Rules

This week we talked about childhood using the grid activity to practice past tense. One question that yielded really interesting results explored the rules parents had for the learners when they were children.

The teacher wrote the question on the board, and then asked the group to list the classroom rules. At this, the students became very animated and produced quite a list:

• Speak English in class.
• Sit next to someone who doesn’t speak your language if possible.
• Call if you are going to be absent.
• Don’t stand around in the halls at break time.
• No cell phones in class.
• Sign in and out on the computer when you come to class.
• Don’t park in the marked spots in the lot.
• Bring a pencil and notebook to class.
• Be on time for class.
• Have respect for everyone.

I was quite surprised at how quick and eager they were to rattle off the rules. After completing this list, the teacher asked the students to name some family rules from childhood. I realized that this had been an excellent teaching technique in that if she had just asked the question right away, many students wouldn’t have grasped the concept of rules. Now after practicing with the school rules, the students launched into a list that included:

• No hitting or bothering people
• Come home after school
• No stealing things from other people
• No watching bad movies
• No smoking or drinking alcohol
• Don’t fight with your friends
• Use good manners and say kind things to others
• Do your schoolwork before going out to play

It struck me that every one of the rules on the list had been a rule my parents had for me when I was a child. Everyone in the room, regardless of nationality, seemed to be nodding in agreement as the rules were shouted out. I think everyone in the classroom was surprised to discover that in spite of cultural differences, more familial rules were similar than different; they seemed to have a universal quality.