
Collaborative Culture: Norms
How will norms help my students take responsibility for themselves and each other?
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Norms are the agreements we make with each other. They represent community goals, and as such all classroom members should be given the opportunity to contribute to their creation. Some examples of norms include the active participation of all classroom members and “leave no trace.”
Rules serve an important function in school communities. Rules are non-negotiable. They are created by adults and must be followed at all times. Some examples of rules include prohibitions against violence or offensive language.
Norms are created and used in many different ways across schools. In general, you may want to consider the following guidelines:
Norms exist to be used by students, thus students must be able to define and explain them. Additionally, choosing a few norms (no more than six) will promote student familiarity and ownership of the norms. Beyond participating in the creation of norms, students must be given regular opportunities to interact with the norms through self-reflection, peer and class assessment, and discussion.
There are many ways to create norms. The simplest way is to ask students to generate a list of norms they might want to adopt. However, without proper framing, this activity may be difficult for students previously unfamiliar with norms. Here are some suggestions for how to introduce norms to your classroom:
After generating lists of potential norms, you may want to have students vote on their favorites. You may also want to have students sign a class contract pledging their commitment to the norms.
The effective implementation of class norms empowers students to take ownership of classroom culture. They make expectations explicit and recognize student voice. Norms help to promote an environment where all students feel safe, respected, and valued.
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How will norms help my students take responsibility for themselves and each other?
Management in the Active Classroom
Management in the Active Classroom