FREE printable Whole Brain teaching rules to put in picture frames and display in your classroom. Use them to teach students the rules in an active way.
Using Whole Brain Rules
Today, I’m sharing how I use and post Whole Brain teaching rules in picture frames for my classroom.
What are Whole Brain Teaching Rules?
Whole Brain Teaching is a teaching style where instruction seeks to engage every learner in activities actively. The whole brain teaching rules are just one aspect of the teaching method I will share today.
My favorite part of Whole Brain teaching is the classroom rules, and I have been using them in my classroom for a few years now with a lot of success. They are fun to learn, easy to remember with actions, and effective at getting students to remember the rules.
Please note that I am using an adapted version of the rules I prefer for my classroom needs. Click here to see the original Whole Brain rules.
I start by printing my rules in color and adding them to frames, or you could hang them on a bulletin board. I post my rules in a prominent location for my students to see and for us to practice each morning. I introduce each rule, and we discuss what it means. We also share ways that we can do what the rules are asking.
My Whole Brain Teaching Rules
I teach the Whole Brain actions that accompany each rule and poster.
RULE #1 – Listen when your teacher is talking.
ACTION: Point to your ears. Point to the teacher. Make a talking motion with your hands.
RULE #2 – Follow directions quickly.
ACTION: Snap fingers side to side. Move arms back and forth quickly on the word “quickly.”
RULE #3 – Respect others, respect yourself, respect your school.
ACTION: Point to the class. Point to yourself. Point to the floor.
RULE #4 – Raise your hand to speak or stand.
ACTION: Raise your hand. Make a talking motion with your hand, then point two fingers down like two legs.
RULE #5 – Be safe, be kind, be honest.
ACTION: Cross arms across chest. Put hands on heart. Put one hand up and one hand on your chest like you are making a promise.
Note: There are variations on the rules out there. These are the rules that I prefer to use in my classroom.
Tip: I write the actions down on a little cheat sheet to remember until the class is fluent with them.
Video Example of Whole Brain Teaching Rules
Check out this fantastic video of a veteran teacher and her Kindergarten class using Whole Brain strategies and her students saying the classroom rules with actions. It is amazing how quickly students learn these rules and can perform the actions.
Do you know how sometimes getting everyone to participate in certain activities is hard? Not this! Everyone loves these Whole Brain classroom rules in picture frames.
Students make deeper connections between the meaning of the rules when using their brains to perform the actions. You can also easily incorporate reviewing rules into your day at various times. For example, when your class is waiting in line or whenever you need to get your students’ attention.
Whole Brain Teaching Rules Posters
Grab your FREE Whole Brain Classroom Rules posters (my adapted version) by clicking the image below. I have recently updated these entirely with a fresh look. Hope you like them!
If you prefer the other version with black backgrounds, you can grab those here!
I’d love to know…Â Do you use Whole Brain teaching rules in your classroom? What is your favorite?
Classroom Management Resources
The Ultimate Classroom Management Toolkit
Try the Classroom Management Bundle by Proud to be Primary to make teaching in the classroom easier. It includes eight different classroom management resources to help you create the ideal environment in the primary classroom.
It has everything you need to make your management plan the best it needs to be. Use the printable rewards, classroom jobs, schedule, and more to decorate the room and keep kids on task.
Find 8 of the Proud to be Primary Classroom Management resources inside this big bundle:
- Classroom Jobs
- Reward Coupons
- Classroom Schedule
- Rules & Expectations
- Transitions
- Brain Breaks
- Student Awards & Certificates
- Fast Finisher Cards & Activities
More Classroom Management Ideas
Ultimate Guide to Classroom Management
Classroom Coupon Reward System
PIN IT for Later
FREE Classroom Management Email Series
Sign up for the classroom management email course filled with positive, actionable strategies and tried and true advice, plus tools and free resources you can access right away. Everything you need to rock your classroom management this year!
Thank you for this! I am new to WBT but I plan to research and implement as much as I can this upcoming school year!
Thank you for this post! Love it!!!
Thank you; the posters are great. Do you know of anyone who has made a booklet for the students with these rules?
I love this idea of acting out the rules. I tried a few this week. We are going to use your poster idea next week. I printed and laminated yours and then decided to make my own with picture clues. Thanks for the inspiration!
Love it! I’m always looking for simple ways to teach rules!
Hey there! I love that you like WBT and are sharing about it! Great blog! However, these are not the WBT Rules. I am a Certified WBT Teacher and I have had a couple people message me asking if the rules changed because they found these. Would you be so kind to update them to be true WBT Rules if they are labeled that way? We would greatly appreciate it. Thank you!
Hi Heidi! I understand that there is a rule or two that I have changed to reflect my individual needs. I will update the post to reflect that this has been done. Thanks for your input!
I’m a Spanish teacher and I would lilke to translate this rules into Spanish. Can you send me the file so I can edit it?
Hi Carmen! These files are not editable but I didn’t come up with the rules so feel free to create your own!
Hi Carmen! These files are not editable but I didn’t come up with the rules so feel free to create your own!
Hi! I am so excited to try these rules in my kindergarten classroom! As a first year teacher, I have a question. In your classroom, what do the consequences look like for breaking these rules? I want a solid management plan, which I know needs regular, set-in-stone consequences; but in my head, blurting out (breaking rule 4) doesn’t equivocate to disrespecting someone else’s property (breaking rule 3). If you wouldn’t mind sharing some of your ideas for consistent consequences, I would really appreciate it!!!
I can’t find the resource anywhere for this. I have looked on TPT, your site, and my email after subscribing and I can’t find it. Can you please help me with this?
Hi Jaimie! Sometimes emails to school districts get blocked so please check your spam folder and mark us safe. If it’s still not there, email support@proudtobeprimary.com and we will assist you!
Elyse