Setting Expectations, Part 2

Last week I wrote my plans for creating my "How Are We Learning?" anchor chart.  

Admittedly, as I was planning, a little part of me kept thinking that I should be the one setting the expectations.  I want students to know what I expect of them - how can I do that if they wrote the expectations?

Then this article showed up in my Facebook newsfeed - Why You Shouldn't Let Your Students Decide The Class Rules.  (Thanks to Teaching the Core for always posting great stuff!)

The unintended message students receive by taking part in creating the very boundaries of your classroom is that everything is negotiable, which then opens the floodgates to debate on matters that should only be decided by you.

With this in mind, I  made the decision to post my expectations prior to the students entering my classroom. 

By presenting your rules as non-negotiable boundaries that you put into place for the express purpose of protecting their right to learn and enjoy school, you establish yourself as a compassionate leader who puts their interests first.

My red arrow is laminated and has a piece of sticky wax on the back so that it can easily be moved as we progress through a class period.

A colleague is fond of saying "I'm never in the land of done."  These words ring so true with me.  As we continue to learn and grow as educators, we need to be willing to change our plans.