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‘When ancient opinions and rules of life are taken away, the
loss cannot possibly be estimated. From that moment, we have no compass to
govern us, nor can we know distinctly to what port to steer.’
~ Edmund Burke (1729-1797)
Rules are the
mark of any civilized society.
Children are
not born knowing rules, they learn these by degrees - rules of the home, the
family car, public transport, public places, sports grounds, places of worship,
and so on.
School
communities are no exception. School and classroom rules exist to ensure
harmony for all, serving as a reminder that, among other things, teachers have
a right to teach and students have a right to learn - in a happy, safe, and
secure environment.
When it comes
to protecting the rights of the members belonging to these learning
communities, the rules and responsibilities, as well as the consequences for
not adhering to these, need to be clearly stated, understood and respected.
IMAGE: teachingmyfriends.blogspot.com
Children
learn in many different ways – I’m a huge fan of helping them to learn through
song - if it can be learned, it can be sung, and vice versa.
Music is not
only highly effective for motivating and engaging young learners, but, because
it activates different parts of the brain, it is also invaluable for aiding
recall - ensuring that lyrical content will have more chance of being
remembered.
With that in
mind, I wrote some basic classroom rules and behaviours, in lyrical form,
which, together with colleague, Kathryn Radloff's, catchy melody, helps
students to learn, remember, and take responsibility for classroom rules and
behaviours – through the enjoyable medium of song.
I, myself,
use ‘OUR CLASS RULES – OK!’ in schools, to establish and reinforce classroom
practices, and my daughter, TNT (The New Teacher)
reports using the song throughout the school day, as a handy point of
reference.
TNT tells me
that she has only to mention a line from the song, and students are reminded of
correct/safe classroom behaviour and practices (e.g. chair legs on floor; hands
up in the air; point scissors to the ground…).
Sometimes, a
quizzical look in their direction is all it takes, for students to remember the
rule – enabling them to take personal responsibility for their own safety and
that of others within the classroom.
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Below, you
will find sample song lyrics and a few tips and suggestions for using this, or
any other song about classroom rules:
SAMPLE
LYRICS:
CHORUS
We
have rules and responsibilities,
To
keep us safe and happy
And
we take these very seriously,
We
care for everybody!
VERSE
2
Put –
Hands up in
the air,
If we have
something to share,
Knowing it’s
the right way;
Try to be
polite,
Try to never
fuss or fight
And then
we’ll have a good day.
©Lyrics,
Nuala O’Hanlon / Music, Kathryn Radloff
SONG
SAMPLE (Track 3):
SUGGESTIONS
FOR USE:
GENERAL:
- Discuss why rules are important (if we don’t follow rules, there are consequences, for ourselves and othersDiscuss the need to feel safe and happy – what can WE do to ensure this happens/we all have the right to… but we also have a personal responsibility
- Good choices /not so good – consequences of both and the need for accountability
- Brainstorm ways in which we can show we care and respect
- Students listen to song and list rules mentioned
- Unpack/discuss lyrics, line by line, e.g:
- Why do we have rules and responsibilities?
- What does ‘rule’/ ‘responsibility’ mean?
VERSE
2: Lines 1 & 2:
- Why do you think it is important to raise hands if we want to speak?
LITERACY:
- Identify and record rules mentioned in song
- Brainstorm other class rules to add to list and continue to add as term progresses
- Display rules around the room and refer to them often (use these for performance – see below)
- Create a chart of class RULES / RESPONSIBILITIES / display these in classroom
- Each student chooses a rule to be used to caption illustration (ref. ART, below)
- Research rules for various communities/institutions and compare similarities/differences, e.g. home; school; sport clubs; public transport, etc.
- Discuss the reasons for these various rules
NUMERACY:
- Create a class graph, recording different groups to which the students belong (students write out rules of these groups, giving reasons these are important)
ART:
- Students illustrate/paint their chosen rule (see above)
- Create cartoons with speech bubbles, illustrating consequences of breaking rules, e.g. student falling off chair, after leaning too far back…
PERFORMANCE:
- Display students’ artwork (see above) around stage, and dramatize the song, pointing to the words: *RULES *RESPONSIBILITIES, during each chorus
FYI: ‘OUR CLASS RULES – OK!’ is
available as a digital mp3 download (Track
3): http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/ohanlonradloff4
Yours in
Singing to Learn,
Nuala ♫
P.S. Please
feel free to share ways in which you have used song to help children learn.
♫ ♥ ♫ ♥ ♫ ♥♫ ♥ ♫ ♥ ♫ ♥ ♫ ♥♫ ♥ ♫ ♥ ♫ ♥ ♫ ♥♫ ♥ ♫ ♥ ♫ ♥ ♫ ♥♫ ♥ ♫
N.B. Lyrics
and Suggestions for use:
©Nuala
O’Hanlon & Kathryn Radloff
:
KEYSTONE
CREATIONS ~ Educational Songs: www.keystonecreations.com.au
