Ms. Holmes is a new special education teacher working in a self-contained classroom with ten students and two paraprofessionals. She plans a morning meeting with daily classroom jobs and a brainstorming session for positively stated classroom rules. Which strategy would be most effective for Ms. Holmes to use to ensure her students learn and follow classroom rules?

Ms. Holmes is a new special education teacher working in a self-contained classroom with ten students and two paraprofessionals. She plans a morning meeting with daily classroom jobs and a brainstorming session for positively stated classroom rules. Which strategy would be most effective for Ms. Holmes to use to ensure her students learn and follow classroom rules?

• A. Having students copy the list to keep at their desks for reference
• B. Using modeling to teach students the behaviors reflected by these rules
• C. Beginning each day by reviewing the expectations for the class
• D. Having students sign a contract stating they agree to follow the rules

Answer: (B)

Modeling the desired behaviors gives students a concrete demonstration of what following the rules looks like in real classroom moments. When Ms. Holmes demonstrates the rules—like raising a hand to speak, using a calm voice, taking turns during discussions—students can observe exactly how to act and then practice those same actions with guided support. This approach is especially effective in a self-contained setting with diverse needs because it links the rule to observable actions, making it easier for students to imitate, rehearse, and generalize across activities and times of day. The morning meeting and brainstorming set up positive expectations, and modeling turns those expectations into clear, actionable behavior. Copying a list at desks is passive and relies on reading rather than showing how to behave. Starting the day with a review is helpful for reminders but may not translate into automatic, correct actions without demonstration. Signing a contract might create a sense of obligation, but it doesn’t teach the behaviors themselves or show students how to exhibit them, which is essential for true learning and follow-through. Modeling remains the most effective way to teach and reinforce classroom rules.

Modeling the desired behaviors gives students a concrete demonstration of what following the rules looks like in real classroom moments. When Ms. Holmes demonstrates the rules—like raising a hand to speak, using a calm voice, taking turns during discussions—students can observe exactly how to act and then practice those same actions with guided support. This approach is especially effective in a self-contained setting with diverse needs because it links the rule to observable actions, making it easier for students to imitate, rehearse, and generalize across activities and times of day. The morning meeting and brainstorming set up positive expectations, and modeling turns those expectations into clear, actionable behavior.

Copying a list at desks is passive and relies on reading rather than showing how to behave. Starting the day with a review is helpful for reminders but may not translate into automatic, correct actions without demonstration. Signing a contract might create a sense of obligation, but it doesn’t teach the behaviors themselves or show students how to exhibit them, which is essential for true learning and follow-through. Modeling remains the most effective way to teach and reinforce classroom rules.