Day #1 Group Consensus in Class Rules

"Creative people don't follow rules, they don't necessarily break them either, they almost always make their own."Unknown

How many times have we found our students breaking out school's rule and class's rules?

How many times the teachers have been preaching to their students to follow the school's rules?

I, my self, was one of the students who sometimes (well, most of the times) rebel to school rules because I didn't think that the rules are important. I always found my self, breaking the rules that I disagree with and not following rules that not made by me; rules that I didn't understand the urgency. Interestingly, when I made rules, I religiously tried my best to follow it.

That's what I do with my classes now. I always try to make everyone in the class as the ruler and the police. With hope, they will follow the rules religiously.

Based on that, since last three years, I've started a new habit in my classes. My first day at school will always be spent on making rules. Rules that made by everyone; students and teachers. As well as, building trust and connection on the first day. Building each others expectation of the class. It usually takes a long time to agree on rules; But believe me, it will be worth it.

Last three years, I worked as a teacher for students with specific issues. Children and youth that never had a school before in their entire life. Most of them can't read and they've been exposed to violence since little. At that time, I was a newbie teacher (still am). I missed building the rules on the first day. The result was my students were choking each other to the ground-- making the whole schools panic. The following days, after a lot of research, I decided to make class rules together. Every morning, we talked about the rules in a unique and different way so the students remember the rule.

To make rules together was easy. But in order for it to be continuously followed, it needed discipline. So, in the first couple of days, I still found my students fighting in the class. But I never surrender, the threat didn't move me.

Bit by bit, with trust and connection built, the rules are being followed. Each student understood their rewards and accepted their consequences.

The next couple of months after, I didn't need to recite it every day. They knew it and became strict about it. Never again, they fought with each other. They became little angels, I'm so proud of our class of what we've become. Unfortunately, I couldn't share my students' photos on the internet because their cases are confidential.


In my school now, Rumah Belajar Duri Kepa YCAB, I am implementing the same method. We make our own class rules. We decide what will be our rewards and our consequences.

Here are some steps you can do if you want to make the class rules on your first day :

1. Make sure you and your pupils already know each other. Have ice-breaking or some energizers.

2. Make sure you already know their dreams and hopes for the class. You can use my method for goal assessment

3. Open with a personal story.
I open it by explaining how I don't like to be controlled and told by others. I told them how I like to make and follow my own rule; being countable with the consequences.

4. Ask their ideal "class" situation. What things make the class fun. What things make the class boring and annoying. List them on the board or on a piece of paper.

5. Ask them how to reach that ideal situation. What rewards should be given and to whom, if the situation is achieved.

6. Ask them what if the situation is not achieved, what should they do, what consequences should everyone/someone take.

7. Discuss it until everyone agrees on every point. Write it down on a big paper. Make each of them stamp/sign it.
By doing this step the rule is not only held by the students but also the teachers.

I remember one of my class tell me their "Ideal situation is that the class need to be fun and exciting." So, I need to always try my best to make the class fun with activity or games. That's a teacher promise and part of class rules. After all, the teacher is also part of the class. So, he/she shouldn't be free of reward nor consequences.

After all, as a teacher we want our students to be independent and creative not a robot nor a machine who only know how to nod :)