Teaching Students School Norms
Students come from diverse places and their constructs of school and purposes for education often greatly differ. Problems between teachers and ELL students often occur because of language differences and unidentified assumptions about the social aspects of schooling. Therefore, it is important for teachers to be explicit while helping students learn what is expected of them within the school building and inside the classroom.
Create and consistently reinforce classroom norms to support students’ understanding of what is expected socially and academically in the classroom.
Post homework assignments in a public place in the classrooms so students can be responsible for checking their assignments and keeping track of whether or not they submitted them.
Provide each student with a daily agenda. As a class, write the day’s objectives, activities, and the homework assignment. Students should keep these agendas in their notebooks for personal reference. It is also helpful to provide space on the agenda for students to check off the homework assignment once it has been completed and turned in. (See page 111 [1] for an example of a daily agenda link.)