Consistency, clear
expectations and routines are the greatest source of
comfort for children. Construct rules and procedures
together. When the students take ownership for some
of the routines, they are more likely to respond quickly
and stick to them with fewer reminders. [and
that requires me to have a framework and goals set
beforehand]
For example
...(in a lower grade classroom)
Line spots, desk
spots, and rug spots can be chosen by the children. The
criteria for choosing these spots are: who would you
work best with, who is better to play in the yard with,
but not to sit next to during work time?
This process requires
the children to reflect on how well they know themselves. It
is a challenge for many, but that is the point. This
will allow the teacher to run a classroom full of routine
and order at the same have the ability to constantly
ask children to look towards themselves to make decisions
and to help one another. The goal is to develop
responsible children who can think critically for themselves.
