What is the Blue 32?

They are 32 rules that will help you succeed in my classroom...and in life.

Why Blue 32?

Well, blue is my favorite color and...keep up with me here...there are 32 of them! I picked 32 because some of the greatest athletes from different sports wore the #32. My favorite will always be Pittsburgh Steelers running back Franco Harris. Besides being Rookie of the Year in 1972 (the year I was born), Franco caught one of the most famous catches in the history of the NFL: The Immaculate Reception. That catch led the Steelers to their first playoff game in 25 years - they had only been to the playoffs one other time before that - and opened the door to four Super Bowl Championships in a six-year period. (Still, the only team to win back-to-back Super Bowls twice.)

1. We always act as if we are being watched.

2. We always answer questions with complete sentences.

3. We always come to class ready to learn.

4. We always congratulate people when they do something well.

5. We always do our assigned work without complaining.

6. We always finish our homework.

7. We always follow along when we read together in class.

8. We always get our work done without expecting a reward.

9. We always grade other students’ work fairly and discreetly.

10. We always greet teachers by their title and last name. (Example: “Good morning, Mr. Taylor”)

11. We always include everyone.

12. We always keep ourselves clean.

13. We always learn from our mistakes and move on.

14. We always leave other people’s things alone.

15. We always live in a way that we will never have regrets.

16. We always make eye contact when someone else is speaking.

17. We always obey the rules. EVERY. SINGLE. TIME!

18. We always receive classroom visitors and make them feel welcome.

19. We always report bullying.

20. We always respect other people’s comments, opinions, and ideas.

21. We always respond to adults with “ma’am” or “sir”.

22. We always say “excuse me” when we make a rude noise.

23. We always say “thank you” when we receive something.

24. We always seize the day.

25. We always show good sportsmanship.

26. We always sneeze or cough into our elbows.

27. We always speak to people the way we would want them to speak to us.

28. We always stand up for our beliefs.

29. We always stay out of other peoples’ business, unless we are asked to help.

30. We always stay positive.

31. We always transition swiftly, silently, and systematically.

32. We always treat substitutes, aids, and other teachers with respect.

(Inspired by Ron Clark's Essential 55)