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The classroom was chaos. But not the kind of organized chaos teachers aspire to have.
Students were sprawled out on the floor. Some perusing their phones and some picking at their nails. A few appeared to be sleeping - head down, hood up. A few were attempting to get work completed - laptops open and AirPods firmly planted in their ears, an attempt to cancel out the cacophony.
The teacher quickly jumped up from his seat and scooted over to me, explaining the students were at varying points in their projects. I thanked him for the context and sat down, observing the class unfold.
This scene was not unique. Whenever I walked by or happened to pop in, things appeared and felt chaotic. What was clear to me was the teachers’ inability to create and keep classroom expectations.
Clear expectations have even been found to decrease student victimization and delinquency (Gottfredson et al., 2005).
Wanting to be liked and accepted by the students rather than respected and adored for challenging their growth, the teacher let the students run amock. He didn’t establish and maintain boundaries, an essential component of classroom management and learning.
In this week’s post, we’ll review why behavior expectations are important for growth and development. Then, I’ll provide seven tips on how to create and maintain stellar classroom expectations that provide structure, empower students, and maximize students’ and the teacher’s classroom experience.
Classroom Management Deep Dive: Why We Need Expectations
Teachers are integral to children’s development and learning experience in part because they influence classroom climate (Luckner & Pianta, 2011; Pas et al., 2015).
Expectations or a lack thereof can impact the overall classroom climate and student development including their engagement, perceptions of academics, and social-emotional health (Holas & Huston, 2012; Toren & Seginer, 2015).
According to Toren and Seginer (2015) there are three components of classroom climate:
Teacher–student relationships (which should come as no surprise to NicoleEducator blog readers)
Peer relationships as a perception of peer support can assist with students' social and academic goal achievement and social-emotional well-being. Having little peer support can lead to disconnection and social maladjustment.
Educational atmosphere or the instruction, learning structures, and behavior management strategies
If students act disruptively, learning and peer and teacher interactions and relationships erode. Additionally, continued disruption leads to a chaotic existence and even acceptance that disruption is a behavioral norm (Pas et al., 2015) which is the last thing any teacher or administrator wants.
So having clear expectations that focus on pro-social values like cooperation and support can not only improve behavior but also attitudes toward school (Jessor et al., 1998; Koth et al., 2008). Plus, some research shows at-risk children’s healthy development can increase when there are expectations in place (Sabol & Pianta, 2012).
Adhering to classroom management strategies like establishing expectations can contribute to a positive classroom environment (Simonsen et al., 2008; Skiba et al., 2016). Expectations create structure and if the teacher reinforces behavior expectations through engagement and teaching, then the climate can be optimized for learning (Simonsen et al., 2008).
Plus, some research shows at-risk children’s healthy development can increase when there are expectations in place (Sabol & Pianta, 2012).
While the terms "rules" and "expectations" are frequently used interchangeably (Gable et al., 2009), behavior expectations generally mean that teachers are creating a small number of positively stated guidelines to reach a desired behavior (Simonsen et al., 2008). Clear expectations have even been found to decrease student victimization and delinquency (Gottfredson et al., 2005).
Simonsen et al. (2008) reviewed classroom management strategies and found that establishing, teaching, and reviewing expectations and providing feedback on behavior decreases the chances students will engage in disruptive behavior and increases academic engagement.
Positively stated expectations should be taught to students consistently and systematically. If students do not meet the expectations, they should receive feedback and be aware of potential outcomes they might receive (Gable et al., 2009; Simonsen et al., 2008).
7 Stellar Classroom Expectation Guidelines
So if you want to foster a classroom climate that is a well-oiled machine and sets students and teachers up for success, classroom expectations can help you get there. But, you want to make sure you follow a few guidelines.
1. Connect with values
When crafting expectations, try to think about the big values that guide your classroom environment. You can even tie this to your core values.
For example, if you are trying to create a classroom community that works together smoothly, perhaps one expectation could be, “We value diverse thoughts, experiences, and individuals.” You could even make this broader and more succinct with a simple, “Be respectful.”
Whichever route you go, you can work in core values that are general enough to capture many of the nuanced occurrences that happen in a classroom.
2. Include student voice
While some teachers may think the classroom is their domain, this is not true. Students need to have some skin in the game and a say. Whether they are 5 or 25, student voice is essential when creating classroom expectations.
We increase buy-in and dedication to expectations when we feel we are involved in the process. And when we don’t follow those expectations, we may be more apt to acknowledge our wayward steps if we help create expectations.
3. Phrase positively
When you get to the crafting point of the expectations, phrase them in the positive. Instead of “No unkind words” or “Don’t be mean,” you would say “Use kind words” or “Be kind.” This subtle difference matters when trying to change and/or encourage specific behaviors.
Additionally, even using the term “expectations” or “guidelines” versus “rules” matters. While some may see this as just semantics, using "expectations" or "guidelines" feels more communal rather than "rules" which insinuates a power dynamic.
4. Keep it pithy
Make sure there is some bang for your buck with your expectations. Try to keep your language concise and appropriate to the level. No one wants a long-winded expectation that is difficult to remember. If you can keep each expectation to a few essential words, even better!
Additionally, try to keep it to 3-5 expectations that encompass a broad range of behaviors. Pithy, pithy, pithy!
5. Post prominently
After going through all the effort of co-creating your expectations and ensuring they are phrased appropriately and positively, be proud of your creation! Post those expectations for all to see and don’t let them fall into oblivion.
Having the expectations posted in a prominent area will be just the reminder your students need to have them percolate in their young minds.
6. Teach
This next point is particularly important for our young students. You can create some stellar guidelines, but if the students have no idea what each one means then it will be all for naught. Focus on each one and create common definitions for the guidelines.
I would suggest modeling and/or role-playing each one multiple times over a few weeks so that they sink in and students truly understand what each one means. You could even have students complete a writing assignment on the norms to get them to marinate in their minds, The more you can do to make them come alive the better.
A major component of teaching the expectations is also providing the students feedback when they are or are not adhering to the expectations. Focus on the positives because we all know that positive praise can truly change behavior.
7. Reset and recalibrate
Nothing is perfect and there will be times throughout the year when you will need to reset and recalibrate your expectations. This is ok and completely normal! You might have to do it with all of them or just a few.
Whatever the scenario is, make sure you pause and reset. If you have a morning meeting or closing meeting, this would be the perfect time for you to do so. Be methodical and intentional in your re-teaching as you might need to rephrase the expectation if the students are not understanding it.
One Last Thought
Handling the social, emotional, and behavioral development of our students is hard work. But at the same time, when we look back and reflect on all of the growth and development that has occurred throughout the year, we can smile and feel proud.
This work begins with ensuring you set your students up for success and provide them with boundaries. Just this morning, my son was upset because I reinforced an expectation. He was upset I did so. I explained to him, I love you and if I didn’t love you, you wouldn’t have expectations and you could do whatever you want.
To love our students is to provide them with expectations, so join me and lean into this work. Create stellar classroom expectations that will teach pro-social behaviors and ultimately, set our kids up for success when they venture out into the world.
References
Gable, R. A., Hester, P. H., Rock, M. L., & Hughes, K. G. (2009). Back to basics rules, praise, ignoring, and reprimands revisited. Intervention in School and Clinic, 44(4), 195–205.
Gottfredson, G. D., Gottfredson, D. C., Payne, A. A., & Gottfredson, N. C. (2005). School climate predictors of school disorder: Results from a national study of delinquency prevention in schools. Journal of Research in Crime and Delinquency, 42(4), 412–444.
Holas, I., & Huston, A. C. (2012). Are middle schools harmful? The role of transition timing, classroom quality and school characteristics. Journal of Youth and Adolescence, 41(3), 333–345.
Jessor, R., Turbin, M. S., & Costa, F. M. (1998). Protective factors in adolescent health behavior. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 75(3), 788–800.
Koth, C. W., Bradshaw, C. P., & Leaf, P. J. (2008). A multilevel study of student perceptions of school climate. Journal of Educational Psychology, 100(1), 96–104.
Luckner, A. E., & Pianta, R. C. (2011). Teacher-student interactions in ffth grade classrooms: Relations with children’s peer behavior. Journal of Applied Developmental Psychology, 32(5), 257–266.
Pas, E. T., Cash, A. H., O’Brennan, L., Debnam, K. J., & Bradshaw, C. P. (2015). Profles of classroom behavior in high schools: Associations with teacher behavior management strategies and classroom composition. Journal of School Psychology, 53(2), 137–148.
Sabol, T. J., & Pianta, R. C. (2012). Recent trends in research on teacher–child relationships. Attachment & Human Development, 14(3), 213–231.
Simonsen, B., Fairbanks, S., Briesch, A., Myers, D., & Sugai, G. (2008). Evidence-based practices in classroom management: Considerations for research to practice. Education and Treatment of Children, 31(3), 351–380.
Skiba, R., Ormiston, H., Martinez, S., & Cummings, J. (2016). Teaching the social curriculum: Classroom management as behavioral instruction. Theory into Practice, 55(2), 120–128.
Toren, N. K., & Seginer, R. (2015). Classroom climate, parental educational involvement, and student school functioning in early adolescence: A longitudinal study. Social Psychology of Education, 18(4), 811–827.
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