Welcome???? Maybe not.

One of my colleagues from another country shared an introduction to computer class that her grade 7 son brought home during the first week of school. My eyebrows shot up when I saw it, but what I truly wondered was what would my students think if they were to be given such a paper? It begins with what not to do in class, closely followed by how they will be punished should they choose to engage in that behaviour, including how marks can be lost. If students follow all the rules then they apparently will be successful.

I first gave the students the opportunity to write down their reactions without discussion as I did not want them to be influenced by others or me. The most common word in their responses was "harsh" and that the introduction to computer class was very negative.

After reading the text we had a fantastic discussion about student-teacher relationships and how they impact learning and the desire to learn. Power was recognized as a factor. Teachers have enormous power over students because of the adult-child relationship and because of marks and report cards. Students recognized that they are placed in teacher's classes but have no say in the process, that sometimes students end up with teachers who teach in a way that does not allow them to learn and that there is nothing they can do about it, particularly in elementary school. I asked them if they had ever sat in a class and thought to themselves, "I can't learn in this way." Every single child had experienced this at least once. This led to the question, "What would learning be like if you could select the teacher with whom you learn best?" That stopped the students in their tracks. I could see the wheels turning as they realized how the world of learning would change if they could seek out the teacher that matched their needs. It was a profound moment as they realized that school and learning could be different.

I did ask them what they would do if they came across such a strict/negative teacher. (I should note that we did agree that we only had this sheet from which to draw conclusions and had no idea how effective she was when teaching). Some did not know what they would do, but the majority agreed that they would attempt to comply. They didn't use the words "play the game", but that was the underlying message in the discussion: do what you need to do to survive in that class.

Below are a few samples from the rules that were given out as well as direct quotes from my students. The teacher and school were never identified. The document began like this:

Mrs __(X's)____ Class Rules

ALL students should keep their hands and bodies to themselves.
ALL students will enter the computer lab and wait for instructions BEFORE touching the computers
After all instructions have been given, students will be allowed to begin working.
There should be NO talking when I'm talking. All other talking is to be kept to a MINIMUM! If I have to speak to you more than once about this, you will be asked to leave the room and do a writing assignment.
ALL work must be completed in a timely manner. If an assignment is not complete, it is a zero.

The document continues on in this way ending with:

If you are to be late to class, you should have a note from the teacher/administrator who kept you from arriving to class on time. Failure to have a note will result in one demerit. If a student receives 3 demerits, that student will receive a zero for the day and notice will be given to the vice-principal.



I gave each student two sticky notes. One for comments and one for questions and then read the text with them.

Here's what they wrote:

Why are they so strict?
Why did Mrs X's rules end up being so harsh?
Do all the kids really need such harsh rules?
What happens if you need help with a test?
What happens if you talk when she talks?
Are teachers ALLOWED to do that??!!!!
Why are the rules so harsh?
Why are the rules so harsh?
Why doesn't she allow any mistakes?
Are all the teachers in the school like this?
What happened to Mrs X to make her like this?

Some of her rules are ridiculous.
She is a very strict teacher. She has a lot of rules.
I don't think the teacher is being fair.
That is not fair to give a zero if they've done all the work.
I think the rules were a little harsh.
This is harsh.
These rules are harsh. She is strict.
WOW!!!!
That sounds horrible.
It's a bit strict for the first day of school and those are harsh punishments.
If assignments are not done, sometimes people have good reasons. I don't think they should get an automatic zero.
Some of the rules are ok.
I think this teacher has VERY DIFFERENT rules.
I believe that this teacher is OLD.
That sucks.
I don't think the teacher is being fair that you have to have a note or you receive a zero for the day.
She is very thorough with grades and gives bad grades a lot.
Some points were good, but others seemed a little harsh.

These comments and questions were written independently.
Students then got into small groups with questions to discuss.

1. Do these rules inspire you to want to follow them and learn?
NO!!!!! Because they are unfair to the persons in the class. We would not like to learn in that class. It is hard work to make people NOT have fun.

2.Why do you think Mrs. X has begun the year this way?
To get the rules into the kids' heads.
To get the kids ready for high school.
To make sure the kids make good use of their time.
I think Mrs X made these rules so she could control the kids by saying if you're late you get a zero. I think Mrs X made these rules because she knows kids are afraid of strict teachers.
I think she is trying to teach the kids to not be late but it is a discouraging message.

3. What did you infer about Mrs X?
She's mean
She strongly dislikes children.
I would try to go to a different school.
She's old.

4. Do you think this is a good introduction to this class?
No, it's a bit too restricting to kids who don't need those rules.

5.Does this teacher value learning and students?
This teacher seems to value learning but I don't think the students will.

6. How would you react if Mrs. X was your teacher?
I would be frightened. I would try to follow the rules so as not to fail grade 7.

7.How did reading these rules make you feel?
These rules made us feel terrified. They are harsh. I don't think anyone would be able to obey them for long. They could keep the students in order if the teacher is NICE though.

8.Should Mrs X have taken a different approach?
Yes, on the first day of school you want to feel welcome and not have to worry. Kids are just coming out of summer and don't want to be overwhelmed with rules.


My own feelings are that this is a very inexperienced teacher, a frightened teacher or a controlling teacher. I could be very wrong though. The one important question is will this approach lead to learning? I discussed this with my sister as we thought back to teachers from whom we had learned. It turns out that some of the teachers that we disliked at the time because we considered them to be mean or strict were the ones that at this point in life we look back to and value because of the skills we learned. A few of my students thought back to a teacher they had had who had been very strict and acknowledged that they had learned a great deal in that class. What was different about that teacher though and what they did not sense from this sheet was that the teacher they had had was very caring. This shows that learning is complex and there are no easy answers.