Expected behavior is more effectively achieved through the use of standards than rules.
REDUCING RULES
A common practice in this country is to establish classroom rules, either by the teacher or by the teacher and students cooperatively.
Rules are necessary in games, but in relationships rules are counterproductive. Although the establishment of rules has good intentions, their implementation often produces deleterious effects. When Johns Hopkins University researchers analyzed data from more than 600 of the nation’s schools, they found six characteristics associated with discipline problems. Notice that the first three concerned rules.
- Rules were unclear or perceived as unfairly or inconsistently enforced.
- Students didn’t believe in the rules.
- Teachers and administrators didn’t know what the rules were or