We Are Asked About The Rules of Our Class

Tools

1. Colored A4 paper (preference card)
2. Working Sheet-1

Process (Implementation Steps):

1. The children are asked to take their chairs and move to the U seating arrangement.
2. It is said by the practitioner that the purpose of the activity is to contribute to the creation of classroom rules.
3. 2 different color cards prepared by the practitioner in accordance with the number of children are distributed to the children. It is stated that these colored papers are preference cards and that one color represents the correct behavior and the other color represents the wrong behavior.
4. Ask the children to raise the blue cards if the behavior is a rule to be followed in the classroom, and if not, the red cards.
5. Children are helped to focus on the intended point with questions similar to the following.
• What kind of rules should be in our classroom?
• What would happen without these rules?
6. The children take turns giving examples of the rules that should be in our class, and the other children make their choices about this behavior by removing their preference cards. If the chosen rules are too many, a re-evaluation is made with the class and the accepted rules are written by the teacher on the Worksheet-1 and appropriate pictures are pasted or drawn and hung in the classroom after the activity.
7. The process continues with discussion questions asked by the practitioner based on the behaviors and rules that the children said:
• What can we do to keep our classroom clean?
• What are the behaviors that disrupt the classroom order the most?What kind of situation would we face if we talked together without raising our hands in the classroom?
• What kind of class will we have if we collect our toys after playing? Why is that?
• Should we share with each other while playing with our toys in the classroom? Why is that?
8. After sufficient discussion on the questions, the activity ends with the following explanation:
“Dear students, we learned today that there are some rules for creating a safe and comfortable learning environment in the classroom and that we can create these rules as members of the class. As a member of society, we can contribute to the formation of these rules in our lives. Rules allow us to organize our lives, make it easier and protect us. It is therefore very important to follow the rules.”

Note to Practitioner:

1. The choice of color on the preference cards can be left to the teacher’s choice or can be determined by voting with the children.
2. It is important that the rules are collected and kept in a certain number in order to follow the students in the classroom.
3. In the activity, children are asked to state whether the behaviors they have listed are appropriate and the reasons for their preference.
4. Asking the children why the rules they learned might have been set, they exchange ideas with the children about what kind of problems will arise if the rules are not followed.
For students with special needs;

1. Material adaptations can be made by attaching an embossed circular label to red cards and an embossed triangular label to blue cards.
2. The learning process can be differentiated by simplifying the questions and asking them in different ways.
3. During the discussion, a classroom image with scattered toys was shown and asked, “What do you think might have happened in this classroom? What can be done to prevent this from happening?” Such questions can be asked and students’ responsiveness can be increased.