Demonstrate ways of establishing ground rules with childrenand young people which underpin appropriate behaviour andrespect for othersIt might seem simple enough to have a list of school rules, print them off, and ensure

that every pupil has a 'take home' copy. However, getting ground rules into the

working memories of pupils sometimes need to be worked on a little more than that.

In fact, it is far more effective if the school rules are discussed with the children in a

class, and better yet, if they are asked what they feel the boundaries should be, and

what should be considered ground rules. The first reason for this is that the

discussion itself helps them remember the rules better. The second reason is that if

the children themselves have come up with the rules, they tend to take greater

ownership and responsibility for maintaining the rules.

There are a few really effective ways to establish ground rules, particularly around

respect for others and appropriate behaviour. Your school may use others beyond

what is listed below, and those may also be very effective.

Establishing ground rules.

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Class discussion

A great way to engage pupils around rule making and boundaries is to establish

rules for the class. By asking them what they think is important when it comes to

appropriate behaviour and the way that they should be expected to treat others,

pupils are more likely to 'buy-in' to their own ideas, and to therefore comply.

Role play and drama

Feelings and emotions, and work on self-esteem, are interesting areas that children

can explore through role plays. If you were to present a situation where someone

said something hurtful to someone else, and then asked the class how they would

feel, you might get a few shouted out responses. However, by then setting up a

dramatic situation and asking them to act out how they would feel and therefore

behave, the teacher has a good chance of cementing the knowledge in their minds.

Linking it back to the school rules, or the class rules, is a relatively easy step at this

point.

Group and pair work to improve cooperation

Small-group work and working in pairs is a method that enables cooperation

between children. It is best if they already get along, however. Teamwork is

something that has a huge amount of emphasis in the adult world of work, and

starting children early with this kind of cooperation can only be beneficial for them.

Any disputes that arise in small groups should always be mediated fairly, and

teaching moments taken advantage of, because again, it is the experiential learning

that takes place outside of the subject that is being directly taught, that can be of

extra value.

Telling stories and discussing the moral of the story afterwards

Story-telling has long been a mainstay of teaching and learning, and it is no less

effective in this modern age. Stories with morals or other types of teaching points are

not merely relegated to Bible stories, and children's books tend to incorporate

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learning within them. Discussing the point of the story afterwards helps children start

to understand the ideas behind reading comprehension, and again, works to

cement the teaching points that the story incorporates.

Provide opportunities for children to take responsibilities

Children often love to help others, or to do something good for their own world, and

this leads directly into responsibility taking, which is highly beneficial for their

burgeoning independence. Giving them little jobs, such as tidying up the classroom,

litter picking across the playground and playing field, and looking after the Nature

Patch, or a little garden, can all contribute to these things. Understanding the need to

care for their environment, and the amount of work that goes into making places look

nice is best done in an experiential way, so they can appreciate those things more

readily.

Modelling behaviour

If all teaching and support staff treat each other and the pupils with respect and

consideration, by accepting all contributions as equally worthy, and by utilising strong

active listening and communication skills, children can see and copy the behaviours

around them. In fact, if staff do not follow these types of guidelines, they are likely to

find that pupils still copy the behaviours, so it is clear which kinds of behaviour it is

preferable for staff to use in all circumstances.

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