Conduct Rubrics - Common Core Kingdom

Hello! I am Julie Bochese from Common Core Kingdom. I am so excited to be blogging for iTeachSecond!

I live in Ponte Vedra, Florida with my husband and two dogs. We are expecting our first baby in September.

I have been teaching second grade for four years. Before that, I taught 3rd through 6th grade. Second grade is definitely my favorite! My school is a designated Leader in Me School, where we practice the Seven Habits to implement our leadership magnet. I had the opportunity to lead many of our schools Leader in Me initiatives. Our goal is to foster life long leaders who take initiative in their own lives.

One of the most important tools I have used in my classroom to help my students take initiative for their own choices is implementing a conduct rubric. Rather than assign students grades, I teach students to evaluate their own behavior and rate their conduct using a rubric. They then use this rubric to create behavior goals for the following week.

At the beginning of the year it does take time to introduce this process. I usually begin the first week of school by creating the rubric with my class. If they create the rubric, they have ownership of it! (Being a Leader in Me School, we base our rubric on the Seven Habits, but any criteria can be used!)

Students rate their conduct on Friday mornings during morning work time. During the first few weeks of school, I model how to rate my own conduct using the rubric. I then formulate my own goals. Taking the time to model the process is important, because you want students to learn to be truly reflective. If you invest the time early on, it pays off in the end. After the first few weeks, all of my second graders are able to rate their conduct and formulate goals independently.

After students complete their conduct grades and goals for the week, I call them up for a short conference with me. In the beginning, conferences take a little bit longer. Some students think that if they just put "A," that is what they will get! It is important to have a discussion with each child and review the rubric, so they are able to accurately reflect upon their choices. They quickly learn to be honest! As students get used to the process, conferences tend to be very quick (less than 30 seconds).

I ask parents to sign their conduct goals each week. My school struggles with parental involvement, so unfortunately I do not always get them back signed; however; they are there for documentation if a parent ever questions their child's conduct grade.


Having students evaluate their own conduct is beneficial for many reasons.
1. Teaches students to be reflective of their choices. They learn they are in charge of modifying their behavior.
2. Students learn to make goals. They feel success when they achieve their goals.
3. This is a great parent communication tool! Parents understand their child's conduct grade because it is not just given to them by the teacher. Their child evaluated themselves!

Grab a copy of the conduct rubric I use here: Conduct Rubric & Reflection



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