Starting with the Basics: Social Studies R.O.C.K.S.

 Respect, Opportunity, Citizenship, Kindness, Safety or ROCKS can be heard echoing through the corridors of our school.  It is the mantra of our PBIS or Positive Behavior Intervention System that serves as the foundation of our school's discipline system.  An essential part of this system is how it manifests itself in each individual classroom.  During the first days of school, I asked my students: What does ROCKS look like in social studies class? We started with informal discussion and then began to brainstorm.  After picking apart the issues and doing some role playing, I gave my students a more formal task.  "Fill out the blank matrix based on your ideas as to what ROCKS looks like in this social studies class." 

     When the students finished, I collected the matrices and tabulated their responses.  Using a second class period, we looked at all of the responses and identified common themes.  We then developed two or three good rules associated with each aspect of ROCKS.  I created a poster the old fashion way with Sharpies and poster board then with a little assistance, managed to get it laminated.  (If you are a tech-savvy person, constantly immersing yourself in all that is digital, find time to do things in a non-digital way, it can be very therapeutic.).  I gave the poster a permanent home on my bulletin having all my students sign around its perimeter and making a big deal of the whole process.  

     So what is the benefit of spending days of class time on this activity?  We now have a list of expectations that were mutually agreed upon (how appropriate in a civics class) of which my students have complete ownership.  My favorite result is how the class now self-regulates. Students hold each other accountable saying things like "that doesn't rock" or "you are interrupting my learning."  While some of it is done to poke fun, there is genuine intent. I also like being able to say "read line 4" (referring to the poster) when helping a student identify a particular behavior in an effort to redirect.  

     Our ROCKS poster is a far cry from the two page typed list of classroom rules and expectations I used as a first year teacher.  I still have the list and although impressive in its thoroughness it is by nature oppressive like a list of royal decrees.  The bottom line is we need rules and laws. In the adult world there are lots of laws to learn and follow. Not being 18, my students are still learning the laws of our society.  It is the tangibility of the classroom microcosm that allows student to lay the foundation of understanding for what will one day be the laws of the adult world.