I Have Just Four Classroom Rules | Let’s Talk About Behavior | POLLY BATH
Date: September 27th, 2025
Too many rules in the classroom can be hard to follow. Here are the four that I stick to.
Ask Polly Bath: Sneaky Seat Switching?
Date: April 13th, 2025
Polly answers the question: “My students have assigned seats in all my classes, but lately it’s becoming a thing for several students to switch seats to see if I notice. At first it seemed kind of funny and cute, so I let them get away with it. Now I can’t seem to get them to stop. What do you suggest?”
Inconsistency Breaks School Culture!
Date: March 5th, 2025
When kids are able to depend on every school adult to be consistent, that’s a culture!
Ask Polly Bath: “I’m Worried About My Student!”
Date: January 18th, 2025
Polly answers the question: “I am very concerned about one of my students. It seems like there is nothing anyone can say to this child. They cause trouble in class which lands them in ISS where they cause trouble again. Recently their behavior escalated to the point that they landed in juvenile court where they talked back to the judge! What can be done?”
Ask Polly Bath: Improve Behavior?
Date: October 5th, 2024
Polly answers the question: “What’s the most impactful thing I can do to improve behavior in my classroom?”
Ask Polly Bath: “JUST STOP!!!”
Date: April 7th, 2024
Polly answers the question: “The other day one of my students got really upset with a peer because she wouldn’t stop bothering him. I gently told her to stop, pointing out that he had been asking very nicely. But what I really wanted to do was yell, ‘JUST STOP!!!’ Is there a time for that? I pride myself on being calm and gentle but sometimes I worry… am I too kind?”
Ask Polly Bath: Kids Want Choices for Everything
Date: March 23rd, 2024
Polly answers the question: “Right now my students seem to think they should have a choice about everything. At what point should they realize that some things are not up to them?”
Behavior? Stop and Think!
Date: October 4th, 2023
When dealing with behaviors, don’t respond right away. Instead stop, think, and process the situation.
Ask Polly Bath: Pack of Kids with Bad Behaviors?
Date: July 1st, 2023
Polly answers the question: “We have a pack of kids in our middle school who feed off each other! They wander the halls, cause trouble, they make snarky comments to teachers. And it’s getting harder and harder to muster up the energy to deal with them! How can we get this group to stop?”
Ask Polly: Aggressive Horseplay?
Date: January 29th, 2023
Polly answers the question: “Our middle school boys are very aggressive and ‘hands on’ with each other. I know horseplay is to be expected, but often things get out of hand at lunchtime or in the hallways. What can we do?”
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