Creating a ‘safe` environment is important to all aspects of teaching and learning and this is achievable by setting ground rules.
Which should always be done in the first lesson the reason for this is that it will help overcome some first day nerves as this acts as an icebreaker?
You should always bear in mind that you should be equally consistent in enforcing the rules once decided by the group. {Geoff Petty, 2009:104}
It is extremely important that there is a clear and precise outlined guidance of ground rules, once they are in place the class will feel more at ease as they now have some structure installed, this then allows them to be able to concentrate enjoy and endeavour with their studies and they “they should be vigorously enforced for the first few lessons do this by pointing out to offenders that you have broken one of your ground rules” {Petty, 2006:182}.
These rules can be set in three different ways” Teacher imposed, learner imposed or negotiated.” {Atherton internet} “However, in many situations, health and safety regulations may mean that some rules must be covered in more detail”. {Ben Marshall 2006:61}. These rules should always be set on education moral conduct and not your own personal beliefs.
If we you use the method of learner imposed rules then you can divide the learners into groups. One way is to give one of the groups writing material and then instruct them to outline rules that they think the learners should adhere to, whilst the learners are doing this they should work as a team making sure that no one individual dominates their work group and also making sure there is no one left out feeling isolated making sure that the whole team contributes thus also giving them some more time to bond and feel more confident and at ease with their fellow learners. “And then they will learn best with a blame free classroom.”{Geoff Petty.2006:180}
Some other ways of getting the group to set up rules is by letting them use PowerPoint or by using menu cards with set rules on and then letting the students decide which rules they feel are