Starting with Purpose: Class Values That Last

As principals, we co-create classroom values and agreements at the start of the year as a foundation-building process rather than a one-time activity. Instead of handing students a ready-made list of rules, teachers should be encouraged to involve students as active partners in shaping how their classroom community will function. This begins with guided conversations in the first week of school where students reflect on questions such as what helps them feel safe, respected and motivated to learn.

When students articulate their own needs and expectations, the resulting agreements feel owned rather than imposed. An educator’s role is to support that values are not about control, but about creating conditions where everyone can learn and belong. Every challenge has been a catalyst, every innovation a purposeful stride towards a better future. Instilling the idea that we are Indians who will have human values, ethics, morals and empathy to become humans, intelligent, positive, creative thinkers of tomorrow is my primary principle.

Positive Reflections

To guide reflection and prioritization of shared values, open-ended, age-appropriate questions that invite honesty and dialogue are recommended. Questions such as “What does a good learning day look like for you?”, “How do you want to be treated when you make a mistake?”, and “What behaviours help everyone feel included?” allow students to think beyond rules and focus on impact. We also encourage asking “What makes learning difficult for you?” and “What should we do when someone is having a hard day?”

These guiding questions help students’ surface core values like respect, responsibility, kindness, fairness, and perseverance. Teachers then help the class cluster similar ideas and translate them into a small number of clear, positive agreements written in student friendly language.

Narratives & Communication

Story – telling is the most important art of making students learn the art of thinking and questioning. “Breathing values in every learner and to make them understand that success is measured not just in marks but in maturity, meaning and humanity is our goal.

Ensuring that classroom agreements reflect the diversity of students’ backgrounds and needs is essential. I emphasize that agreement-building must be inclusive, culturally responsive, and sensitive to differences in language, ability, family norms, and emotional needs. Teachers are encouraged to use multiple formats-discussion, drawing, role-play, or anonymous note-writing-so that quieter students or those from different cultural backgrounds can participate comfortably It is also important to acknowledge that students may have different understandings of respect, communication, or personal space.

By explicitly naming and discussing these differences, classrooms can create agreements that honour diversity rather than expecting conformity. For example, an agreement about "listening" may include eye contact, recognizing that respectful listening looks different for different students. Values – driven students of India deeply rooted in their culture is a necessity. We look for students to distribute apples, oranges, vegetables to these fruit sellers and green grocers to make them understand not status but human roles.

Moving Ahead from Day 1

As the year progresses, classroom values and agreements must be actively reinforced to remain meaningful. Simple and consistent rituals such as beginning the week with a brief values check-in, highlighting examples of students living the agreements, or reflecting at the end of the day on what went well, must be inculcated. Visual reminders, such as a value chart created by students and displayed prominently help keep agreements visible. Some teachers use a short weekly circle where students share how the agreements supported learning or where improvements are needed. These practices signal that values are living commitments, not posters on the wall.

Happy Schools

Second language Day, Thanksgiving Day, Green day, DEAR (Drop everything and Read) Day, Yoga Day, Shakespeare Day, Doctors’ Day and so and so forth help us to march forward in our journey. Communicating with students, teachers, parents, staff on a regular basis, understanding their problems, fixing their problems, allowing them to question freely, helped to build a “happy school”. The happiness quotient of the team builds a happy tomorrow.

One effective classroom activity that helps students internalize shared values is scenario-based role play. After agreements are created, students are given realistic classroom situations-such as handling disagreements, managing distractions, or supporting a classmate who is struggling-and asked to act out how the agreements would guide their responses. This activity makes abstract values concrete and helps students practice applying them in real situations. Reflection after the activity allows students to connect their actions to outcomes, strengthening internal motivation rather than fear of consequences. Making a library corner in the classroom, reading out and acting “A special kind of school” enacting out help reinforce class values and agreements.

Conflict Management

When agreements are broken or need to be revisited, we advocate for a restorative, reflective approach. Teachers are encouraged to pause and ask reflective questions such as "Which agreement was affected?", "Who was impacted and how?", and "What can be done to repair the situation?" This helps students understand accountability as responsibility rather than punishment. Periodic revisiting of agreements is also important, especially after transitions or challenges. Revising agreements together reinforces the idea that the classroom community evolves and that students’ voice continues to matter.

Maintaining consistent, meaningful class agreements is not without challenges. Common difficulties include time constraints, inconsistent enforcement, and waning student engagement over time. To address this, teachers need to be supported through professional development focused on facilitation skills and restorative practices. Consistency among adults needs to be emphasised, as mixed messages quickly weaken agreements. Keeping agreements concise and relevant helps prevent them from becoming background noise.

Conclusion

One success story that stands out involved a middle-school class with frequent conflicts and disengagement. After intentionally co-creating agreements and revisiting them through weekly circles, students began holding each other accountable respectfully, over time, referrals decreased, collaboration improved, and students expressed a stronger sense of belonging. This shift reaffirmed my belief that when students help shape their learning environment, classroom agreements become a powerful tool for building a positive, inclusive, and resilient learning community.

Communicating with students, teachers, parents. staff on a regular basis, understanding their problems, fixing their problems, allowing them to question freely, helps to build up “happy school”. The happiness quotient of the team builds a happy tomorrow.