loud, they’re more likely to remember the ideas. From there, you can go on to discuss the specific rules of your own classroom and school. Chances are, they’re very similar.
TIP: Reread the collection of books throughout the week so the children become really familiar with the expectations. By the end of the week, you can send them home so the kids can share them with their families.
BACK TO SCHOOL LESSON PLANNING
If you’d like to use these little books during the first week of school, you can👉 GRAB THE SET HERE. The illustrations are perfect for conveying each idea, and the uncluttered design makes them easy for little hands to color. I’ve also included directions for printing the books so you don’t have to cut a single page when assembling… just fold and staple!
MORE POSTS ABOUT CLASSROOM MANAGEMENT
Happy teaching!
