November 12, 2009

The 10-10 Classroom Rules

Dominique Thoughts innovative punishment, School Time, Teacher

This week I’ve decided to take up Mama Kat’s  writing challenge.

I am going to use the 1st prompt

1.) Describe the best/most creative punishment you have ever given your children or received yourself.

As an educator I have met out many different types of punishments to the students in my class. Coming up with ingenious ways to deal with the 42 kids daily is quite a challenge for me.

Let me share with you the 10-10 classroom rule which I have that has been very effect since I started impementing it this year.

I have a very hyperactive and sometimes often boisterous bunch of students. It takes them some time to settle down when they endter the classroom.

I was getting very annoyed with them one day for taking quite a long while to settle down.

” By the time I count to ten I want all of you settled down at your seat with your textbooks open” I  said.

After giving them the instruction I started counting down. When I got to 10 the last two boys scrambled to get their textbooks out.

Before starting on the lesson that day I told them I was very upset with them wasting out precious lesson time. And from now onwards , everytime they wasted time they would have to repay the time that they owed me.

“So what are you going to do with us? ” asked one of students with a smirk on his face.

I smiled back at him and deliberately talked slower.

” For every 10 seconds that you waste you repay me with  10 minutes “

It felt great seeing his jaw drop when he heard my reply.

From that day onwards I just had to write 10 seconds = 10 minutes on the board and the students would immediately speed up and stop dilly dallying.