Are you looking for strategies to teach students to follow classroom rules? If so, keep reading.
1. Organize their surroundings so that the student remains active and involved while demonstrating acceptable behavior.
2. Provide visibility to and from the student. The teacher and the student should be able to see each other. Make eye contact possible at all times.
3. Be a consistent authority figure (e.g., be consistent in relationship with the student).
4. Show tasks in the most exciting and attractive manner possible.
5. Get the student to keep a chart representing the amount of time spent following classroom rules, with reinforcement for increasing acceptable behavior.
6. Make sure you are regularly in proximity to the student.
7. Give the student many chances for social and academic success.
8. Give the student positive feedback that indicates they are successful.
9. Display rules in several places (e.g., on the student’s desk, etc.).
10. Make sure the student receives the information appropriate to perform learning activities (e.g., written information, oral instructions, reminders, etc.).
11. Teach the student directions/instructions.
12. Maintain a positive and professional relationship with the student (e.g., an adversarial relationship is likely to result in failure to follow instructions).
13. Provide the student with preferred duties.
14. Give the student optional courses of action to prevent total refusal to obey teacher instructions.
15. Intervene early and often to prevent the student’s behavior from leading to a contagion on the part of other students.
16. Get the student to question any directions, explanations, or instructions not grasped.
17. Make the student verbalize the classroom rules at designated times throughout the day (e.g., before school, during recess, at break time, at lunch, at the end of the day, etc.).
18. Provide instructions in a step-by-step sequence.
19. Select a peer to model following the rules of the classroom for the student.
20. Talk with the student regularly to ascertain if instructions are being followed.
21. Consider using a classroom management app. Click here to view a list of apps that we recommend.
22. Consider using an adaptive behavior management app. Click here to view a list of apps that we recommend.
23. Consider using Alexa to help the student learn to behave appropriately. Click here to read an article that we wrote on the subject.
24. Click here to learn about six bonus strategies for challenging problem behaviors and mastering classroom management.
