120 hr. TEFL Course Module 9-Classroom Management (Pt.3 Common Expectations)

Module 9: Classroom management

9.1.2 Common expectations for classrooms

Even if you ask your students to come up with classroom expectations, you obviously want to make sure they will be effective. As the students make suggestions and you generate the list, find subtle ways to steer the list towards what you were looking for. By doing this, you can ensure the expectations are clearer and that they encompass everything you think is important. Here are some of the expectations you should definitely make sure are on your list:


Be respectful of others: This is probably the most classic and universal expectation for you to set for your students. This is a great expectation because it encompasses so many things. It refers to students being respectful to the teacher, to other students, to the school, and to anyone who walks into the room. A respectful environment is more conducive to learning because students feel more comfortable to take risks and are less likely to fear ridicule.


Routines: We are not going to outline your routines here because you will come up with them on your own, but you should try to set a routine for your students. It will save class time throughout the school year and make your lessons flow better and engage the students more effectively. Here is an example of some routines you may want to outline for your students:



When the students come in, where do they get the daily paperwork? If you get your students into the habit of looking in a specific spot every day when they walk in the door for any worksheets or other paperwork, you will save the time of having to hand them out and take advantage of time that you wouldn’t have in the lesson anyway, i.e., the time they take walking to their seats.


Is there a routine or set of rules for when students can leave to go to the bathroom and if they need to tell you or not? This seems petty, but it can prevent many interruptions from students not knowing if they can just leave or not.


When you have class discussions, how do students participate? Do they raise their hands and wait to be called upon? Do they just speak out and respect each other enough to act civilly? Do you have a ball or other object that students can hold when it is their time to talk? These types of routines really help students understand how they should act and what behavior is not conducive to a respectful classroom.



Responsibility: All students need to display a modicum of responsibility for their learning, but the responsibilities for which you hold your students accountable are up to their age and your preference. Whatever you decide, though, you should be clear and up front about the rules to ensure your students follow them right from the start.