Which strategies are most effective for maintaining order in the classroom?

To maintain classroom order I think that you need to develop clear classroom expectations. With clear expectations my students will understand what is expected of them when they enter my classroom. If you don’t introduce your classroom policies my students will run all over me. Even though the students really know what they should be doing when they enter the classroom, they will push the envelope if standards are not given. Chapter 2 of Classroom Assessment really helped me understand this. I know that I don’t want to be that teacher with so many rules, and I don’t want me classroom to be uptight, but I do know that there needs to be order. I want my classroom to be loose and I want my students to know that they can speak when they have something on their mind, but I am concerned that they will take advantage of it, that’s why I must have standards in my classroom.