Don't Be a Fool, Post Your Classroom Rules

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You are now tuned into Virtually Impossible Presents Lazy Learning Land Podcast,
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where we teach teachers how to be lazier, yet more effective to increase student
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performance, but decrease teacher burnout and stress.
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I'm S.Dot, your hostess that always gives you the mostest while doing the least.
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Also known as the queen of working and not working with over 15 years of experience
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working at the hood schools and still I thrive.
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Today's episode is sponsored by Broken Built on TikTok, where you can get all
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of your healthy doses of mental, physical and emotional health tips and tricks.
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She does the research so you don't have to. Go follow Broken Built on TikTok
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for all your mental, physical, and emotional health needs.
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Now for today's episode.
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Hello, hello, hello, everyone. Welcome back to another episode of Lazy Learning Land Podcast.
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I am S.Dot. When I tell you I have a great episode for you today titled,
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Don't Be a Fool, Post Your Classroom Rules.
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Now, you guys want to stay put to the very end because as your host,
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I'm going to let you into my game room and I'm going to let you know the golden
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rules that I actually post in my classroom.
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But before we get into what I do, I'm going to give you the science behind why
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I do what I do, when I do, how I do what I do so you can do what I do and it
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can help you too. Boo. Boo.
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So for my trusty dusties, by now you may know that I barely escaped my first
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90 days as a first year teacher.
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And if this is your first episode or you did not listen to that episode,
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when you are done with this one, I want you to backtrack and go listen to Teacher
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Fired in the first 90 days, how they made a classroom come back,
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because that is my true story of my first year teaching.
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So again, I barely escaped my first 90 days as a first year teacher, still having a job.
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The old saying goes, hindsight is 20-20.
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And I would say like round about
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my fifth year of teaching, I developed a classroom management strategy.
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And I didn't develop it because I'm just this super innovative teacher genius,
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but I actually came up with it because I was trying to be super lazy.
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So the more you stick around, I mean, the name of the podcast is Lazy Learning
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Land Podcast because a lot of the things I learned to do because I wanted to
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be lazier, but still be a really effective teacher.
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And this is just one of those things. But anyways, I decided that I was sick
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and tired of being sick and tired of sounding like a broken record,
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having to constantly repeat majority of my classroom rules and procedures that
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mean the most to me. I call them my golden rules.
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So from this annoyment, which is not even a real word,
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but for me being annoyed by this Likewise, quite often, I birthed the concept
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of don't be a fool, post your classroom rules.
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A light bulb went off and I ended up typing each of my golden rules on their own PowerPoint slide.
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Now, I ain't gonna tell y'all how many years ago this was, but this was back
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when PowerPoint was like on and popping. It was like the hottest thing since I spread.
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But I typed them all up on their own PowerPoint slide, printed them out.
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Now, and then I glued each slide to its own sheet of construction paper for like a background.
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And I stapled them at the front of my classroom, right above my whiteboards,
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right by my smart board for my students viewing, as I like to say,
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for my students viewing pleasure.
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Now, why should you post your classroom rules?
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Why is posting your classroom rules a game changer?
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Changer well before I get into what my actual
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golden rules are let me just break it
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down for y'all a little bit about why this was such a game changer
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my students don't think
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that I'm lying to them or picking on them and I save so much time when I am
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able to refer a student to rule number blank like literally I'll call a name
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and I'll be like Sasha rule number
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seven it helps the revolving door of students that I get because I do,
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number one, work in a secondary school and two, I work in the hood.
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So I have a revolving door of new students. I lose students, I get students.
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And sometimes I get more students than I got space for, but that's a whole nother post.
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But anyways, when I get new students during the year, it's easier for them to
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learn what my expectations are from their first day entering my class.
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And posting the rules helps my students police other students.
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So I don't have to work as hard. Duh.
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So I just gave y'all like a brief overview of why it's a game changer,
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but I'm going to go into a little bit more detail about each one,
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just in case you need a little bit more convincing.
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I mentioned that it minimizes students thinking that you are picking on them.
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And really a top reason why you should consider this strategy for more effective classroom management.
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Like I said, I work in the hood, y'all. These kids come with trauma and triggers out the wazoo.
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They are easily offended and they tend to think that every time you are addressing
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them, redirecting them, they take it as direct criticism.
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They take it as an insult. They take it extremely personal. They take everything personal.
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So when I'm redirecting a student in regards to one of my golden rules,
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I'm able to literally point it out on the wall and it instantly lowers their defenses.
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Since I obviously do not have flash speed to staple it on the wall in 0.2 seconds,
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the student is aware that what I am addressing with them is indeed a rule and
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it is also a rule for everyone else.
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Well, the funniest part to me, y'all, truly in real time,
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when I point to the rule on the wall is to see that particular student's face
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and their body loosen up and become less tense.
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You literally get to see their defenses and their guard drop because they realize,
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oh, she's really not picking on me. She's not teasing me.
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Oh, this is this really is a rule for everybody. Let me bring it down before I make a fool of myself.
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And another one. So posting your golden rules makes reviewing your classroom
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rules much easier, much faster, and much more effective.
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I save so much time by having these rules posted.
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The very first week of school, I review my golden rules directly off the front
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wall of my classroom, literally every day the first week of school.
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School the second week of school I also repeat them
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not every day kind of like every other day
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because I do get multiple schedule changes
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again I'm in the secondary I'm in high school so if
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you're in middle school or high school you know those guidance counselors are
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changing schedules those first weeks of school and it
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is really helpful to review the rules when we
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return after any break as well that's more than
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three days so if we have more than a three-day break in my county
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we get the full week of thanksgiving off we get two and a half weeks
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off for the winter break we get that full week for
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spring break look when you step up back in my classroom after
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a break that's more than a three-day weekend we're going over my golden rules
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because i got to make sure that you know you don't come up in here making up
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your own rules because i know you didn't have plenty of time to do what the
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heck you want to do when you want to do it how you want to do it why you want
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to do it but we got to hone it in because we got rules in here and expectation expectation.
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So it makes it way easier, way faster to review those the first weeks of school,
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but also after those longer breaks.
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And truth be told, like in a Title I school, that roster is a title,
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that roster is a revolving door.
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Students are constantly withdrawing, they're constantly enrolling, so on and so forth.
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So it's just really helpful to have that because it saves you time from having
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to sit there and give every new kid orientation when they came on a day that
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you're supposed to be teaching a lesson.
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Yes, that's hard. That's hard. But whenever I do receive a new student,
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I go through the usual formalities of introductions, what I need them to do in my class that day.
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But after that, I tell them, hey, go ahead, take a moment, read these.
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These are my golden rules right here at the top of the board.
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They're posted right here. I need you to take a moment to read any of them.
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If you have any questions, ask me or a student that's sitting next to you,
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a classmate that's sitting by you.
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And sometimes I'll even assign them like a buddy, like a buddy partner, buddy system,
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buddy student, buddy classmate to not only go over the classroom golden rules
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with them, but to help them kind of get acclimated for that day so that they
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can just kind of blend in a lot easier and not feel so uncomfortable.
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Comfortable but either way whether the student themselves is reading it or another
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student that's been in my class is helping them to get acclimated it just makes
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that transition process so much easier.
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Now, we've talked about in some other posts what a perfect classroom looks like.
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And we've stated that in a perfect classroom, students are self-regulated.
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They regulate themselves and they regulate each other.
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And by posting your classroom rules, students will self-correct.
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I ain't gonna lie to y'all. I know I joke a lot. I know I be throwing jabs and
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stuff about certain things, but I legitimately have the medical condition of
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asthma. And so every breath I take is priceless.
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Having those classroom rules posted literally saves me breath that I cannot get back.
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All I have to do is call the student's name, say the rule number,
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maybe even point to it if I'm feeling spicy.
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And then I get to see that student turn their attention to the front of the room.
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By the time they look for the rule, read and process the rule,
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the student usually apologizes or says, okay, miss, that's an apology in the
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hood. If you didn't know.
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Okay, miss. And then after that, they self-correct and class goes on.
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Hashtag goals, confrontation avoided, and the flow of the class is minimally interrupted.
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Point blank period. How easy is that? Hit the easy button, right?
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Now, the other side to that is students redirect other students.
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My final reason that this is a game changer, is that it allows students to police other students.
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And if the students policing the students and the teacher don't have to police
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the students because the students is policing the students. You see what I'm
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saying? See how that works.
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Work smarter, not harder. Again, I'm probably more lazy than I am innovative,
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but my laziness inspires this innovation that I share with you today.
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Over time, I hear students telling other students, hey, raise your hand,
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that's rule number four.
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Insert eye roll by the student that's policing the other student because they're
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aggravating because they just feel like you've been in this class long enough
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to know that, duh. The student that has been redirected, you know what?
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They just kind of fall into place because they realize, you know what?
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I am wrong. I am out of compliance. And there's no back and forth there.
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So the student-to-student redirection is endless. And it happens throughout the entire school year.
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And it literally makes my job so much easier and minimizes the broken record
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syndrome, at least in that department.
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So what are my classroom rules?
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All right, enough about why you
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should post your classroom rules at the front of your room to be exact.
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But it is time to get into what are mine.
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So in a separate blog, I will go into more details in a separate blog,
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separate podcast because I do two both.
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I will go into detail about golden
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rules for the secondary classroom and the types of golden rules
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that you should have like the structure and how you
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make each of those structures work for your personality type is your own thing
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but I do talk about the different structured rules like category rules you should
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have and then I go into detail about what mine are and why they are the way
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they They are just to give you guys a soundboard, a trampoline to kind of bounce ideas,
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take what you like and whatever. So again, look forward to that.
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It'll be called Golden Rules for the Secondary Classroom.
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For now, I'm just going to list the rules that I do have for my classroom.
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And by absolutely no means do you have to adopt mine.
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My personal preferences and my pet peeves are different from yours.
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So feel free to keep what applies and trash your denies.
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Again, keep what applies and trash your denies.
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Rule number one, be on time. Number two, no food or drink except water that
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is clear and doesn't fizz.
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And yes, I have to clarify that.
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Number three, get all materials out and ready before the tardy bell.
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Rule number four, raise a quiet hand for permission to speak or to get out of your seat.
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Number five, you get two, count
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them, one, two, you get two four-minute restroom passes each nine weeks.
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Number six, no use of personal electronics.
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Number seven, this classroom is a nap-free zone.
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Number eight, stay on task and talk on topic only.
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Number 10, attempt all problems assigned.
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Number 11, make a way, not an excuse. use.
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And number 12, respect yourself, respect adults, and respect your peers.
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And conclusion, don't be a fool. Post your classroom rules.
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So overall, don't be a fool. Post your classroom rules is a must, y'all. It is a must.
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The amount of sanity you will be saving is definitely worth it.
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The reduction, the reduction of sounding like a broken record is absolutely
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worth the little extra effort.
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When students know your redirection is not personal, that goes a long way in preventing flare-ups.
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When all you have to do is say a name and a rule number, that is efficient classroom
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management because you can do that in one breath and go back to your lesson.
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When you have new students and they are able to fall in line with the rest of
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the class effortlessly, and when you have students correcting other students,
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you are hashtag winning at this classroom management game.
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But seriously, you don't have to take my word for it. Give it a try and see
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if it makes a difference in your classroom.
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Every teacher I have mentored up to this point swears by it.
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And I am confident you will too.
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And a little sidebar, if you happen to be looking for some secondary math activities
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that are risk-free, no grading, fully digital, color-changing feedback for your students,
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check out the Virtually I'm Possible Teachers Pay Teacher Store.
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That's Virtually I'm Possible on Teacher Pay Teachers.
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Thanks for tuning in to today's episode of Virtually Impossible Presents Lazy Learning Land Podcast.
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Comment below your thoughts on don't be a fool. Post your golden rules.
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Which of these reasons makes you want to try posting your golden rules the most?
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Which one of these reasons made the most sense and resonated with you?
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Since there is strength in lazy, be sure to like, follow, and subscribe to this podcast,
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my blog on virtuallyimpossible.net, remember, no apostrophe,
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and our social media platforms.
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You can find us on TikTok @ Lazy Learning Land, on Pinterest under Virtually
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I'mPossible, and Instagram virtually_Im_possible.
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So you can feel at home among other lazy learners.
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Once again, this is your girl S. Dot signing off.
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And until next episode, remember to live long and lazy and never,
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ever, ever, ever, ever work too hard.