- Monday 25 October 2021
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Every teacher wants to make a difference in their students’ lives, whether that be by delivering engaging educational sessions or inspiring them to be the best versions of themselves for the future. For students to listen and learn effectively, certain strategies for behaviour management are essential in both the classroom and at home. These include developing relationships based on mutual respect and trust, enforcing routines, rules, discipline and reinforcing good behaviour.
Self-development is also highly encouraged for teachers. By staying on top of the current and new teaching methods for engaging with students, behaviour management in the classroom will be more effective.
In this article, you will learn tips and tricks on how to implement strategies for the behaviour management of students. If you would like more information, check out our behaviour management toolkit or our behaviour management toolkit posters.
Better relationships, better learning, better behaviour
Studies have shown that students thrive when a healthy and consistent relationship has been established with their teacher. There are several ways teachers can develop this relationship, such as:
- accepting and treating all students as unique human beings.
- respecting the rights of students and reacting to them humanely and fairly.
- understanding, listening to and encouraging students’ thoughts and opinions.
- paying attention and providing protection to learners who require care.
- learning and identifying students’ strengths.
- being empathetic and kind towards students.
Furthermore, it is extremely valuable and imperative for teachers to strive towards building relationships with students based on mutual respect. Good behaviour management relies on these efforts in order to contribute to a positive classroom environment with minimal disruption or misbehaviour.
Build trust with your students
Building trust in the classroom is also fundamental to your students’ success. Neurological research has shown that when students feel they are in a safe environment, their brain is more receptive to learning. An example of how to build trust is helping students manage their behaviour when difficult situations arise.
For example, if a student acts up or behaves negatively, diffuse the situation quickly by asking them to step out of the classroom to speak with you in private. Ask them what happened, listen to them and try to figure out what caused the bad behaviour.
Asking them if anything happened that morning, find out if everything is okay at home (with caution) and asking if they have eaten that day can provide helpful information.
Sometimes students just need time to relax or they might need a short break away from the classroom environment. The short separation from the other students and one-on-one time with a teacher tends to help and is a top method to building trust.
Listen to your students
Has a student ever walked into your classroom and asked if they could speak to you about something in private? When this happens, if you have even a few moments to spare, invite them to sit down and say whatever is on their mind.
Focus on giving them non-verbal cues as they speak and show that you are listening intently. Let them vent. This will help them feel that they are cared for and further a relationship based on trust. It will also give you the opportunity to make sure they are okay and report anything that is of concern.
Encourage positive communication
Encouraging positive communication between you and your students, as well as between your students and their peers will contribute greatly to their motivation, behaviour and academic success. It will also improve their behaviour whilst at home.
Construct a list of communication goals and display them within your classroom in a location that is visible to the whole class. Our behaviour management posters are great for this. You can then designate an interactive session during which your students can decorate the board with artwork or even add other rules that the class comes up with. This will instantly make the whole experience a positive one before you even start implementing the ‘communication rules’.
Here is an example of a communication goals list.
1. Think before speaking.
2. Listen to your teacher and classmates.
3. Be respectful of different opinions and perspectives.
4. Practice positive body language such as facing the person you are speaking to.
5. Ask for a timeout or break when feeling stressed or unable to respond to a difficult question.
6. Say please and thank you when receiving help or advice.
Additionally, it’s important for teachers to practice good communication that resonates with students and aids them in behaving better and being open to learning. These communication skills include:
- showing controlled facial expressions when students are speaking or responding to a question.
- giving clear information or instructions.
- making compromises and showing flexibility (empathy)
- dedicating sufficient time to converse with students.
It is also recommended that teachers use positive reinforcement strategies when students follow the communication goals. These can include whole-class rewards; e.g. game time. This strategy will encourage all students to follow suit and overall classroom behaviour will improve.
Rules, routines and procedures
Establishing consistent routines and procedures will help students focus on learning, engage in instructional activities and behave in a respectful manner towards teachers and classmates.
Additionally, implementing regular routines, firm rules and positive reinforcement, will allow students to both learn and have fun in a safe environment. It gives them boundaries to work with and in turn, grants them freedom within those boundaries.
Establish a classroom plan and seating arrangement
Establishing a classroom plan and system that spreads out your high-energy students will help the rest of the class behave better, listen more and create a more comfortable learning environment.
After you get to know your students and who their friends are, make an informed decision on whether to separate them. Are their friends distracting them from learning? Do they misbehave or are they open to learning?
Sometimes, it will be necessary to re-arrange seating, so bear this in mind when establishing your classroom plan. Additionally, it is healthy for students to learn from others who have opposing strengths or weaknesses, so it might help to change the seating around a few times throughout the year. If you decide to separate students from their friends, this can be a perfect reward for reinforcing positive behaviours; i.e. a lesson sitting next to their friend.
It is also worth noting that having ‘chill out’ zones can be effective. Have a small area in the classroom with cushions, toys and relaxing music, that can be utilised by students during break times.
Reinforce good behaviour
Another strategy for behaviour management is reinforcing good behaviour with rewards and extrinsic motivators. Otherwise known as ‘behaviour intervention plans’, these strategies for behaviour management are designed to motivate and encourage students to pursue the goals you set. These goals can be either individual or for the whole class.
For example, the behavioural goal may be to increase a student's use of the word ‘please’ when requesting something. The reinforcement for when they say ‘please’ unprompted, can include rewards such as a gold star. It is also recommended that teachers speak to the student’s parents or caregivers in order to determine motivators. Sweets used to be a common reward, but with allergies and parents ensuring their kids are eating healthy, it is too problematic.
Self-development for teachers
Improving your professional development is just as important as working on your students’ classroom and behaviour management. Teachers are recommended to upskill with courses every year or two, especially when changing from one year level to another. Additionally, teachers’ self-care is important. Taking care to maintain a good work–life balance and ensuring you are well-rested is vital to being prepared for any challenges your students throw your way.
Quick tips for parents teaching at home
Covid-19 has resulted in an increase of home-schooling, especially among parents who work from home. Thus, parents are now required to adopt strategies for behaviour management in order to manage and encourage their children to continue listening and learning effectively. It is difficult for children to remain focused during such a big transition in their learning environment, so here are some quick tips that will help parents succeed at home education.
Be prepared. Make sure you have all the materials you need to carry out a home education routine and structure. Collaborate with your children’s school and teachers to ensure you have the correct books and materials. Set up a Zoom meeting with your children’s teachers and ask them what teaching strategies resonate with your child that you can try replicating at home.
Establish a home education routine. Routine and consistency are key to successful learning, especially at home. Help your child get in the groove by writing a daily plan on a whiteboard or sheet of paper that you both tick off as each activity is completed.
Focus on a range of different topics. Collaborating with your children’s teachers will make this easier. Learn about your child’s curriculum and ensure you are switching between the relevant topics and subjects each day. Keep your educational sessions unique and fun in order to keep your child engaged and learning.
Reinforce good behaviour. As teachers are encouraged to reward good behaviour, it’s imperative for parents to continue this strategy. In fact, there is a higher chance that a child will act out during a home-school session, for a number of reasons:
1. They aren’t used to learning in a home environment.
2. They miss their peer and teachers.
3. They find it hard to adapt to the new structure and teaching methods.
4. They are used to relaxing in their home or only doing short homework sessions.
Thus, it is essential for parents to adopt a behavioural plan and reinforcement strategy to help and encourage their children to stay focused and learning.
Conclusion
We hope the above information has been helpful for both teachers and parents who are working towards creating strategies for better behaviour management. If you need more information on how to manage different behaviours within certain age groups and how to create behavioural strategies for children with differing learning abilities, check out our range of resources.