First Week of School Expectations
The first week of school is such an exciting (and sometimes chaotic) time—fresh starts, new students, and endless possibilities. Amidst all the hustle, setting clear classroom expectations is key to a smooth year. Don’t worry, I’ve got you covered with simple, effective strategies to help your students understand and embrace those expectations from day one.
Before we dive into the process of rolling out your classroom expectations, I want to address a common misconception I've seen over the years. Many teachers tend to focus solely on introducing routines and procedures during the first week of school. And don’t get me wrong…routines and procedures are absolutely essential to your classroom management plan! But they are not the same as expectations. These are two separate components that need to be developed individually.
Classroom expectations are the overarching behaviors you want your students to display. They are the foundation of how you want your classroom to function. For example, an expectation might be, "We will be respectful to everyone in the classroom." On the other hand, routines and procedures outline the specific actions students should take—how they will move through the day or how they will perform certain tasks.
So, before you roll out your classroom management plan, it's essential to start with your classroom expectations. These are the nuts and bolts of your plan.
Now that we’ve got that cleared up, let’s get into how to effectively roll out your classroom expectations. There are two main ways to do this.
Two Ways to Roll Out Classroom Expectations
Tell Them Directly
This is a straightforward approach. You simply tell your students, "Here are our classroom expectations." It’s black and white, leaving no room for misunderstanding. You establish the expectations clearly, and everyone knows what’s expected of them.Guide Them in Developing Expectations
In this approach, students help create the expectations under your guidance. Even though you already know the expectations you want in your classroom, you allow students to have a say in the process. Ask them to make a list of what they expect from their classmates and how they should treat one another. Then, as a class, you can categorize these ideas—often aligning them with the expectations you’ve already planned. This method gives students a sense of ownership and helps build a classroom community.
Helping Students Understand the "How" and "Why"
Once you’ve explained the expectations, it’s time to go deeper. Students need to have a real understanding of not only what the expectations are, but also how and why they’re important.
How
Help students understand what these expectations look like, feel like, and sound like in the classroom. One way to do this is by creating anchor charts. Label each chart with a different expectation and give students sticky notes to write examples of how they can meet that expectation. If students aren’t independent writers yet, they can even draw pictures! As a class, you can discuss these examples and make sure everyone understands how to put the expectations into action.Why
Students also need to understand why these expectations matter. Think of it this way: if you had a garden and no one ever told you why watering the plants was essential, would you bother doing it? Maybe, but once you learn that without water your plants will die, you’re much more likely to take action. It’s the same with classroom expectations—students need to know why things like respect and responsibility are important for the success of the classroom community.
So, make sure you’ve covered these three crucial elements: what the expectations are, how they look in action, and why they matter. These will help your students internalize and follow the expectations throughout the school year.
The Importance of "Going Live" from Day One
Now that you’ve rolled out your classroom expectations, there’s one more crucial step: Go live with your plan immediately. What I mean by this is that you need to start following through on the expectations from day one. Just because it’s the first day or the first week of school doesn’t mean students get a free pass. If a student isn’t following the expectations and you don’t address it, you’re sending a message that the expectations aren’t that important. And when that “back to school phase” is over, students will start testing the boundaries.
This is your plan, and you need to be consistent with it from the beginning. If you let things slide during the first week, it will be much harder to enforce the rules later on. So, start strong, follow through, and hold your students accountable right from the start.
By doing this, you'll set a positive tone for the rest of the school year, ensuring that your classroom expectations are respected and followed through upon.
Rolling out your classroom expectations might seem like a big task, but with a little preparation and consistency, you'll set the stage for a successful year. Remember, it's all about clarity, follow-through, and ensuring students understand not just the what but the how and why behind your expectations. As long as you stay firm and consistent, you’ll build a classroom environment where students thrive and respect the boundaries you've set.
So, take a deep breath, trust your plan, and jump in with confidence. You’ve got this!