By Staff Writer | Last Updated August 4, 2015
Every school, every classroom and every teacher has rules for students to follow, no matter the learners’ ages. These rules often address responsibilities like being on time, being prepared, being courteous to staff and other students, being respectful of property, doing your best and following any other rules that the school sets forth.
While some students may see the rules as unnecessary or simply a way for teachers and administrators to control them, following school rules can be extremely important for safety, ensuring everyone has an equal chance at learning and preparing kids for the future, among other reasons.
One of the main reasons school rules exist is to create safety for students. Above all else, teachers and administrators want to ensure that everyone arrives at school safely and makes it home in good shape. For this reason, there may be some basic safety rules, such as no running in the halls, no crossing the street without help from the guard, no horseplay on the playground and no bringing items that could be used as weapons to school.
If students break these rules, they could end up getting hurt. Crossing the street without a guard could lead to getting hit by a car. Running in the hallways could cause a student to trip and injure themselves or another person. Horseplay on the playground could lead to someone falling off a piece of equipment and hitting their head.
Not only does following the rules ensure everyone stays safe, but doing so also makes it easier for everyone in the classroom to learn without difficulty. For example, a teacher may ask students to raise their hands before they speak. If someone speaks out of turn, other students might not be able to hear the teacher or they may not feel confident enough to ask their own questions, which keeps them from learning.
If a teacher asks students to work quietly, it may seem unfair to those who like to socialize. But for other students, it means fewer distractions while they work on their own projects. If a teacher has a rule about taking care of supplies but students don’t follow it, they may break something and there won’t be enough supplies to go around for the other students. Young learners can consider following the rules a gesture of kindness and a sign of respect for their classmates.
Following rules doesn’t just show respect for fellow classmates; it also shows that students respect their teachers, administrators and other adults on the school’s staff. Teachers and principals don’t create rules without a good reason for doing so. When students follow those rules, they’re showing the adults that they respect the teachers’ authority and guidance. When teachers and students trust and respect each other, it makes for a better learning environment, too.
Many rules, particularly those that are school-wide, are simply about maintaining order throughout the school’s campus. This makes it easier for teachers and other staff to do their jobs. For example, classes may be asked to walk down the hall in a single-file line. This allows multiple classes to walk the halls at once without disrupting each other. Following school rules even outside of the classroom shows that students take pride in their school and want it to remain a great place for learning.
Finally, school rules can also help kids prepare for their own futures. While they may look forward to growing up and being out on their own, they’ll soon find that they still need to follow rules. When a teen gets a job, their boss will have rules in place for preferred ways to conduct business. They may have to follow a dress code, or they may be on a strict schedule. Likewise, when renting a home or apartment, they’ll have to follow their landlord’s rules. Cities and states have laws everyone must abide by, such as following the speed limit, to keep everyone safe. Learning to follow school rules early on helps kids understand why rules are important well into adulthood.
Read More
