Little ones in kindergarten or preschool may need a different version of communication rules than an older student would. Developmentally, children at this age are setting the foundation for growing social skills, but may still lack self-control or the ability to easily regulate their emotions. Additionally, some young children may not yet have the language or verbal abilities to effectively communicate. Teachers can provide students with simple rules such as using your words when you are angry or unhappy and raising your hand when you have something to say during groups times. These ground rules will help to ease classroom disturbances and teach the students about positive social behaviors.
Respect is critical to effective communication practices. Whether you are teaching third graders or third-year college students, without respect real communication can not occur. Start the school year off with a discussion on the importance of respect. Make sure to touch on specific points such as listening to others comments attentively, keeping an open mind and not judging others opinions. You may also need to talk about disrespect and negative verbal behaviors such as talking while others are speaking, ignoring classmates, racist remarks and hateful comments. Instruct students that disrespect will not be tolerated. Have a concrete consequence that is in line with school policy for instances of these behaviors. This may be range from a verbal warning to a trip to the principal's office or call home, depending on the severity of the infraction.
Not every student is going to agree with you or each other. Although it is unacceptable to be rude verbally, talk back or insult others, there should be a time and a place for constructive debate. Set ground rules for your classroom on how to handle differences of opinion. Create a way for students to come to you in a positive way to challenge a grade or score on an assignment. This provides the student with the opportunity to critically analyze the work that they have done and how it ranks against your scoring rubric. Additionally, set rules for disagreements between students. Create a special time for discussion turned into debate. Provide rules for the debate, such as using a calm voice and positive comments. Insist on a role reversal section to help students understand and communicate others opinions.
Parents may not be present during day to day classes, but they still play a central role in classroom processes. At the beginning of each school year set concrete rules for parent-teacher communication. This will help to alleviate or mitigate classroom problems, keep parents informed and allow parents to feel comfortable coming to you with questions. Send a letter or email home that spells out your ground rules for initiating and responding to communications about the students. These may include the best times to contact you, instances that may prompt you to contact them such as bullying behaviors and when or how to schedule an in-school appointment to discuss a classroom matter.