The purpose of this lesson is to help students understand that expectations and rules help us feel safe, connected, and ready to learn.

When expectations are modeled, practiced, and reinforced consistently, students are more likely to behave respectfully, take responsibility for their actions, and make safe choices. This lesson supports a positive classroom community by helping students understand what respectful, responsible, and safe behavior looks like in everyday situations. It also gives teachers a proactive way to prevent small behavior issues before they grow, while building structure, predictability, and student confidence in the classroom.

respectful, responsible, safe, expectations

Activity 1: (20 minutes) CLASS MISSION STATEMENT

Materials Needed: Student devices (optional), poster or chart paper, lined paper

Teacher Tip: This activity helps students define a shared vision for their classroom. When students help shape what their classroom should feel like, they are more likely to take ownership of it. Explain that before deciding exactly how a classroom should run, it is important to think about the kind of community you want to be part of.

Prior to this activity, set up an online survey tool (e.g., Mentimeter, Poll Everywhere) with your choice of questions or plan to display the questions:

• What are 2–3 words that describe your perfect classroom?
• What does your perfect classroom look like?
• How should students treat each other in our classroom?
• How should students and the teacher treat each other?
• What should our classroom sound like?
• How should our classroom feel?

Conduct a survey using the questions above. If you are not using a digital tool, record responses on the whiteboard. After each question, have students share patterns or trends they notice in their classmates’ responses. Work together as a class to agree on the most common ideas for each question. (Teacher Tip: As students share their ideas, write them on the whiteboard or ask a student volunteer to take notes for the class on the whiteboard.) Have a discussion:

• What are some things our class really cares about or believes in? (EQ)

Explain that these ideas represent the kind of classroom community you want to build together and will guide how you treat one another throughout the year.

Tell students that they will use the most common ideas for what they value as a class to create a class mission statement (e.g., “In this class, we are respectful, kind, and understanding,” or “We are a classroom that works hard, supports each other, and never gives up.”). Write your class mission statement (1–2 sentences) on top of a poster or piece of chart paper, leaving plenty of space below. (Teacher Tip: Save the poster for a later activity and use the space to record the class expectations. Alternatively or in addition to, have students sign their names in the space below the mission statement to show their willingness to live up to it.)

Activity 2: (20–30 minutes) CLASSROOM EXPECTATIONS

Materials Needed: Chart paper or poster

Teacher Tip: Involving students in creating class rules helps build ownership, accountability, and a shared sense of responsibility. Keep the focus on what a strong learning environment looks and feels like.

Invite students to think about why we need traffic laws. Call on a few students to share their ideas. Reiterate that traffic laws keep us safe. The rules and expectations we have at school also keep us safe.

Review the definition of the terms “respectful,” “responsible,” “safe,” and “expectations” from the slides.

Explain that our expectations at school not only keep us safe, but they also help us learn, succeed, and treat ourselves and others with respect. Lead a whole-class brainstorm on ideas for classroom rules that are safe and respectful. (Teacher Tip: If you created a class mission statement in a previous activity, review the statement and ask students to consider what specific actions will help the class live up to the class mission statement.) Record student responses on the whiteboard. Look for patterns and similarities in their ideas. As a class, work together to narrow the list down to 4–5 clear, positive class expectations that everyone agrees on. Examples:

• Follow directions quickly. 
• Be ready to learn and do my best work.
• Make safe and responsible choices.
• Treat myself and others with respect.
• Help keep our classroom positive.

Once the class rules are finalized, go through each one and help students bring them to life. For each rule, ask:

• What does this look like in our classroom?
• What does this sound like?
• What would it NOT look or sound like?

Have students turn-and-talk, then share out responses. Record their ideas to create a shared anchor chart that defines expectations in clear, student-friendly language. Emphasize that rules are not just words on a poster; they are actions we practice every day to help everyone learn, feel safe, and succeed. Display the class expectations in a visible location so students can easily reference and revisit them throughout the year.

Activity 3: (15+ minutes) EXPECTATIONS IN ACTION

Teacher Tip: When students practice classroom expectations, they learn exactly what safe, respectful, and responsible behavior looks like in action. This reduces confusion and helps students feel more confident because they know what is expected of them.

Review your classroom expectations. (Teacher Tip: These may be the expectations outlined in a previous activity or other expectations you may have for your students.)

Option 1: Roleplay Expectations

Sort students into groups of 4–5 students. Assign each group 1 of the previously determined classroom expectations. Have students prepare a skit to show the right way to follow the expectation and the wrong way to follow the expectation. After groups perform their skit, have the rest of the class guess which expectation they were demonstrating. Continue until each group has an opportunity to perform.

Option 2: Expectations Book

Materials Needed: Lined paper, blank paper (folded in half and stapled together, 1 per student), art supplies

Explain to students that they will become authors and illustrators by creating their own children’s book about classroom expectations and why they are important. Students will write and illustrate a story that teaches others how to help the classroom feel safe, respectful, and ready to learn.

Students can begin by writing a rough draft on lined paper. After sharing their work with a partner for peer editing and feedback, they can create a final copy in a handmade book created by stapling blank pages together. What to include in their book:

• Title
• Author and illustrator’s name
• Characters and setting
• Plot that introduces the classroom expectations and why they are important

Teacher Tip: Invite a younger class to come into your classroom and have your students read their books to them.

Option 3: Is It Respectful, Responsible and Safe?

Materials Needed: Responsible Choices handout (1 copy, teacher use only)

Explain that we make choices every day. Invite students to share a few choices they have made today (e.g., what shirt to wear, what to eat for breakfast, who to play with at recess).

Tell students that when we are at school, it is important to make choices that are respectful, responsible, and safe. When we follow our classroom expectations and make good choices, we help build a positive classroom community where we feel safe, connected to others, and ready to learn.

Read through the examples from the Responsible Choices handout. If students hear a choice that is respectful, responsible, and safe, they will show a thumbs up. If they hear a choice that is not respectful, responsible, or safe, they will show a thumbs down. Have a discussion:

• What is a respectful, responsible, or safe choice you have made today? 
• How do you and those around you feel when you make choices that are respectful, responsible, and safe? (EQ)

Activity 4: (20 minutes) EXPECTATIONS LETTER HOME

Materials Needed: Lined paper, small prize (optional)

Teacher Tip: When parents and guardians understand and support classroom expectations, students are more likely to succeed. Students will feel secure and thrive when the rules of behavior are consistent and reinforced at home and at school.

Explain to students that they will write a letter to their parent or guardian explaining the classroom expectations. In the letter, they should also describe why these expectations are important and how following them will help them be successful at school. (Teacher Tip: Share the outline on the slides for students to refer to as they write their letters.)

Ask students to share the letter at home by reading it to their parents or guardians. Both the student and the adult will sign the letter to show they understand the expectations and agree to support them. (Teacher Tip: Give a small reward or prize to students who return their letter signed.)

Activity 5: (45+ minutes) MY SCHOOL PASSPORT

Materials Needed: My School Passport booklet (1 per student)

Prior to this activity, print and prepare a My School Passport booklet for each student. Contact the staff members who work in the various locations on the passport and arrange for them to speak with your class for 3–5 minutes and share the following information:

• Their name
• How they help students
• How students can help them by following expectations. Emphasize that as 5th and 6th graders, they are the leaders of the school. They can be a good example to younger students by following the expectations in each school location. 
• Ask if students have any questions

Explain to students that they will explore the different locations of their school (e.g., library, office, cafeteria, playground) and meet some of the school adults who help the school run smoothly and help them to succeed.

Pass out a My School Passport booklet to each student. Have students complete the first page of their passport. Explain that at each stop, students will visit a location on their passport, meet a staff member, and write down the staff member’s name. Invite students to write or draw something at each location to remind them how they can follow expectations there. Remind students to walk quietly through the school and be respectful listeners and participants. Inform students that they will collect a stamp on their passport (or a sticker or signature) at each location they visit.

Gather students together and have a discussion:

• How does following school expectations help you to succeed? (EQ)
• How does following school expectations help others to succeed? (EQ)

Activity 6: (10 minutes) GIVE ME 5

Ask students to model what it looks like to pay attention and be ready to learn (e.g., looking at the teacher, still bodies). Then, have them model what it looks like to not pay attention and not be ready to learn (e.g., talking to a friend, wiggling, playing with supplies). Have a discussion:

• What actions help us pay attention and be ready to learn? (EQ)
• What actions distract us and others from paying attention and learning?

Explain that our purpose at school is to learn, try new things, and make friends. It is our classroom expectation that everyone pays attention during class so we can learn and grow. Display the Give Me 5 slide. Explain that whenever they see their teacher holding up the Give Me 5 hand, they will do 5 things to help them pay attention and be ready to learn. Have students model each step. (Teacher Tip: Print out the Give Me 5 slide and display it in the classroom to remind students of what they need to do to pay attention and be ready to learn.)

Have a discussion:

• How can following the 5 expectations of the Give Me 5 hand help you be ready to learn? (EQ)

Activity 7: (15 minutes) VOICE LEVELS

Invite students to hum a well-known song (e.g., Row, Row, Row Your Boat, Jingle Bells, the Happy Birthday Song). Have students hum the song again, but this time, when they see the teacher’s hand up high in the air, they will hum loud, and when the teacher’s hand is down low close to the floor, they will hum softly.

Explain to students that they can use their voice to be loud, talk, whisper, or be quiet. Display the voice level slides with the corresponding numbering system. Explain that there are voice level expectations for the classroom and other areas of the school. Use the slides to discuss what voice level is appropriate for the areas/times.

 Have a discussion:

• Why is it important to follow voice level expectations? (EQ)

Activity 8: (5 minutes) SHOWCASE STUDENT EXAMPLES

Materials Needed: Camera, printer

Explain that students will be recognized for demonstrating positive behavior and consistently following classroom expectations. Each month, one student will be selected for each expectation as a Classroom Expectations Award recipient, highlighting how they modeled that expectation.

Teacher Tip: Display each award recipient’s photo next to the classroom expectation they exemplified. Update the display monthly so every student has an opportunity to be recognized over time. Acknowledge students for their effort, and thank them for modeling positive behavior. Consider sending a note home to their family highlighting the expectation they exemplified and why it stood out.