HOW TO STOP MAKING THE MISTAKE OF HAVING RULES BUT NEVER TEACHING THEM

A classroom can have beautiful rules written on the wall and still be completely disorganized.

Why?

Because putting rules on a wall is not the same as teaching students how to follow them.

You may have rules like:

Respect everyone.
Be responsible.
No talking while the teacher is teaching.
Keep the classroom clean.
Be punctual.

They sound good.

But ask yourself:

Do your students actually know what these rules look like in practice?

For example, what does “Respect everyone” mean?

Does it mean:

• Don’t insult others?
• Don’t interrupt when someone is speaking?
• Don’t laugh when someone gives a wrong answer?
• Don’t touch another person’s belongings?
• Use polite language?

If you don’t explain it, different students may interpret the rule differently.

THIS IS WHERE MANY TEACHERS MAKE THE MISTAKE.

They introduce rules on the first day:

“Here are our classroom rules. Make sure you obey them.”

Then they move on.

A few weeks later, when a student breaks one of those rules, the teacher becomes angry:

“Didn’t I tell you the rules?”

But the real question is did we actually teach the rule?

HOW DO YOU TEACH A CLASSROOM RULE?

Let’s take this simple rule:

“Raise your hand before speaking.”

Don’t just write it on the board.

Explain: “When someone else is speaking, we don’t call out from our seats. If you have something to contribute, raise your hand and wait until you are invited to speak.”

Then demonstrate it.

You can even ask students:

“Show me what raising your hand correctly looks like.”

Let them practise.

Now they know exactly what you mean.

ANOTHER EXAMPLE:

Rule: “Keep the classroom clean.”

Don’t assume every student understands that.

Explain:

“Papers should go into the bin. Books should be returned to their proper places. Don’t leave food wrappers under your desk. Before leaving, check your area.”

Now the expectation is specific.

AND HERE IS SOMETHING VERY IMPORTANT:

Teach your rules when the classroom is calm—not only when students misbehave.

If you only mention a rule when someone breaks it, the rule becomes a correction tool.

Instead, make it part of your classroom culture.

Teach it.

Model it.

Practise it.

Remind students.

Recognise when they follow it.

Correct calmly when they don’t.

DON’T HAVE TOO MANY RULES.

Your classroom doesn’t need a constitution containing 25 complicated rules.

Choose a small number of important expectations that actually support:

Safety.
Respect.
Learning.
Responsibility.

Then make those expectations clear.

TRY THIS WITH YOUR CLASS

Choose one classroom rule today.

Ask your students: “What does this rule actually look like?”

Allow them to give examples.

Then ask: “What would breaking this rule look like?”

You may be surprised by some of their answers.

And that conversation can help you discover where your expectations have not been clear enough.

Be honest:

What is one classroom rule your students frequently break even though you have told them about it many times?

Let’s learn from real classroom experiences.