There are moments in the school year when teachers feel the need to set clear expectations for group life. It’s understandable: living together requires shared understandings.
But instead of presenting children with a list of fixed rules, we can invite them to co-create the agreements that will guide our shared experience.
In schools inspired by the Reggio Emilia philosophy, this is more than a strategy—it reflects a deep respect for childhood. Children are seen as capable thinkers, able to contribute to decisions and make meaning alongside adults. The classroom becomes a small community where everyone learns to live together and care for the environment we share.
Observing Before Intervening
Before writing anything down, we begin by observing.
We watch how children enter the space, how they move, how they use materials, and how they relate to one another. We take notes, photos, or short documentations that capture their natural ways of inhabiting the classroom.
Often, what we interpret as “misbehavior” actually reveals genuine needs: movement, exploration, connection. A child who runs down the hallway may be showing a need for physical activity. Observation, therefore, is not about finding faults—it’s about understanding what lies beneath.
From Observation to Dialogue
After gaining a deeper sense of the group’s dynamics, we invite children into conversation.
In the Reggio approach, teachers act as facilitators: they don’t offer ready-made answers, but open questions that encourage collective thinking:
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“What do we want our classroom to feel like?”
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“What helps us feel comfortable and safe here?”
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“How can we take care of the materials we use?”
Even the simplest responses become the foundation for our agreements. These ideas can be written, drawn, or documented with photos. If children are not writing yet, they can “sign” with a drawing, symbol, or mark. What matters is that they recognize their voice in the process.
Turning ‘No’ Into ‘Yes’
A powerful practice is transforming prohibitions into positive guidance.
Instead of saying, “Don’t run!” we might offer a clearer, actionable alternative:
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“We walk slowly in the hallway. We can run when we’re outside.”
This helps children understand what they can do, not only what is off-limits. Our language shapes their self-perception and supports a more constructive understanding of expectations.
The Educative Power of Everyday Language
Beyond written agreements, a teacher’s tone and words influence the classroom culture.
Saying “Thank you for waiting” instead of “Stop pushing,” or describing what we observe (“I see you helping your friend”) rather than offering generic praise, models empathy and awareness. Children learn by watching how adults communicate and treat one another.
Documenting a Living Culture of Community
Agreements shouldn’t become decorative posters on the wall. They are living elements of the classroom: revisited, refined, and renewed over time.
We can display photos of children putting agreements into action, write short stories about positive moments, or dedicate time in morning meetings to talk about what is working and what we want to improve.
Documentation helps make visible the growth of our community—not as a record of mistakes, but as a celebration of learning.
When Children Are Not Yet Verbal
For very young children (ages 0–3), agreements are expressed not through words but through consistent routines, gestures, and relationships.
The goal is not to memorize rules but to feel belonging and security. Shared songs, familiar rituals, and photos of children interacting become the first forms of communal understanding.
A Community Built Together
Creating agreements with children is far more than an activity for the beginning of the year—it’s a statement of values. It communicates that their perspective matters.
When we open spaces for observation, dialogue, and listening, we nurture the foundations of empathy, responsibility, and mutual respect.
In the end, classroom agreements are not merely guidelines.
They are a way of relating to one another—something living, cared for, revised, and celebrated every day.
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