Back-to-School Rules

📝 This post, Back-to-School Rules, was originally published in 2014 and has been updated with new information and resources.

If you are looking for the perfect back-to-school read-aloud, Back-to-School Rules by Laurie Friedman is such a fun one to share with your class. Percy has his very own set of back-to-school rules — and if you follow them, you will surely make the grade! It is funny, relatable, and opens up the most wonderful classroom discussion.

Read and Discuss

After we finished the book, we started talking about classroom rules. It did not take long for my students to notice that so many rules begin with “don’t.” That led to one of my favorite beginning-of-the-year discussions: What if we flipped those rules around and focused on what we should do instead?

After talking through some of Percy’s rules, we practiced flipping his don’ts into do’s together:

❌ Don’t run in the halls.
✅ Do walk in the halls.

❌ Don’t throw your trash on the floor.
✅ Do throw your trash in the garbage.

❌ Don’t hit.
✅ Do use your hands for high fives and handshakes.

❌ Don’t be mean.
✅ Do be kind.

The kids were SO into it — and the thinking behind it is really powerful for building a positive classroom community right from the start of the year. It is also a great activity to do before creating your own classroom rules because it gets kids thinking about what they should do in the classroom, not just what they should not do.

Back-to-School Rules: Flipping the Rules Activities

Ready to take this idea into your own classroom? I created these Back-to-School Rules activities to help students practice flipping “don’t” rules into positive “do” rules while building a positive classroom community. We start by literally flipping the rules! Students use a spatula to flip a paper pancake with a “don’t” rule written on it and turn it into a positive “do” statement. Then they use one of two writing templates to choose their own “don’t” rule, flip it into a “do” rule, and illustrate their thinking. The finished pages make a fun and meaningful back-to-school bulletin board display.

💚 Grab the complete Back-to-School Rules Flipping the Rules Activities here!

Not quite ready for the full resource? I’ve also included a FREE Don’t/Do writing printable so you can try the activity with your class. I hope you and your students enjoy it!

If you try this with your class, I would love to see your students’ rules! Drop a comment below or tag me on Instagram. There is nothing better than watching kids flip a “don’t” into a “do.” 💚