{"id":5715,"date":"2025-08-29T07:30:00","date_gmt":"2025-08-29T07:30:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.terc.edu\/mathequityforum\/?p=5715"},"modified":"2025-11-26T15:03:34","modified_gmt":"2025-11-26T15:03:34","slug":"classroom-agreements","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.terc.edu\/mathequityforum\/classroom-agreements\/","title":{"rendered":"A New Class, A New Year: The Role of Classroom Agreements"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

by Marta Garcia<\/a>
August 29, 2025<\/p>\n\n\n

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Classroom Agreements from a 2nd Grade Classroom<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

The beginning of the year is an exciting time; one that offers an opportunity to get to know our students. As we learn their interests, cultures, developing identities, and preferences we are simultaneously thinking about how we can create an equitable learning community that values and respects varied ideas, competencies, and contributions. A critical component of a community where every student feels like they belong is the development of classroom agreements.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Many of us remember the beginning of school as a time when teachers posted and explained their classroom rules. These rules were teacher-generated. Agreements, on the other hand, are co-created by students and teachers, and describe “an agreement among members of a classroom or school about how they will treat one another.” (Borich, in Finley<\/a>, 2014.) They are agreed upon, tried out, and then discussed and revised as members interact with the agreements and each other.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Classroom agreements should be responsive to students’ current needs, identities, and beliefs. Agreements specific to math class require a community “where students solve problems based on their own understanding, share their ideas and thinking, learn from and build on each other\u2019s ideas, and view the doing of mathematics as a collaborative effort. Teachers and students need to work together to build a mathematics community in which students are prepared to listen actively and contribute ideas.” (Russell, 2023, p. 6.) There is a focus on respect for students’ thinking, acceptance of differences, and building on each child’s strengths.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Students enter math classrooms with varied past experiences, and differing beliefs and expectations. Some, especially those who have been historically marginalized, may not see themselves as having the potential to offer valuable ideas to their classmates. Their beliefs about math and math class can include “internalized negative stereotypes about their math abilities.” (Seda & Brown, p. 21.) Others, who have been historically privileged, may enter the community with identities built on previous high status positions. Classroom agreements can counter such beliefs and send messages about what it means to be doers of mathematics and how to be resources for and learn from each other. They can foster equitable participation and support and promote autonomy, interdependence, and confidence. They can also disrupt both patterns of marginalization and privilege in the math classroom.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Here are some ideas for developing classroom agreements for the elementary mathematics classroom, and for sustaining them throughout the year.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Build Agreements from Students’ Ideas<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Students come with preconceived notions of how math time will look and sound, so it’s important to begin by learning how they feel about math. Ask them to consider their math experiences, how they think of themselves as learners, and what it means to “do math.” Ask them to imagine their ideal math class. (These questions, and others like them, are included in the Forum-developed Student Refection Tool<\/a>.) Use their responses to get a feel for how students view themselves and each other as learners of mathematics. Their ideas may be sparse at first but it is important to develop and grow agreements based on students’ existing identities and experiences. Here is one teacher\u2019s reflection:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I asked my students to describe their ideal math class. To be able to work on class norms, I needed to know what their expectations and experiences were. It surprised me to find out how vulnerable they felt. It also astonished me that I was surprised by their vulnerability.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Once you\u2019ve collected some data about how students view math, hold a discussion informed by what you\u2019ve learned, and begin a draft of your community agreements. “Although you might initiate this discussion, you should draw on ideas from students since they are more likely to adhere to norms they generate themselves.” (Chval et. al., pp 48-49.) Pose questions such as:<\/p>\n\n\n\n