Rules, Rules, Rules

This semester we learned the importance of meaningful rules and consequences. We also learned that teachers as well, need to follow the rules. How many times were you told to not talk in the hallway and then two seconds later your teacher is talking to another teacher in the HALLWAY! Whatever the case was, I can remember my teachers throughout school breaking their own rules.
Even though I am not a teacher yet with my own classroom, I think that it is important to have a classroom where students are involved with the creation of the rules and consequences. This begins the first day. As soon as the students walk in, have them notice that there are no rules posted in the classroom. This lets the students know first hand that they will have a say in this room. The first step is to ask students what they would think would make school or the classroom a fun place to be. Write all their ideas on the board and then go through them and find the ones that are acceptable or that can be controlled by the teacher. Then once the students have done this, have them think of ideas that make school a boring place or not a good feeling. Do the same thing with these ideas as before. Then go through and have students think of their own consequences.
Once all these steps are finished, make sure that every student understands what each rule is really about and the consequences that go along with that rule. Growing up I would have loved to help make the rules in my classes, but it was never the case. This gives students the freedom and independence that they yearn for.