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Do We Have to Have Rules?: Q2. Can we make classroom rules that reflect our values?

SS Inquiry for Stds. 2.3 The United States is founded on the principles of democracy, and these principles are reflected in all types of communities. 2.4 Communities have rules and laws that affect how they function.

 

Can we make classroom rules that reflect our values?  Rules usually grow out of our values. Can we use the values we identified from Question 1 to create or revise our classroom rules? Can we learn about new values from studying the Great Seal and The Rights of the Child? How will we decide which values and rules we want?

1. Study the Great Seal

3.Now let's work on our classroom rules

Let's work on our Classroom rules:

  • What does fairness mean?
  • What other values did you find in the Great Seal and The Rights of the Child?

Now do the Word Wall Activity. Here's how:

  • Look at the list of values you came up with when you did the Values Quiz and Values Identification Chart from Question 1. Add the values you found in the Great Seal and The Rights of the Child.
  • Write the three values you think are the most important on 3 Stop and Jots, along with three rules you can make from them.
  • Discuss:
    • What do our Stop and Jots tell us?
    • What patterns do we see in our values?
    • Do our rules express our values?

Do you have differences of opinion? How do we decide which rules we want? Do we need to compromise? 

Here are three ways that groups of people sometimes make decisions together:

  • They can vote. In this case, the majority wins.
  • You can all work toward unanimous consent (everyone agrees).
  • Or you may try consensus for now. To use this method you agree to set aside differences of opinion, and try one set of rules for a period of time. When the time is up you can re-visit the rules and decide if they are working or if you need different ones.

2. Rights of the Child

The Rights of the Child

“Rights" are things every child should have or be able to do. All children have the same rights. These rights are listed in the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child. As you grow, you have more responsibility to make choices and exercise your rights.

  • All children have the right to be treated fairly, no matter who they are, where they live, what their parents do, what language they speak, what their religion is, whether they are a boy or girl, what their culture is, whether they have a disability, whether they are rich or poor.
  • No child should be treated unfairly on any basis.You have the right to be protected from being hurt and mistreated, in body or mind. 
  • You have the right to a good quality education. You should be encouraged to go to school to the highest level you can.

Excerpted from the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child (in place of the Dignity Act)