Effective classroom management creates safe and supportive learning environments for all students. This explainer is part of a suite of foundational resources for beginning teachers, teachers working in new environments, or experienced teachers who want to refine or refresh specific elements of their classroom management practice. They can be used to individually reflect on and refine one’s own practice, or as shared resources to support mentoring and other collaborative and whole-school approaches to improving classroom management.
The Australian Education Research Organisation (AERO)’s guidance is based on a synthesis of the most rigorous and relevant research evidence and guidance on classroom management from a wide range of research experts and expert practitioners across Australia and internationally.
This explainer is about establishing and maintaining classroom rules. It describes how establishing and maintaining rules allow teachers to develop shared understanding of the expected safe, respectful, learning-focused behaviours required in the learning environment.
Related explainers focus on positive teacher–student relationships, high expectations for student behaviour and teaching routines.
A rule is usually a short instruction for conduct or action that everyone is expected to know, follow and refer to regularly (Bennett, 2020). Rules are underpinned by the fundamental right of all children to safety, respect and an education (United Nations, 1989). A list of rules should be as simple and as short as possible (Archer & Hughes, 2011; Bennett, 2020) to avoid students’ working memory becoming overloaded, help them remember what’s expected, and limit distraction from their learning (Alter & Haydon, 2017). Students will require varying supports to understand and develop the skills to demonstrate the behaviours aligned with the rules.
Rules are strengthened by a whole-school approach, with shared understanding and consistent application across the school (Evidence for Learning, 2023; McDonald, 2019). This provides consistency and predictability so students and their families know what’s expected of them and what they can expect from all staff across all settings (AERO, 2024).
To explicitly teach rules:
- Introduce each rule – or ask students to recall it if already known – and discuss with students why it’s important. Display the rules in the learning environment where students can easily see them.
- Check – and further develop, where necessary – students’ understanding of what the rules should and shouldn’t ‘look like’ and ‘sound like’ through discussion, modelling and practice. Provide additional supports and adjustments as needed.
- Monitor all students and reinforce the rules consistently through acknowledgement, praise, reminders and practice.
Effectively implementing rules requires alignment with the whole-school approach, consideration of students’ diverse needs and a range of skills, including acknowledgement and praise, circulation, clear communication, deliberately pausing, non-verbal correction, scanning and voice control.
Adapted from Archer and Hughes (2011), Bennett (2020) and McDonald (2019).
Rules should be based on the school community’s values and perspectives to create safe, supportive and inclusive learning environments. It’s important that teachers recognise and value diverse student and community perspectives and provide support to students when needed to create classroom conditions that are inclusive and conducive to learning (Alice Springs [Mparntwe] Education Declaration, 2019; Australian Institute for Teaching and School Leadership, 2022; Disability Discrimination Act 1992;
Disability Standards for Education 2005; 2020 Review of the Disability Standards for Education 2005, 2021). This means starting by listening to and understanding students and families and building that into efforts to strengthen relationships.
Students may demonstrate safe, respectful, learning-focused behaviours in different ways. For example, while eye contact may be routinely expected by many teachers, some students may have been taught that it is disrespectful or culturally inappropriate and, as such, feel uncomfortable making eye contact.
In this case, these students may demonstrate active listening and engagement in learning in other ways.
The importance of establishing and maintaining classroom rules
Positively framed and clearly communicated classroom rules help to promote safety, belonging and a learning environment where teachers can teach and students can learn (Archer & Hughes, 2011; McDonald, 2019). Students come to school with a range of different experiences, values and beliefs (Bennett, 2020) and the social norms they have learnt outside of the classroom may be similar or different to what’s expected in the classroom. The function of a rule is to create shared understanding and discourage or prevent disengagement or disruption by clearly stating the expectations for behaviour (Wong & Wong, 2018). Students feel confident and safe when expectations are clear, consistent and support everyone to engage in learning (McDonald, 2019).
Explicitly taught and consistently maintained rules reduce cognitive load by minimising unclear or inconsistent expectations and supporting students’ sense of safety and focus on learning (AERO, 2024).
Teaching and maintaining rules
Rules should be introduced and explained on the first day of school and then explicitly taught in small chunks over the following days and weeks (Archer & Hughes, 2011). Teaching the rules, instead of telling students the rules, proactively supports students in understanding and developing the skills to demonstrate them, and moves beyond an emphasis on compliance (Hepburn et al., 2021).
Helping students understand the reasons for rules fosters a sense of ownership and responsibility (McDonald, 2019). It can also be helpful for families to understand the purpose and rationale for rules. Students benefit from this shared understanding between home and school.
Rules should clearly communicate the expected safe, respectful, learning-focused behaviour and be positively framed. This creates clarity about what students need to do, adds to a positive learning environment and reduces the likelihood of resistance (Archer & Hughes, 2011). For example, ‘Listen to your teacher and classmates’ is better framing than ‘Don’t talk while others are talking’ (Archer & Hughes, 2011).
When deciding which rules to incorporate in your classroom, firstly ensure they align with the school-wide processes for consistency and predictability so students know what’s expected of them and what they can expect from the teacher. Reflect on the safe, respectful, learning-focused behaviours required and the disengaged, disruptive or unsafe behaviours the rules need to cover.
Develop age-appropriate, positively framed, simple rules that best address these, such as:
- Treat everybody with kindness.
- Listen and speak in a respectful way.
- Listen when the teacher is talking.
- Care for others, belongings and the environment.
- Walk quietly through the school.
- Be prepared with required items.
Limit the number of rules to avoid them becoming overwhelming – 3 to 10 are adequate (Archer & Hughes, 2011; Bennett, 2020; Wong & Wong, 2018). Having the fewest number of rules possible to maintain a safe, supportive and inclusive learning environment, and ensuring these rules are easy to follow, makes it easier for students to demonstrate expected behaviours (Bennett, 2020).
Once taught, rules should be regularly reviewed. This can be done through classroom discussion, recitation, modelling and practising behaviours that demonstrate the rules (Alter & Haydon, 2017). Visual cues can help students remember the rules, such as a daily review and discussion of rules on a slide, displaying and referring to the rules on a poster or gluing the rules into the cover of students’ books for quick reference.
Rules need to be made clear in various routines, and students should be prompted prior to an activity to support them to successfully follow them (Simonsen et al., 2008). Practically, this may include reminders to listen when the teacher or another student is speaking, walk calmly and quietly when moving around the room or school or keep objects where they belong. Some students – such as those impacted by trauma – may experience difficulty adhering to rules they don’t understand or relate to, especially when it comes to regulating emotions, making plans or dealing with changes in routines. Some students may need additional guidance, support and scaffolds to help them learn and follow rules.
To acknowledge a rule has been followed, use specific acknowledgement or praise for the action. Specific praise can increase intrinsic motivation because it develops students’ awareness of exactly what they’re doing that’s worthy of praise (Wong & Wong, 2018).
A ‘rule reminder’, along with any required support, can be used to correct low-level disengagement or disruption. For example, ‘[Name], the rule is “Keep hands and feet to ourselves, use them only to help.” Hands to yourself, please.’
Scenario
This scenario provides a practical example of the evidence summarised in this explainer. It provides insight into one teacher’s approach to implementing effective, positively framed classroom rules to create a safe, supportive and inclusive learning environment.
Revisit the rules and identify additional rules
Mr Gregory’s school has 4 positively stated rules aimed at promoting safe, respectful and learning-focused behaviours. They are:
- Be in the right place at the right time.
- Act safely at all times.
- Listen and speak respectfully.
- Have a go and seek help when needed.
To revise these rules with his students, Mr Gregory leads a discussion to identify the teacher and student actions that will help everyone be safe, feel respected and focus on learning.
As the students have already been taught the school rules in previous years, he asks them to recall them, checks they’ve remembered them correctly and provides reminders as needed. He then asks them to identify which of the actions they previously identified are covered by each rule.
Explain and discuss the rules
Mr Gregory then has students discuss similarities and differences between the rules and other guidelines they experience elsewhere. Together, they identify any unclear elements that require more explanation and how students can be supported and can support others to follow the rules. He models and has students demonstrate examples of how the rules are enacted.
He asks students to independently record their reflections from these discussions and demonstrations to inform how he can best support them throughout the year.
Invite parent and primary caregiver input
Following the discussion with his students, Mr Gregory emails their parents and primary caregivers, explaining that they’re revisiting the rules to help everybody be safe, respectful and focused on learning. He shares the rules and examples with parents and primary caregivers and invites their suggestions for how he can support their children in demonstrating the behaviours associated with these rules.
Reinforce the rules
Mr Gregory uses parent and student input to plan supports for students. He also displays the rules in the classroom and has students record them in their books for easy reference.
Maintain the rules
Mr Gregory regularly revisits the rules with his students to help them remember, understand and follow them. Mr Gregory monitors and reinforces the rules, guiding students to demonstrate them and acknowledging when they do.
For more guidance
The following resources in AERO’s classroom management suite provide practical guidance and support related to establishing and maintaining rules.
Skill resources
Reflection resources
Practice guides
- planning for classroom management
- rules and routines
- responding to low-level disengaged and disruptive behaviours.
Professional learning resources
AERO has resources that support a whole-school approach to classroom management. These include:
- facilitation guide
- evidence-based approaches slide deck
- our whole-school approach slide deck
- practical refinement: responding to low-level disengagement and disruption.
Archer, A. L., & Hughes, C. A. (2011). Explicit instruction: Effective and efficient teaching. Guildford Press. (pp. 117–121)
Bennett, T. (2020). Running the room: The teacher’s guide to behaviour. John Catt Educational. (pp. 97–102; 213–219)
Dowley, M., & Lovell, O. (2024). The classroom management handbook. John Catt Educational. (pp. 28–31)
McDonald, T. (2019). Classroom management: Engaging students in learning. Oxford University Press. (pp. 102–106)
Wong, H. K., & Wong, R. T. (2018). The first days of school: How to be an effective teacher (5th ed.). Harry K. Wong Publications. (pp. 201–203)
Alter, P., & Haydon, T. (2017). Characteristics of effective classroom rules: A review of the literature’.
Teacher Education and Special Education, 40(2), 114–127. https://doi.org/10.1177/0888406417700962
Archer, A. L., & Hughes, C. A. (2011). Explicit instruction: Effective and efficient teaching. Guildford Press.
Australian Education Research Organisation. (2024). Rules and routines. https://www.edresearch.edu.au/ guides-resources/practice-guides/rules-and-routines
Australian Government. (1992). Disability Discrimination Act 1992. https://www.legislation.gov.au/ C2004A04426/latest/text
Australian Government. (2005). Disability Standards for Education 2005. https://www.education.gov.au/ disability-standards-education-2005
Australian Government. (2021). 2020 Review of the Disability Standards for Education 2005. https://www.education.gov.au/disability-standards-education-2005/2020-review-disability-standardseducation-2005
Australian Government Department of Education, Skills and Employment. (2019). The Alice Springs (Mparntwe) Education Declaration. https://www.education.gov.au/indigenous-education/resources/alicesprings-mparntwe-education-declaration
Australian Institute for Teaching and School Leadership. (2022). Building a culturally responsive Australian teaching workforce. https://www.aitsl.edu.au/teach/intercultural-development/building-aculturally-responsive-australian-teaching-workforce
Bennett, T. (2020). Running the room: The teacher’s guide to behaviour. John Catt Educational. Evidence for Learning. (2023). Effective behaviour supports in schools: Guidance report. https://evidenceforlearning.org.au/education-evidence/guidance-reports/effective-behaviour-supportsin-schools
Hepburn, L., Beamish, W., & Alston-Knox, C. L. (2021). Classroom management practices commonly used by secondary school teachers: Results from a Queensland survey. Australian Educational Researcher, 48(1), 485–505. https://doi.org/10.1007/s13384-020-00402-y
McDonald, T. (2019). Classroom management: Engaging students in learning. Oxford University Press. Simonsen, B., Fairbanks, S., Briesch, A., Myers, D., & Sugai, G. (2008). Evidence-based practices in classroom management: Considerations for research to practice. Education and Treatment of Children, 31(3), 351–380. https://muse.jhu.edu/pub/20/article/240375
Wong, H. K., & Wong, R. T. (2018). The first days of school: How to be an effective teacher (5th ed.). Harry K. Wong Publications.
United Nations. (1989). Convention on the Rights of the Child. https://www.ohchr.org/en/instrumentsmechanisms/instruments/convention-rights-child
Keywords: classroom management, engagement, disruption, disruptive behaviour