Classroom Rules Roster for Pre-K (3 year olds) Inappropriate and extreme?

Where I work, we have to phrase in the positive.(not always an easy thing to do!)

So instead of saying what we don't want such as No Hitting- we would say "we use gentle hands".

Instead of "no running", I want to see your walking feet inside etc...

I personally think the rules need to be re-phrased, and they should be written for the children, so that the children (yes, even as young as 3) have ownership of them. They should be simple, at the child's level.

The list seems both negatively phrased, and rather lengthy.

I would be curious to see how she conducts her class before jumping to conclusions though

I really don't see a problem with her rules, at least the ones you've listed. What I would wonder about is what she does to discipline these children. For example some kids are just loud at that age, it's not that they are being bad, it just takes them a while to learn to use their "indoor" voice. I think number 3 is a little odd, kids make thing up or play things based on what they have seem in a movie or on Tv. Would she consider water pistols or nerf guns to be a bad thing. 5 and 6 are the same thing and redundant. And eleven is just a bit out of line, there are times when you shouldn't do something just because an authority figure tells you to. She does have it posted so parents can see it, so I would think that if anyone had a problem with her list, they could speak with her about it or the director. I'd really want to know what the punishment is for breaking her rules.

I am surprised that an un certified teacher would be allowed to be in charge of any class, that's one thing I know I'd have a problem with.

Pre-k Classroom Rules

One thing the other answers have not addressed is your concern for wanting to mention the roster to the director, and your question about classroom rules being approved by the director.

The director hires the teacher with the confidence that the teacher can make appropriate decisions for her own classroom. I wouldn't like it if the director came and told me the rules for my classroom. I am the teacher in the room, and I have a certain way I want my classroom to operate. If the director sets the rules, she isn't there to see how things go, and she isn't there to have to follow through when something happens. If I am responsible for my own class, I want to be able to set the rules. For her to come in and tell me what to do is insulting to me as a teacher. However, there may be some rules that are general rules for the whole preschool- such as a "no biting" policy. That should be stated in the Preschool Handbook for parents, and followed by each classroom without question.

I would NOT tell the director to come and look at the list in the other teacher's room. The director should make her rounds each day to every room. If the list is where the parents can see it, it will be where the director can see it, too, and she can comment if she likes. If you "tell" on her, soon she will be critical of something you do in your room, and it will make for a bad working relationship. Allow your room to speak for itself. Make choices that show what a great teacher you are, and make your room shine. Leave her to make her own decision about her classroom and what goes on there.

You said that the rules were posted by the light switch at eye level for the parents. Being that they were written and not in picture form made them seem more for the parents, also. In my opinion, it's ok for the parents to know the rules of the classroom. They need to know what their children are being expected to do, and what goes on in the room. If she wanted to make another poster with pictures for the children to be able to read, that would be good. Also, I wouldn't post the rules by the door. I would put them in a letter to the parents at the beginning of the year, but that is a personal choice.

Definitely she wrote it with parents in mind.

They bring their child to be educated and then expect the teacher to do it "their" way!

So she wrote the rules in a no nonsense way.

Parents and other staff would soon know if something was going wrong in the class. Further, I cannot imagine that the director does not inspect the classrooms from time to time.

I would get a couple of years experience behind me and then ask myself if I still felt the same way about the rules; whilst throughout that time quietly watching any interactions I chance to see between her and her students or their parents.

Those rules don't seem too extreme, they actually seem ordinary. What could be the problem is how she enforces the rules. That's where an issue can arise. But the rules themselves are understandable if they are properly explained and demonstrated to the children.

Don't worry about it. How she runs her classroom is none of your business. The rules she has posted seem to be intended more for the parents than the kids anyway. She probably uses them to help the parents understand why little Mark has to leave his toy guns at home, or why little Suzy was not allowed to run across the room to greet Mom at the end of the day. The rules are there for everyone's safety and comfort. It's not how we address rules in MY classroom. Mine are constructed anew each year with the children participating. We only have about 4, and they are all phrased in a positive manner. They are posted at child's eye level and referred to frequently (ie Johnny, what rule were you breaking when you hit Paul with the block? Let's check it out. Oh, we use kind touches.), and at the beginning of the year, a copy of the rules is sent home with each child to discuss with their parents so we are all on the same page! However, I would never presume to impose my system on others, especially someone with years of experience on her side. Run your classroom the way you see fit, and do pay attention to how she runs hers. You may learn something new, and don't be afraid to ask her advice when those perplexing situations come up that you don't know how to handle. And those situations WILL happen. Even if you don't agree with her advice when she gives it, you will probably gain some important insight and you will come to value her presence and her experience!