BES uses classroom social contracts to emphasize how students and teachers want to be treated. Students have contracts in the gym, music, computers, and even interventions. Even the BES staff has a social contract. So, how is a contract different than class rules?
The contract is built together with questions like
- How would you like to be treated by me?
- How do you think I would want to be treated by you?
- How should we treat each other when there's conflict?
As the contract is developed, we ask what-if questions to help clarify meaning and understanding. CKH teachers, there are three non-negotiables. We always represent no putdowns, listening, and effort. When it's completed, students and teachers sign the contract. Sometimes, room visitors are invited to sign the contract when they're working in the room.
The main difference between a social contract and class rules is emphasizing the positive. Teachers should use the contract in various ways to highlight the expectations positively. Affirm students when they demonstrate characteristics, focus word of the day/week, give green tickets based on the behaviors, social contract raters to provide feedback to the class, and other strategies make the social contract a reminder of best behavior rather than a gotcha set of class rules that only come in when providing redirection and consequences.
