Implementing clear classroom rules is very important in creating a safe and conducive learning environment.

This school year, we have many enrollees who are mostly boys. Recently, I have to take care of them alone for about an hour or longer because other teachers have to attend to other school tasks. Sometimes, there are only few kids who come early but other times there can be more than 20 students. So, how do I manage them when there’s no other teacher available?

The simple answer is establishing school rules. I made a list of what are expected of the students to do as soon as they arrive at school. I introduced it before our lesson starts. I made it easy to understand using gestures for our first grader kids and some of them could translate it to others. After a week, almost everyone could say it with minimal prompts.

But implementing rules doesn’t end when children could already say them. Of course, they should be able to apply it and do it as a routine.

It’s not easy especially when we have a handful of students. But, as a teacher who values ​​children’s safety, I have to always ensure that their surroundings are free of danger.