Classroom rules look different for every teacher. Some use only a few, while others prefer to use more.

Ask questions
1. Respect and listen to your classmates
2. Respect and listen to the teacher
3. Raise your hand to speak
4. Be prepared for class
5. Be quiet when the teacher is talking
6. Be quiet when classmates are talking
7. Share new ideas
8. Keep your hands to yourself
9. Respect others’ property
10. Keep your workspace tidy
11. Be kind
12. Always do your best
13. Walk, don’t run, in the hallways
14. Be a good friend
15. Be on time
16. Share with others
17. Use equipment properly
18. Help keep the classroom tidy
19. Listen to all the teachers
20. Obey all school rules
21. Finish your homework on time
22. Be respectful of classmates who are working
23. Have a good attitude
24. Use positive language
25. Line up neatly and quietly
26. Stay in your seat
27. Listen with your ears and your eyes
28. Contribute to discussions
29. Be respectful of others’ ideas
30. Follow the teacher’s directions the first time they are given
31. Cooperate with your classmates
32. Be creative
33. Be honest
34. Use technology appropriately
35. Be proud of your work
Want to keep these rules close by? We’ve put together a downloadable PDF with all these rules that you can use in your classroom today!

Build the foundation
There are so many benefits to building a classroom that feels like a community:
improved student academics, respectful discussions, and a Growth mindset are just a few.
Classroom rules can help establish a sense of community when they’re built on collective
classroom values.
Classroom rules:
1. Have a vision.
2. Be a learner, not a finisher.
3. Lean into struggle.
4. Feed your passion.
5. Own your education.

virtual classroom:
Virtual classes create new and exciting opportunities for teachers and learners, but online learning also has its challenges, like the temptation for learners to switch to other online platforms, respond to a message, or for background noise and activities to create a distraction. With some handy virtual classroom rules in place, though, you can minimize those issues, keep classes focused and effective, and help create a safe and positive learning environment for everyone.

10 rules for your virtual classroom
All the virtual and hybrid learning classroom rules in this post are geared for higher
education and professional training, but they work in high school classrooms, too – so
read on and decide which ones work for you.

1) Find your quiet place
A good, solid start to your virtual classroom rules is that every learner has a quiet space where they can join the class without any interruptions. Students should be in an
environment conducive to attentive virtual studying and class interaction, which will
help set the tone for the group as a whole.
You shouldn’t need to provide too much guidance here but the general idea is that
once class is underway, every learner is in an encroachment-free zone with no
background noise.

2) Be prepared
This is as much a practical reminder as it is a rule, but to make sure everything runs
smoothly, learners should be prepared and ready to go five minutes before class starts.
Here’s what you could include in a quick checklist:
• Have a pen and paper
• Be familiar with the device and e-learning platform
• Fully charge or connect your device before class starts
• Have a glass of water
• Check lighting
• Turn off any notification alerts
• Download the relevant apps and tools
Note that if you work with a user-friendly video engagement platform like Livestorm
for your video communication, you won’t need to download anything at all – just click
the link and you’re ready to go.

3) Be on time
Late arrivals can be a big distraction – your class time is limited, learners could miss a
crucial set of task instructions, and especially in a small regular class, lateness
compromises people’s engagement and focus

Set a grace period of two to five minutes for your ongoing classes and stick to it – any
later and people just don’t get admitted – so they’ll have to stick to the event replay.
It sounds strict and overbearing, but learners appreciate knowing where they stand
and your classes will be better for it.

4) Mute the mic
Especially with big classes, without a hard-and-fast mute rule in place an array of
noises will start to feed through – the neighbour’s dog, people shifting in their seats,
the Cobra Kai theme tune – so ask everyone to stick to mute unless they have the floor
or are in a group activity.
With Livestorm’s virtual learning platform, you just hold “unmute” to speak – as soon
as you release it, you’ll return to mute.

5) No distractions
You wouldn’t have learners messaging friends or scrolling through their social media
apps in a traditional class, so they shouldn’t do it in your virtual classes either –
though online engagement features and activities for students throughout the class
will help them avoid any temptation.

6) No eating
As is the case in an in-person class, eating is distracting and even a little rude
– especially during group activities. So other than a glass or bottle of water, no eating
or drinking during the virtual class is a rule most learners appreciate.

7) Raise your hand
It’s just not practical for large classes to have people jumping in with their questions
and comments – it’s too easy for other learners to lose the thread or for the class to
get sidetracked.
Instead, encourage learners to raise a virtual hand, so you can come to them at the
opportune moment.
Alternatively, you can have learners write queries in your platform’s questions tab –
with Livestorm, students can use question upvotes to help decide what you answer
first.

8) Be responsive
If you want engaging classes, you need people to engage – so make it a rule.
Virtual classes often bring people together from all kinds of backgrounds, across
different cultures and time zones, so it’s a great opportunity for students to exchange
ideas and learn from each other – but it relies on their willingness to contribute and
collaborate.
Aside from having it in your class rules to be responsive, you can also do your bit by
encouraging learners to use fun tools and features, like emoji reactions, live polls, and
virtual whiteboards.
Start each class with a five-minute icebreaker with small groups in breakout rooms,
use multimedia resources to break up sessions into smaller chunks, and create a
dynamic e-learning environment for everyone to enjoy and look forward to.
Check out our blog post for more of our tips on how to [make online meetings more
engaging] (https://livestorm.co/blog/engaging-online-meetings).

9) Be constructive
If your classes or professional training sessions include pair or group work and peer
reviews, it’s inevitable that at some point personalities will collide, especially if you’re
asking learners to comment on each other’s assignments or points of view.
So make sure everyone understands the importance of keeping all feedback
constructive – critique, don’t criticize.
As well as setting this rule, you can help avoid friction by setting up review tasks to
balance positive and negative comments, stick to class objectives, and where possible
provide specific reasoning for any negative feedback with examples and alternatives.

10) Be positive
A successful virtual or hybrid class needs its learners to be enthusiastic, engaged, and
collaborative, but especially in an online setting it can be easy for sarcastic humor to
be misinterpreted.
So set a rule for no negative jokes – even if it’s intended lighthearted throwaway
comment – to make sure no one is ever made to feel uncomfortable or self-conscious.
Warm and positive interactions throughout your classes will help learners feel
motivated, confident, and ready to learn.

Online learning benefits:

Online learning allows for flexibility, a fantastic mix of learners, and an exciting melting
pot of personalities and backgrounds. But as much as that can make for fun and
dynamic classes, it can also bring about distractions, tangents, or misunderstandings.
So set a tone for positive, constructive learning early on in your classes with a friendly
set of non-judgmental rules that will help everyone get the most out of your virtual or
hybrid learning classroom.
By demonstrating the behaviour’s you value in your learners, and by reiterating your
rules whenever appropriate throughout your classes, you’ll motivate your learners to
take part in what should be a positive experience for everyone.