Submitted by Patricia Oeste, NBCT, Conway, Arkansas

Idea posted August 26, 2003

I only have four rules. I got them from the MusicK8.com Mailing List and adapted them for my classroom... they work wonderfully.

  1. I am responsible.
  2. I am respectful.
  3. I am safe.
  4. I am prepared.

That's it! They know the rules and must take responsibility for them. We learn the rules well the first couple weeks of class through discussion and acting them out. (Show me someone being responsible. Now show me someone who is NOT being responsible!) I put them to an Orff ostinato, and we have fun with them, and they know them backwards and forwards! We make a game out of it, and it just seems the "right" thing to do after that.