Developing Deeper Community Guidelines

Many teachers create community guidelines with their students, often starting with broad expectations like “respect” or “listening.” While these norms are essential for productive dialogue—especially around current and contested issues—they are often too general for students to apply in real time. How can students know what respect actually looks and sounds like during a difficult discussion? And how can you be sure that all students experience those actions as respectful?

The tips in this resource will help you guide students in developing deeper, more concrete community guidelines that support meaningful and safe classroom conversations.