FIRST DAY/CLASSROOM MANAGEMENT
Give Them Ownership

Submitted by: Irene Pemby
From: Perth, WA
Date Submitted: January 22, 2005

Start off your first day by establishing the responsibilities of all members of your class by asking the students to discuss what the best classroom in the world looks like, sounds like and feels like. Complete a Y-chart as a class and then come up with a list of 10 positive responsibilities from this list. e.g. We put up our hands to contribute an idea to the class. We show care and respect for everyone, etc.

Once the list is completed, organize the students into pairs to illustrate a responsibility on A3 paper. The pairs discuss what it might look like and then draw using black pen only. Other children who choose not to draw could be given the responsibility of typing the sentences on a computer to match the pictures.

Once the pictures and word processing are completed, match them together with the class and put them on the wall to be displayed throughout the year. This is a great tool for managing discipline and also to inform parents of expected standards of behaviour.

You can also have the students illustrate and display the steps of consequence. These are generally: Step 1 - Warning, Step 2 - Think time, Step 3 - Meeting with parents/guardians.