Classroom Rights and Responsibilities – Back to School

An effective activity for your students when you are setting up your classroom culture at the beginning of the year. Something a little different to the standard ‘classroom rules’ discussions.

The activity focuses on 4 RIGHTS that your students have at school:
♦ We have the right to learn at school.
♦ We have the right to use school property.
♦ We have the right to be safe at school (physical wellbeing).
♦ We have the right to feel happy at school (emotional wellbeing).

Students brainstorm their responsibilities as a class and write them in the individual honeycomb cell templates. These cells are then cut out and arranged around the ‘rights’ templates. You can add as many honeycomb cells as you wish. Blank cells can be included to fill sections if necessary.

This makes an effective wall display that can be referred to (and added to) throughout the year.

Examples of responsibilities:
♦ We have the right to learn at school – ask for help when I need it.
♦ We have the right to use school property - put equipment away when I have finished with it.
♦ We have the right to be safe at school – don’t throw things in the classroom.
♦ We have the right to feel happy at school - share things with others.

Lists of examples are included to help you guide your students through the discussion / brainstorm sessions.

With your students thinking of the responsibilities and writing them in kid speak, they will take more ownership of the classroom culture than if you just display a list of ‘classroom rules’ on the wall.

An optional activity is also included. It is another template that says ‘We agree to be responsible’. Your students sign their name in a honeycomb cell, cut it out and place it around the centre template.

Included:
♦ Teacher notes and layout examples.
♦ Examples of responsibilities
♦ Student brainstorm pages
♦ 4 ‘rights’ templates (1 per page, colour)
♦ Honeycomb cell templates (6 per page, black/white)
♦ Definition strips of ‘rights’ and ‘responsibilities’ (blank ones also provided so you can write your own meanings of the words).
♦ Additional optional template – ‘We agree to be responsible’

I have also included an editable honeycomb cell template (Powerpoint file). This gives you the option of typing the 'responsibilities' rather than writing them by hand.

Provided in 2 different paper sizes:
♦ A4 paper size
♦ Letter paper size

Keywords: rules, rights, responsibilities, charter, treaty, expectations, procedures, behaviour management, classroom culture, beginning of the year, back to school.

**********************************************************************

© Suzanne Welch Teaching Resources