WELCOME
Welcome to "Managing Behavior Positively". The purpose of the course is to help school staff provide a the ultimate climate for learning, both for encouraging positive behavior and reducing negative behavior. A positive approach to behavior management can go a long way to reducing stress levels of both staff and students alike.
The course is divided into four modules:
- Looking at behavior management
- Encouraging good behavior
- Responding to challenge
- Making sanctions work
PREPARATION
For some Activities, it will be helpful to have access to your school behavior policy. So next time you're in school, get hold of a copy.
(The behavior policy should be reviewed regularly, with all staff taking an active part in the reviews. All staff should have access to the policy and you would benefit greatly from having a good understanding of policy before embarking on this course.)
Note: Whenever you gather data about students or observe colleagues, you should only do so with "informal consent". This means that all involved (e.g., students, parents, and colleagues) know you are carrying out research to aid you in your own learning. You should make clear what you're researching, how it'll be carried out, how the data will be recorded and what use will be made of it.
COURSE STRUCTURE
This is an independent study program which means your individual starting date and due date are based on your date of registration. Your instructor will advise you of this due date.
This is an interactive on-line course. Although you will be able to complete some of it just by sitting in front of your screen working through the on-line material, we will regularly ask you to reflect on what you have learned, and put ideas into practice.
- Activities - exercises or reflections for you to carry out in front of your computer screen. Unlike a Task, there is no specific end product, and you'll always be able to complete them on your own.
- Tasks - similar to Activities, but requiring you to put your learning into practice in a specific situation in school.
- Forms - use to collect the information learned.
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Resources -
a) RESOURCE FORMS: Has PDF forms to help you answer questions in the Student Books
b) RESOURCE FURTHER READING: Includes clarifications about the module.
c) REFERENCE LINKS: Has links to websites referred to in the module.
d) DEFINITIONS: Has definitions of terms used in the module.
e) BIBLIOGRAPHY: The bibliography is located at the bottom of this page that includes books you may check out at your local library.
- Student Book- for you to record your reflections and send to your instructor.
At any time you may email your instructor with questions or problems you may be having with the material or the web site.
How do I get the Student Book to my instructor?
You will need to email it to your instructor. Download and save the document as described below and then you can enter your own text into the Student Book word document. Your instructor will expect a version of your Student Book as you complete each module. These can be saved by you in your files as well as being sent to your course instructor via email as an email attachment.
How do I save and name the Student Book?
You cannot type your answers on this web site. You must download your Student Book template which is a word document, by clicking on the download link below.
For your Student Book, please use a text document or a Microsoft Word document and type your text there. Title the document like this:
- NAME OF CLASS
- NAME OF TEACHER
- YOUR NAME
- DATE
- MODULE1
[NAMEOFCLASS_TEACHERSNAME_YOURNAME_MODULENUMBER.doc ]
like this
6208_DRCLARK_JOHNDOE_MODULE1.docSave the Student Book on your computer and complete the assignments on the document and then email it to your teacher.
INDEX
STUDENTBOOKS Click here to download all student books
RESOURCES
BIBLIOGRAPHY
REFERENCE LINKS
Module 1: Looking at behavior management
MODULE1A Intended learning outcomes for Module 1
MODULE1B Control or education?
MODULE1C Activity 1: What works for us?
MODULE1D Reflections on Activity 1
MODULE1E Activity 2: Observable actions – what did they actually do?
MODULE1F Task 1: What about colleagues in school?
MODULE1G It's what we do, not who we are
MODULE1H A framework for thinking about behavior
MODULE1I Activity 3: Why did Jenny say "No"?
MODULE1J Looking at antecedents
MODULE1K What can we change?
MODULE1L Relationships matter
MODULE1M Activity 4: Show them you care
MODULE1N What do you want them to do?
MODULE1O What are rules?
MODULE1P Activity 5: What about values?
MODULE1Q Activity 6: The rules in your school
MODULE1R The importance of the curriculum
MODULE1S Activity 7: Thinking about consequence
MODULE1T Activity 8: How are you doing in managing behavior positively?
MODULE1U Intended learning outcomes for Module 1
MODULE1V Congratulations
Module 2: Encouraging good behavior
MODULE2A Intended learning outcomes for Module 2
MODULE2B Getting students to behave well
MODULE2C Task 2. Responding to students in class
MODULE2D What happens when students work well?
MODULE2E Activity 9: The dirty mark on the tablecloth
MODULE2F Activity 10: What do you want to see?
MODULE2G Some objections to rewards
MODULE2H Rewards or bribes
MODULE2I Making praise work for you
MODULE2J What about students who hate praise?
MODULE2K Making rewards work for you
MODULE2L Linking rewards to learning
MODULE2M Extrinsic to intrinsic
MODULE2N Activity 11: How are you doing?
MODULE2O What have you learned? Intended learning outcomes for Module 2
MODULE2P Congratulations
Module 3: Responding to challenge
MODULE3A Intended learning outcomes for Module 3
MODULE3B What should you be doing?
MODULE3C The solution-focused approach
MODULE3D Activity 12: Using your successes
MODULE3E Activity 13: Turning obstacles into goals
MODULE3F Four more strategies for dealing with negative behavior
MODULE3G Activity 14: Why plan?
MODULE3H Why practice?
MODULE3I Start small
MODULE3J What about language?
MODULE3K Activity 15: Basic rules for helpful language
MODULE3L Activity 16: What other responses?
MODULE3M The big mistake
MODULE3N What about direct or indirect swearing?
MODULE3O Activity 17: Put the responses in order
MODULE3P Task 3: Now what?
MODULE3Q Students with medical conditions
MODULE3R Activity 18: How are you doing?
MODULE3S What have you learned from Module 3
MODULE3T Congratulations
Module 4: Making sanctions work
MODULE4A Intended learning outcomes for Module 4
MODULE4B Effective use of sanctions
MODULE4C Activity 19: What sanctions are available to you?
MODULE4D We need both levels of sanctions
MODULE4E Activity 20: Do they work?
MODULE4F Task 4: What do the students in your school think?
MODULE4G Making sanctions better
MODULE4H Activity 21: Avoid making sanctions rewarding
MODULE4I What about group sanctions?
MODULE4J Being consistent
MODULE4K What about letting students off?
MODULE4L Activity 22: Developing your sanctions
MODULE4M Remember relationships MODULE4M Look at outcomes
MODULE4N Look at outcomes
MODULE4O Activity 23: How are you doing?
MODULE4P Reflection
MODULE4Q What have you learned from Module 4
MODULE4R Congratulations
Module 1: Looking at behavior management
MODULE1A Intended learning outcomes for Module 1
Look again at the intended learning outcomes for Module 1. By the end of this module you should:
- know some of the personal qualities that can impact positively on behavior
- know some of the principles of good behavior management
How much has the module helped you to achieve these outcomes? Make a note in your Student book 10 and send your work to your instructor.
MODULE1B Control or education?
However much we dream of perfect classroom control, our aim is usually that our students control themselves so that we can get on with the creative and interesting side of our work. For this to happen the students have to be taught behavior expectations for their school. Behavior management is about teaching, not just control.
Learning to behave well is like all other learning. No one is born polite and well-mannered. We all have to learn how to take turns, speak in an appropriate away, do as we are asked, say thank you. Students need to be taught these skills.
Most children learn the basics at home, though not all. Students then have to learn how to behave in the context of a school. For some students this is the hardest learning of all.
MODULE1C Activity 1: What works for us?
We usually notice when someone helps us learn easily or improve our performance at work.
Think of someone who has taught you well. This could be a work-related "teacher" or someone who taught you something outside school, like a driving instructor.
What made them a good teacher? Write down five of their attributes in your Student book (1)
MODULE1D Reflections on Activity 1
You probably wrote about the personal qualities of your chosen "teacher". Perhaps you described them as being interested, patient, reliable, thoughtful and kind. Good teaching or leading can seem easy – some people seem to naturally have the right qualities, rather than having to make a particular effort.
It's like the "effortless" playing of an accomplished violinist. We know that good musicians, however talented, have to practice and work hard to achieve that effect. Even the most untalented person can improve their playing, but only if they're motivated to work at it and are helped to develop the skills.
MODULE1E Activity 2: Observable actions – what did they actually do?
Think of a time when your tutor or manager was getting it right. What were they doing or saying that helped progress? Try to remember a real situation, or imagine a typical scene, where you felt you were really being helped.
Then have a look at Resource 1: What good teachers do, which should give you some more ideas.
Record your thoughts about your own experience in your Resource 2 Student books (2) by listing five things the good manager or tutor actually did or said. Try to remember actual words spoken –you will need to refer to this later.
MODULE1F Task 1: What about colleagues in school?
Choose a colleague who you think is good at promoting positive behavior. Think of someone who has highly developed classroom management skills, and who provides the best kind of learning environment for students. Arrange to observe them in a lesson for a short time, about 15 minutes should be enough. Use Resource 2 to record your observations.
Obviously you should obtain their informal consent before the observation, and if you have a teaching role, you may like to offer a swap, so that they can observe you later.
Look for the personal qualities that they possess, and then look for things they do and say which show you, and the students, that they have those qualities. Then when you come back to the course, record your findings in your Student book (3).
Administrative or other non-teaching staff are encouraged to do this task. It's a good way to find out more about what goes on in classrooms in your school.
MODULE1G It's what we do, not who we are
Good teachers often seem to have a head start with qualities like patience and stamina. Some have a senior role in the school, which also helps, but they too had to learn what to do to help their students make progress in learning and in behavior.
Some of what you saw is about good practical routines, e.g., starting and finishing a lesson well. Everyone can learn these skills and get better at teaching and managing inappropriate behavior.
MODULE1H A framework for thinking about behavior
Behavior takes place in a context. We rarely act randomly.
Things happen before - antecedents - and things happen afterwards - consequences.
MODULE1I Activity 3: Why did Jenny say "No"?
It's 11.30 am. You ask Jenny to get out her work. She refuses.
What antecedents can you think of that might have contributed to Jenny's behavior? In your Student book (4), list as many factors as you can. Some will be in the immediate past. Some will be outside of school.
MODULE1J Module 1: Looking at antecedents
What antecedents did you suggest? Some of the antecedents are to do with what happened immediately before the refusal. Some antecedents are to do with the history of your relationship with the student. Some are to do with the student and their own development and genetic make-up.
The antecedents will be clustered around the student's previous experiences in school and the immediate external events inside or outside school.
For examples of these, look at either Resource 3: Possible antecedents in the elementary school or Resource 4: Possible antecedents in the secondary school.
While we may not always be able to pinpoint the precise trigger of an incident of challenging behavior, we can see from this exercise that it's rarely just a random response
It's easy to despair about behavior. Some students are deeply troubled by events beyond their or our control.
Pupils are only in school for six hours out of the 24. In a secondary school we only have the students for an hour or so out of that six. However, we do have control of those hours and can do a lot with them.
The main areas we can control, which will affect the behavior of our students are:
- our relationship with the students
- our expectations for behavior and how we teach them
- the tasks that we set
- the physical learning environment
- the social learning environment
We work better for those we like. Liking does not mean seeing as equals or wanting to socialize with. It means trusting, feeling safe with and feeling liked by.
Students like adults when they know where they are with them, when the adult is consistent, caring and fair.
This means different things to older and younger students. For a discussion of this, go to Resource 5: Relationships in the elementary school or Resource 6: Relationships in the secondary school.
MODULE1M Activity 4: Show them you care
However much you may like your students or care about their progress, they will only get this message through your observable actions. If you don't like a student or group of students much (we're all human!), it's even more important to act as if we do. Students will not respond well to adults who clearly show their dislike or indifference.
Imagine you're watching a video. In this video you're with a group of students. This can be in a lesson or casually in the corridors. You're showing them, by your minute-by-minute actions and speech, that you like them, have confidence in them and care about their achievement. You can exaggerate, or imagine the video as a serious demonstration of what really good practice might look like.
Make a note in your Student book (5) of the good practice you can see in this imaginary video.
MODULE1N What do you want them to do?
We've already noted that a good teacher makes it possible for us to improve by giving us explicit information about what we need to do to improve.
All student behavior takes place in the context of explicit and implicit behavioral expectations and rules. Most schools and school staff have a view on how they would like students to behave.
Rules set clear boundaries. Rules refer to observable actions. There should never be room for debate about whether a rule has been broken. The tennis ball is either in or out. The car is going at 29 mph or 31 mph. Rules are the hard edge of behavior management. They are usually essential for the daily life of any school.
MODULE1P Activity 5: What about values?
There can be confusion between the various levels of rules. Your school may have an overarching, guiding ethos. Perhaps this is presented in the form of a simple mission statement. This should inform all decisions about behavioral rules and expectations, but it probably won't be detailed enough to form actual rules of daily behavior in the school.
Many schools have a clear code of conduct which outlines the behavior they wish to foster. This will usually include being caring, respecting others, etc. It's useful for any adult to hold on to this – for example, if being an independent learner is part of this code, the adult should look for opportunities to teach this skill. The problems can start when the code of conduct is treated like a set of rules. There's usually not enough information given to younger or more literal-minded students about exactly what they are not allowed to do.
For more discussion of the difference between a rule and elements of this code, read Resource 7: Rules in the elementary school or Resource 8: Rules in the secondary school.
As rules are necessary for the safe running of the school, they must be enforced. We may want children to follow the code of conduct, but we must insist they follow the rules.
In your Student book (6) note what values you try to develop in the students you teach or are responsible for. Refer to your school's behavior policy and mission statement.
MODULE1Q Activity 6: The rules in your school
Think about the rules that you seek to enforce. Where did they come from? What are their underlying principles? You may want to look at your school behavior policy.
Read our guides to good rules by clicking on the following Resources:
Resource 9: The good rule guide (1)
Resource 10: The good rule guide (2)
Resource 11: The good rule guide (3)
Next answer the questions about rules in your school in your Student book (7).
MODULE1R The importance of the curriculum
The curriculum has an enormous impact on behavior. No student will do well if a task or expectation is beyond their abilities, and similarly pupils who get bored by tasks that are too easy are likely to become easily distracted. To increase positive behavior, it's really important that tasks are matched to the ability of the students and take account of their preferred learning styles.
For more information on Learning styles, see our on-line course of the same name
MODULE1S Activity 7: Thinking about consequence
Let's go back to Jenny.
It's 11.30 am. You ask Jenny to get out her work. She refuses.
What's a typical series of events that follow on from Jenny's refusal?
In Student book (8) there are some prompts about the consequences of Jenny's refusal - record your thoughts.
Modules 2-4 will focus on the importance of this aspect of behavior management.
Activity 8: How are you doing in managing behavior positively? Intended learning outcomes for Module 1
How would you rate yourself at the moment? Be honest if you are good at something, feel confident and say so.
If you do not have control of lessons, or if it is not relevant to your work, just look at the first five questions in Student book (9).
MODULE1U Intended learning outcomes for Module 1
Look again at the intended learning outcomes for Module 1. By the end of this module you should:
- know some of the personal qualities that can impact positively on behavior
- know some of the principles of good behavior management
How much has the module helped you to achieve these outcomes? Make a note in your Student book (10) e-mail us your comments.
Module 2: Encouraging good behavior
MODULE2A Intended learning outcomes for Module 2
By the end of this module you will:
- understand the effectiveness of positive behavior management
- know the difference between a reward and a bribe, and know the different types of reward
- have the skills to reduce students' need for extrinsic rewards
MODULE2B Getting students to behave well
You've got your rules in place. You've got a well-organized classroom. How do you encourage and motivate your pupils to behave well?
For students to want to behave well, they need to:
- have explicit rules and routines
- want to learn better through relationships and pay-off
- have confidence that they can learn better through the adult's high expectations
Module 1 looked at rules and relationships. This module looks at the various pay-offs and rewards we can give students to make it worth their while to behave well.
MODULE2C Task 2. Responding to students in class
Administrative or other non-teaching staff can skip this Task.
We all like to be noticed. Students get noticed by working well or behaving badly.
To behave well, students need to:
- have explicit rules and routines, so they know what to do
- have a wish to learn better through relationships and pay-off
- have confidence that they can learn better through the adult's high expectations
Lets look at how this appears when we try to help students learn well.
Print off Resource 12: How you respond to students' learning needs and use it to record your experience in lessons. You can take half an hour in a typical lesson or session.
MODULE2D What happens when students work well?
When students work well we typically respond with positive comments like "well done", "that's right", "good presentation", "very accurate measuring", etc.
We tend to point out to students that they're on the right lines and we value what they're doing. In this way we expect them to progress.
Unfortunately, when it comes to behavior, we seem to take the opposite view. We tend to ignore them when they're getting it right and criticize them when they're getting it wrong. All the attention and interest goes towards the poor behavior.
If you ignore something, in the end it tends to go away. And that can include good behavior.
MODULE2E Activity 9: The dirty mark on the tablecloth
Administrative or other non-teaching staff: you could complete the following two Activities by thinking about student behavior you see around school .
When we walk into a shop, our eyes are drawn to the one tin out of line on a shelf. We ignore the hundreds neatly arranged. Similarly, at an expensive restaurant, we're likely to notice a small dirty mark on an otherwise clean white tablecloth.
Most people can remember discouraging experiences, e.g., when we proudly cleaned the kitchen, only to be met with "you missed a bit".
In school, we notice when an individual misbehaves. We notice the one or two students misbehaving in a group of 30. We ignore the normally good behavior and we ignore the rest of the group who are getting it right day-after-day.
This is unhelpful for two reasons:
- it gives the message that we only care about misbehavior
- it prevents us taking the time to encourage and promote the good behavior
Print out Resource 13, which shows some typical behaviors which annoy us or disrupt our work. Complete the gaps, noting what the problem is ("the dirty mark"), and also what might be going well ("the rest of the cloth").
Then list some other occasions when metaphorically speaking you first see the "dirty mark", and then look for the "rest of the cloth".
MODULE2F Activity 10: What do you want to see?
By noticing and rewarding the behavior you want to see, you'll see it more often. You're thereby giving students information about what they're doing right and a pay-off. It works.
It's useful to make a list of all the behaviors, small and large, that you want to see. These are often invisible good behaviors that get ignored. By making a conscious decision to list them and then look for them, you will start to notice them more and more. Record your ideas in your Student book (11).
Remember to express them as positive and observable actions. You should be able to list many, e.g.,
- lining up quietly
- opening a door for someone
- asking before borrowing someone's equipment
MODULE2G Some objections to rewards
Sometimes rewarding students feels wrong, because we think they should behave properly anyway. This may be true, but students may need help along the way. Rewards give information about what we want students to do, as well as making it worth their while to do it.
Rewards in a classroom can cause problems when challenging students earn very desirable privileges for behaving moderately well. Students who always behave well can, quite reasonably, feel aggrieved. Some students may even copy the poor behavior so that they move into the group that has access to the goodies.
This can be avoided in several ways:
- explain the reasons for the exceptional treatment to the other students
- make it possible for all students to earn the privileges
- make sure that all students have their good behavior acknowledged, praised and rewarded on a regular basis
- make sure that the exceptional treatment is producing the effect you want
For more discussion of this issue, print out and read Resource 14: Rewarding difficult students in elementary schools or Resource 15: Rewarding difficult students in secondary schools.
Administrative or other staff: complete this activity by thinking about how you respond to pupils when you have dealings with them around school.
We all work for rewards. Very few staff would work full time in a school without pay. Our pay is not seen as a bribe. Very few would work in a school without other less tangible rewards. These include friendships, pleasure at seeing pupils make progress and high self-esteem as wage earners and members of our community.
One definition of a reward is: a positive response to a positive act, or something that we will work for.
One definition of a bribe is: a gift given to inappropriately influence a person to do something possibly dishonest or illegal.
Another way of looking at the difference is asking "Who benefits?" A bribe tends to benefit the person who bribes. A reward tends to benefit the recipient. A reward tends to encourage the desired behavior. A bribe will tend to need to be repeated.
Even adults find they work better and enjoy it more if there is some pay-off. It's nice to be thanked, even for something we should do as a matter-of-course.
Read the three good reward guides:
- Resource 16: Good reward guide (1)
- Resource 17: Good reward guide (2)
- Resource 18: Good reward guide (3)
Then, list the types of rewards that you can give in your Student book (12), along with examples. You'll probably want to read Resource 19: Examples of rewards, which may give you some more ideas.
MODULE2I Making praise work for you
Praise is the cheapest and most readily available reward that we have. It's also one of the most effective.
In your Student book (11), you listed behaviors you want to see. You need to acknowledge and praise these behaviors. This shows that you care and encourages students who are getting it right. A good target is to acknowledge and praise four times as often as you correct.
You can acknowledge through a small signal, a thumbs up or an OK signal. Some elementary classes have inspirational posters showing students getting it right which the adult can then point to and smile at the students concerned.
If you are going to use verbal praise, the language matters:
- tell them what they are doing right – 'This table is working well together. I'm looking forward to reading your work."
- tell them that you appreciate it – "You've waited really patiently. Thanks."
All praise should be personal so that the student knows it is aimed at them. It should be given as immediately as possible after the event. It should sound (and be) genuine. It should be specific so that it gives information to the student about what to do to get praised again.
BACK TO INDEX
MODULE2J What about students who hate praise?
In each class there may be students who find praise difficult to receive. The trick is to find a way of acknowledging and praising that will be acceptable. Smiles, thumbs up and other small non-intrusive signals work well. Some students like to have a written comment, "Good group working" rather than be spoken to. The right language helps here.
Read Resource 20: Praising students who hate it for three different scenarios.
Then click on Resource 21 to see a quick analysis of the approaches.
Finally, go to your Student book (13) to note your thoughts on this issue
MODULE2K Making rewards work for you
Having established exactly what you want to notice and reward, and having a hierarchy of rewards at hand, you can ensure that you get the maximum effect from what you do:
- give rewards as immediately as possible
- make rewards as specific as possible
- never take a reward away
- be unexpectedly generous
- make rewards cumulative
- make rewards cooperative
- build in variety and surprise
Be occasionally wildly generous, giving three house points to a group who worked cooperatively, or ten minutes free time to a difficult group who had given you an unusually quiet lesson, or stickers for nice smiles, the list is endless. Students start working for these lovely possibilities.
MODULE2L Linking rewards to learning
As teachers, our aim is to provide the optimum climate for learning and to reward behaviors that contribute positively to that learning climate. One way of doing this is linking rewards to learning. For example, you could reward students for:
- the time spent on a task
- the outcome of a task
- their engagement with a task
- behavior such as cooperative group work that enables learning to take place
It's important you use language to explicitly link the behavior with the learning. A reward for "being good" will not do this, but a reward for "listening and concentrating well so you were able to answer the questions" will. Remember, be explicit and specific – the students will be more likely to repeat the positive behavior you have praised them for if it contributed to a better climate to learn in.
MODULE2M Extrinsic to intrinsic
The aim is that students start to find it intrinsically rewarding to work well and behave cooperatively. To help them:
- make sure there are good outcomes, e.g., when a student or class has become more cooperative, make sure that there are overall advantages for them
- make these advantages explicit, e.g., if the class is behaving well, point out that you can now do more exciting lessons. If a student is more settled, casually remark how much more fun he is having with the group
- reduce dependency on tangibles and tokens, e.g., try to move up the scale from sweets to stickers, stickers to tokens etc, this helps shift pupils towards being satisfied with social rewarding
- transfer praise to work, e.g., start piling the praise and rewards onto what the students are achieving, rather than only on what they are doing
- keep up the social rewards
- start building up students' self-assessment skills, e.g., ask students to name three positive things about a piece of their work. This encourages them to value their achievements without external validation
Out of all the ideas in this module, there is sure to be one that appeals to you. The only way you are going to start working in a more positive way is to try it. Look back through the reward suggestions and choose some to try out. Make notes of the ideas that you feel will work for you in your Student book (14).
MODULE2N Activity 11: How are you doing?
Administrative or other non-teaching staff: you could complete this activity by thinking about how you habitually respond to pupils.
How would you rate yourself at the moment? Be honest if you're good at something, feel confident and say so.
Go to your Student book (15) and complete the brief self-assessment.
MODULE2O What have you learned? Intended learning outcomes for Module 2
Look again at the intended learning outcomes for Module 2.
By the end of this module you will:
- understand the effectiveness of positive behavior management
- know the difference between a reward and a bribe, and know the different types of reward
- have the skills to reduce students' need for extrinsic rewards
How much has this course helped you to achieve these outcomes? Make a note in your Student book (16) and e-mail your comments to your instructor.
Module 3: Responding to challengeMODULE3A Intended learning outcomes for Module 3
By the end of this module you will:
- understand the importance of solution-focused approaches to challenging behavior
- understand the power of language in managing behavior
- be able to plan your response to a challenging student
- know a hierarchy of responses that reduce the frequency and impact of challenge
MODULE3B What should you be doing?
Our efforts should always be put into establishing good, fair rules, building relationships and noticing and promoting the behavior we want. Time spent on telling students off, or arguing with them, is time we could use better.
There will always be students who misbehave and challenge, argue and disrupt. We need strategies to manage this. And we shouldn't forget the reason for having these strategies: an atmosphere of mutual respect and sensible behavior between students and adults is a key prerequisite for effective learning
MODULE3C The solution-focused approach
When we're faced with negative behavior and obstacles to learning, it's important that we take a "solution-focused" approach to the problem. This means that we concentrate our energies on finding positive ways to solve a problem, rather than wasting lots of energy on "the problem" itself.
What underpins the solution-focused approach is that we focus on what we do well, and build on previous successes to find solutions for negative behavior. This way of working empowers us. As we become confident in finding solutions teaching feels less stressful and becomes more enjoyable, leading to a more positive experience for students.
MODULE3D Activity 12: Using your successes
Think in depth about a recent lesson that you taught or an activity you were responsible for that you were satisfied and happy with. The example you remember should be one where your students' behavior was generally positive.
Think about what you did that helped create a positive environment for learning. What skills did you use? And who or what supported you so you were able to do so well?
How can you use the strategies you remembered to promote positive behavior in more challenging situations? How can you recreate the prevailing conditions? Answer these questions in your Student book (17).
Finally, print off Resource 22. It contains some questions you can ask yourself whenever you're faced with challenging behavior, that will help you stay focused on solutions rather than problems.
MODULE3E Activity 13: Turning obstacles into goals
Another solution-focused technique is to look at all negative behaviors as obstacles to learning which can be overcome. To refocus your thinking in this way just takes a subtle shift in attitude. You cannot change what has happened in the past but you can define the future by having a clear and specific vision of how you want it to be.
For this Activity, go to your Student book (18) and make a list of behavior problems or obstacles to learning that you encounter regularly. Look at each one and re-phrase it into a goal that you can strive to achieve.
For example:
- Obstacle: Students are always talking when I want them to listen.
- Goal: All the students in the class listen to me when I ask them to.
Many people find that simply by writing down their goals helps to create a more positive mindset, which gets them thinking about how to achieve solutions to the problem, as opposed to fretting about the problem itself.
MODULE3F Four more strategies for dealing with negative behavior
The next section of the course deals with four rules of dealing with negative behavior.
They are:
- plan and practice
- start small
- think about language
- think about response
MODULE3G Activity 14: Why plan?
We plan for important events in our life. We plan the content of our lessons. Why not plan for making responses that will promote good behavior? We can usually predict which students will cause us problems with their behavior. We usually know which students will take "no" for an answer and which won't.
Planning helps us make a reasoned and professional response. More importantly, it makes it more likely that we will improve matters, rather than repeat mistakes.
What do you need to plan? Which students will you focus on? Which groups? Here are just a few examples of areas in which you can improve your behavior management, just by thinking ahead and planning your response:
- Environment – how the classroom is organized
- Relationships – in particular your use of verbal and non-verbal communication
- Lesson content – matching work to ability and learning styles of students
- Specific situations likely to occur – e.g., homework not completed
It's not difficult to identify individuals or incidents. The problem is that your usual responses are not working as well as you would like. You owe it to yourself to plan to respond in a different way. Otherwise, you'll be spending a lot of time on these students, to little effect.
Record your thoughts on this issue in your Student book (19).
Good behavior management is a skill. All skills improve with practice. Skill-building takes time, and it's good to start with easier challenges. This may mean tackling a student who is repeatedly late for lessons before moving on to more serious problems.
Sometimes it's useful to practice privately what you're going to do and say before tackling a student. It's amazing how effective this can be.
If students cooperate without being threatened with a sanction, it's more likely that they will cooperate again next time. So it helps if you can avoid confrontation for as long as possible.
The longer you stay positive, the more chance you have of building a relationship with a student, and with the rest of the class who might be watching and listening.
Once pupils are cooperating you can move seamlessly from dealing with misbehavior into promoting good behavior. This is easier if you haven't gone too far along the road of confrontation and threat.
New doctors are coached in how to tell people they have a serious illness. It seems that the progress of the illness can be affected, for some people, by the way they're told about it. Communication matters.
Students can be very sensitive to what is said to them. Words hurt and are remembered. An angry or hasty word can damage a relationship with a student and class.
Quick-witted students can be very good at picking up on language and moving the discussion on to exactly what was said, rather than what was meant. This can distract the situation - don't give them that chance.
As teachers we should be using the language of success, hope and possibility. You should remove the language of failure and practice using "no-blame" phrases such as "Which part haven't I explained well enough". This prevents feelings of failure in students.
MODULE3K Activity 15: Basic rules for helpful language
- Use "do as you would be done by" courtesy at all times
- Concentrate on getting your primary message across
- Keep it simple
- Model calm even if you don't feel it
- Express things positively
- Assume co-operation
- If it helps, imagine you're being recorded
Read the following scenarios for some tried and tested things to say when...
You're giving instructions:
- the vital pause - Resource 23
- first things first - Resource 24
- fly the flag - Resource 25
Students argue with you or whine:
- the scratched record - Resource 26
- see you later - Resource 27
You're delivering bad news:
- sandwiches - Resource 28
- when... then - Resource 29
Pupils are misbehaving:
- rule reminder - go to Resource 30
- reality check - go to Resource 31
- assume cooperation - go to Resource 32
You're getting angry:
- say it like it is - go to Resource 33
- see you later - go to Resource 34
You're threatening a student with a punishment:
- if... then - go to Resource 35
(There will be more about consequences in Module 4.)
Choose one or two of these language patterns, and note in your Student book (20) any occasions when you might use them.
MODULE3L Activity 16: What other responses?
-Activity 16: What other responses?We can affect a student's behavior without words, without talking to the student or by talking to the student about other things. We can head off conflict by the micro-responses we make.
Imagine a difficult student, Paul. Paul is acting in an irritating but not dangerous way. He's not doing what he should be doing. You know he'll get into an unpleasant confrontation with you if you give him any chance at all.
Remember that your job is to promote the good behavior of the students who are on task, build good relationships with all of them, and promote good teaching and learning in the group - including Paul. Students who are regularly in conflict with adults need to experience something different. It is worth avoiding unnecessary conflict.
What could you do? Record your thoughts and ideas in your Student book (21).
Then print out and read Resource 36 for some ideas on how you could take action. Add more ideas to your Student book (21) once you've read the resource.
(You might like to share Resource 36 with colleagues.)
Consider the scene. A student, usually difficult and confrontational, walks into the classroom with a baseball cap on. This is against the rules.
Adult: Please remove your cap, Marcus.
Marcus: My cap's staying on! (with a big smile)
Adult: Don't argue with me. Take your cap off.
Marcus: Josh has got his on. You can't make me.
Adult: I don't like your attitude. You do what I say now or I will send you to the office.
Marcus: What, that stupid ****? (Insert word suitable to age and attitude of the students you teach.)
Adult: How dare you! (etc)
Meanwhile Marcus has his cap on and the other students are wasting their time. They're learning that their teacher cares more about Marcus and his cap than about them and their learning. They are also learning that their teacher is not able to control Marcus. The mistake the adult made was to respond to Marcus's cheeky response. Marcus took over the agenda. The cap was forgotten. He won.
We need to keep our eye on the ball. Ignore the smirk, the shrugs, the sighs and folded arms. Ignore the student kicking the bin as she puts her gum in it. Thank her for getting rid of the gum. Address the issue that you want to address.
It is sometimes effective to notice and defuse the smirks and shrugs and muttered rudeness. "What a good thing I'm having trouble hearing today!"
MODULE3N What about direct or indirect swearing?
-What about direct or indirect swearing?There should be guidelines in your school's code of conduct about swearing – some schools won't tolerate swearing at all, but in other schools it would simply be a waste of time and effort to try and cut swearing out altogether, so it's overlooked to a certain extent.
There will be occasions when a student uses bad language directly or acts in a way that is hard or inappropriate to ignore. It's a good idea to acknowledge the swearing and then return to the issue that you want to address. You will need to follow up the swearing later. Read Resource 37 for some more thoughts on swearing.
MODULE3O Activity 17: Put the responses in order
-Activity 17: Put the responses in orderLet's go back to Paul and his potentially challenging behavior.
To avoid unnecessary conflict you need to change his behavior with the minimum impact on the rest of the class, giving him many chances to get back on task. As soon as she shows a sign of coming back on track, you can acknowledge and praise his good behavior.
Go to your Student book (22), where you'll find the list of possible responses to the situation. Give each of the responses a number (1, 2 or 3) according to the following key:
- does not engage with the student directly (1)
- engages with the student about learning or other factors (2)
- engages with the student's behavior (3)
Then for each response, make a brief note of whether you think the strength of the response is suitable for this situation.
You won't use all of these responses every time, but it's useful to have as many responses ready as possible.
-Task 3: Now what?
Administrative or other staff: complete this Task by thinking about a particular student who causes you problems.
Managing challenging students is difficult, but it gets easier with practice.
Use Resource 38: An individual behavior plan as a basis for a plan for a few students you identify (or one student repeatedly) over several weeks. You'll need to make notes in the classroom before writing up your findings.
Carry out your plan for a week and note what happened in your Student book (23).
MODULE3Q Students with medical conditions
In some classes, you will have students who have medical conditions that affect their behavior. It's clearly important to be aware of these conditions and how they may affect your behavior management. Here are just a few examples:
- Autism (including Aspergers Syndrome)
- Dyspraxia
- Obsessive Compulsive Disorder
- ADD (Attention Deficit Disorder) and ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder)
- Depression
- Tourette's Syndrome
The key to confidence with any medical condition is to find out how the condition affects the student in the learning environment. For example, you should ask yourself:
- What is the optimum learning environment for these students?
- What could be possible barriers to learning?
- How can these barriers be removed?
The special educational needs or learning support department in your school should provide you with up-to-date knowledge on any medical condition that affects the learning of your students. Once you have the knowledge, it's just a question of removing as many barriers to learning as possible, and seeking out further advice from other agencies (e.g., health) or the highly skilled support staff in your school.
MODULE3R Activity 18: How are you doing?
How would you rate yourself at the moment? Be honest, if you're good at something, feel confident and say so.
Answer the questions in your Student book (24).
MODULE3S What have you learned from Module 3
Look again at the intended learning outcomes for Module 3.
By the end of this module, you should:
- understand the importance of solution-focused approaches to challenging behavior
- understand the power of language in managing behavior
- be able to plan your response to a challenging student
- know a hierarchy of responses that reduce the frequency and impact of challenge
To what extent have you achieved these outcomes? Make a note in your Student book 25 and send your work to your instructor.
Module 4: Making sanctions workMODULE4A - Intended learning outcomes for Module 4
By the end of this module you should:- understand the role of sanctions (punishment) in positive behavior management
- know a hierarchy of effective sanctions
- be able to use sanctions effectively
MODULE4B Effective use of sanctions
Sanctions are not the most useful part of good behavior management. But they do have a very important place. Sanctions are what happen when you break the rules.
All our efforts should be towards making it less likely that students break the rules. But if they do, we need sanctions.
For the next Activity, you may have to refer to your school's behavior policy.
MODULE4C Activity 19: What sanctions are available to you?
Sanctions operate at two levels:
- our own systems in our classrooms
- a whole-school system
Having referred to your school's behavior policy, go to Student book (26) and consider the questions:
- What sanctions are available to you in your classroom?
- What sanctions are available to you in your school?
MODULE4D We need both levels of sanctions
We must always work within the school's system. We shouldn't give the impression that our classrooms or work areas are different from the rest of the school. Students are very good at playing adults off against each other. If you don't agree with certain school sanctions you should discuss this with your colleagues. Don't try to go your own way.
You also need a system within your classroom. This helps add authority to your relationship with the students. If you always refer bad behavior to more senior staff, students may not see you as a real teacher or teaching assistant. You need to think very carefully about what sanctions you can appropriately impose, in your different roles.
MODULE4E Activity 20: Do they work?
Sanctions are supposed to act as a deterrent. Students see the outcome of the wrong choice and behave well. Does this happen?
Record your thoughts in your Student book (27).
Sanctions may have a different meaning and effect on different types of students. Normally well-behaved students never receive sanctions. Does this mean that sanctions are irrelevant to them? It may mean that sanctions work perfectly for them as a deterrent.
The most difficult students seem totally unmoved by sanctions.
Sanctions probably have the most use for the middle group. These students need a lot of help to behave well.
MODULE4F Task 4: What do the students in your school think?
Administrative or other non-teaching staff: you don't need to complete this task. You may like to talk to a teacher who does complete it.
If sanctions are to be a deterrent, they should deter. A sanction must be something that the students don't like, which will of course vary from pupil to pupil.
What do your students think? Ask them. Choose a group or a class and have a discussion under the following headings:
- sanctions for a range of misbehavior, serious as well as trivial
- effectiveness of current school sanctions
You can use Resource 39: Surveying student opinion about sanctions as a prompt. Adapt it if you like, depending on the age of your students, then give it to them to complete.
Were you surprised? Students can be very harsh. They'll have given you some useful insights into what they care about. They probably emphasized social sanctions, including contacting parents. They may have suggested restorative sanctions, putting things right.
Whatever sanctions you use, there are certain principles that make it more likely they will be effective. Record your thoughts and reflections in your Student book (28) .
MODULE4G Making sanctions better
Just as with rules and rewards, sanctions need thought. Read our good sanction guides, by clicking on the following Resources:
Resource 40: Good sanction guide (1)
Resource 41: Good sanction guide (2)
Resource 42: Good sanction guide (3)
MODULE4H Activity 21: Avoid making sanctions rewarding
Sanctions can reward in many ways:
- socially – students may get a lot of attention by being sent to the senior teacher or having to explain their poor behavior
- work avoidance – any sanction which interrupts a student's work, like being sent out, can be enormously rewarding for the student
- increased status – sometimes a student has to stand up in front of the school or class, the adults may see it as shaming, but the student may be seen as a hero
- unexpected pay-off – students are often kept in at break – if it's raining they're unlikely to mind
Pick a sanction that is regularly used in your school or in your class and answer the questions in your Student book (29).
MODULE4I What about group sanctions?
Nothing annoys students as much as group sanctions. They are rarely fair and almost never effective. Typically, a class is kept in because it has been noisy. Not all the students will have been noisy. Also, the adult is going to struggle to keep a noisy class quiet for the period of the detention. This is particularly true if a class is lined up outside the classroom until they are all quiet. For many students this will be rewarding. They will be getting lots of attention and argument as well as avoiding work. Only do this if you can achieve it quickly as part of establishing a good routine for starting lessons.In these situations, we need to divide and rule. Offer quieter students the chance to leave on time. Make it rewarding for the noisier students to follow their example. You need to remind the noisier students of the inevitable sanction while giving them enough time to choose to behave
Being consistent is hard. Sanctions are usually troublesome. It can be easier to let students off. Following up is vital if we are to give students the message that what we say matters.
If a student knows that you always tell her parents when she's late for school, she's more likely to start arriving on time. If you only tell them sometimes, she will keep on being late.
So, you should be careful to stick to manageable sanctions and find a way to help you remember to apply them
MODULE4K What about letting students off?
A common mistake is to allow students to negotiate their way out of a sanction. For example, a boy is out of his seat and annoying others. You go through all appropriate steps, and eventually give him the choice, "If you get out of your seat again, you're choosing to miss five minutes of your break." He carries on, so you impose the sanction. Now the boy starts to take you seriously. He rushes back to his seat and starts saying things like "If I am good for the rest of the lesson, can I go out to play with the others? Please?" Or at the end he might say "I have been in my place for half an hour. Can I go out now?"
Don't get into a discussion. You can waste a lot of time on this. He had his chance. The right response is "No, you will stay this time. Next lesson remember to stay in your seat."
Students need to know that you mean what you say. You imposed a sanction because a student had broken a rule. What they do next does not affect that.
MODULE4L Activity 22: Developing your sanctions
Administrative or other non-teaching staff: complete this Activity if you ever impose sanctions yourself.
As with rewards, we need a hierarchy of sanctions to use with our own classes.
Think of a sanction you use and consider the questions in your Student book (30).
Then read Resource 43, which contains some more ideas on the use of sanctions.
MODULE4M Remember relationships
All sanctions have the potential to damage relationships, so the more appropriate and predictable you can make them, the better. If students have due warning they're less likely to be resentful. But few students will ever say, "It's a fair cop, you were right to take away my free time". A routine of praise and reward will help here. Be prepared for some bad feeling, and work to restore the relationship.
Sometimes a sanction has unexpectedly bad outcomes for the students. You may send a students to a senior teacher. That colleague is having a bad day. You had expected her to make the students sit in silence for 10 minutes. Instead she screams at the students and calls his mother.
Or perhaps there's a day out on offer for everybody in the class if they avoid detentions for a whole term. Not knowing this, you give a students a detention thus making her lose her chance of the day out. The students in these cases will be resentful of your actions, even though you acted in good faith. You may have to take steps to put things right.
Once you've developed your sanctions and are using them consistently and appropriately, it's time to study their outcomes:
- Are they working?
- Is the behavior you want to see increasing?
- Are you spending more time on promoting good behavior?
It may be useful to do this systematically. You don't need any extra pieces of paper – you can mark your class list or register every time you give a sanction to a student. You can have an easy code. You may see a pattern.
MODULE4O Activity 23: How are you doing?
-Activity 23: How are you doing?Administrative or other non-teaching staff: only complete this activity if you impose sanctions yourself.
How would you rate yourself at the moment? Be honest if you're good at something, feel confident and say so.
If you don't control lessons, or if it is not relevant to your work, just look at the first five questions in your Student book (31).
It's always possible to improve our positive behavior management skills. Just when we think we've cracked it, along comes a new student or class who offer a new and different challenge. We owe it to them and to ourselves to keep working at our skills and developing our understanding.
MODULE4Q What have you learned from Module 4?
Look again at the intended learning outcomes for Module 4.
By the end of the module you should:
- understand the role of sanctions in positive behavior management
- know a hierarchy of effective sanctions
- be able to use sanctions effectively
How much has this module helped you to achieve these outcomes? Make a note in your Student book (32) and e-mail your comments to your instructor.
Occasionally a study or program is mentioned and a link is given
These are linked in your outline to take you to further reading and any data forms you might need to help you answer questions
Resource 1: What good teachers do
You may have remembered actions like:
smiling
- remembering what you did or said before
- asking you what you needed
- telling you exactly what to do next
- giving you the essential information or materials to make progress
- noticing and praising you when you got it right
- making remarks that show that they believe that you can make progress
In order to make progress in any activity, we need the teacher to:
- be clear and explicit
- give us the right information or materials
- set our goals at a reasonable level
- tell us when we get it right
- build up our trust in them
- show that they have confidence in us
- use the language of success, hope and possibility
Resource 2 CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD
Resource 3: Possible antecedents in the elementary school
- Immediate external events
- no breakfast
- parents having problems
- squabble at playtime
- has had a bad morning and failed in session before break
- sudden storm
Situation affected by past experiences at school
- poor relationship with you
- embarrassed about state of book/paper
- hates and tends to fail at the subject being taught that lesson
- she knows that nothing will happen if she continues to refuse
Resource 4: Possible antecedents in the secondary school
Immediate external events
too many sweet snacks at break
no breakfast
fight with best friend at break
run in with senior member of staff at break so needs to reassert herself
drug/alcohol abuse
serious trouble at home
Situation affected by past experiences at school
poor relationship with you
embarrassed about state of book/paper
hates and tends to fail at math (or whatever)
she knows that nothing will happen if she continues to refuse
Resource 5: Relationships in the elementary school
Students can become very attached to the adults who work with them and younger students are often very easy to like. It is very important to also show them that their achievements matter to us, in both learning and behavior. It's not just personal, it's professional.
Younger students appear to live up, or down, to adult expectations even more readily than older students So it is essential to give the message, through what we say and do, that we have confidence in our young students' ability to learn and behave well.
We should afford them as much responsibility as possible, in and outside the classroom.
Resource 6: Relationships in the secondary school
Adolescence is a difficult time for most students. It will be made harder if the adults they meet at school are constantly reminding them that they are stupid, useless, clumsy and unpleasant to be with. Adolescents are intensely aware of slights and implied rebukes. It's almost as if all the physical changes make them hypersensitive. They need the adults to appear to like and value them. In this way we may have a chance of making our values, and aspirations for their learning, attractive to them.
Usually, adolescents do not want their teachers to be friends, but we need to show that we have confidence and are interested in them. This needs to be done in a subtle way. Older students don't want to be the teacher's favorite. They will often shrug off any attempt at personal conversation, particularly if an adult attempts to be inappropriately trendy. We can still show them that they matter, by listening to them, taking their thoughts and fears seriously, and paying close attention to their work. We show respect by being rigorous with what they give us, and setting them high but achievable standards to aim for. We should afford them as much responsibility as possible, in and outside the classroom.
In order to promote positive relationships we have to develop the ability to separate their emotions from our actions. We have to control our own reactions and behavior and intervene in a way that promotes positive behavior. This might not always reflect how we really feel. We have to be aware of the importance of body language and tone of voice. Some teachers need to develop their acting skills so that what the students see will get the result the teacher wants – i.e., the optimum climate for learning.
Resource 7: Rules in the elementary school
Younger students need help in translating general exhortations to be kind, be thoughtful, try hard, into practical actions they can do. They may misunderstand the language in a code of conduct. "Not polite" may be used at home to mean indecent. The rule "say please and thank you" may make more sense and be more appropriate to small children.
There may not be time to explain exactly why leaving litter on the floor is thoughtless. The rule "all trash in the bin" is easy to teach, easy to practice, and there is no argument about whether it's been broken.
The test is: would a passing stranger be able to tell immediately whether a rule has been broken?
Resource 8: Rules in the secondary school
Adolescents often shy away from noble aspirations about being honest, caring, respectful and courteous. They may have some trouble with the meanings of lofty or polysyllabic words. They can also be barrack room lawyers, who look for any opportunity to challenge the adult. A case could be made, that leaving trash is being caring as it gives work to the cleaner who may otherwise be made redundant! There is no such opportunity with the rule "all trash in the bin".
The test is: would a passing stranger be able to tell immediately whether a rule has been broken?
Student involvement in negotiating and setting up rules, based on joint work on rights and responsibilities will dramatically improve the chances of their adhering to the rules. It's through this joint work that the understanding of the value and relevance of rules is taught.
Resource 9: The good rule guide (1)
Good rules flow from good guiding principles and high aspirations.
Some schools use their values and code of conduct to draw out the essential rules. For example, if you want students to be cooperative, you could have a rule that students must ask another student for help before asking the adult. If you want students to be respectful of adults, you could have a rule that they must stand up when adults enter a room.
While these rules probably seem unnecessarily prescriptive, it's always worth checking rules against values and code of conduct, to make sure that the rules support rather than cut across what you're trying to achieve.
Resource 10: The good rule guide (2)
In practice though, schools do not make rules for this kind of thing. Schools work to promote their code of conduct in other ways. They make rules for the safe management of the school and the maintenance of order.
These minimum rules work best when they flow from a sense of rights and responsibilities. Rules are the props that protect rights and promote responsibilities.
Using rights and responsibilities as a basis for rules, it is easy to justify the rules and to gear them to the age group of the students. Even the youngest students can be engaged in discussion about their rights and responsibilities. Rules make sense in this context.
This makes it even more essential that adults stick to the rules. Adults have a right to respect, but so do students. Adults must obey the rules and model the code of conduct that they're trying to promote.
Resource 11: The good rule guide (3)
Whatever the principles behind them, good rules are few in number and easy to understand. They're best expressed as positive statements, e.g., "walk in the corridor" rather than "no running'. There are occasions though when a rule is more effectively expressed negatively and simply. "No hitting or kicking" is easier to stick to than "avoid hurting each other".
If students join in with the negotiating and drafting of classroom rules, they will have more commitment to them. It's through this joint work that the understanding of the value and relevance of rules is taught. Once written, the rules need to be publicized to parents, and taught and reinforced with students.
A rule of the week can be presented with a big fanfare on a Monday, and a discussion about why and how to stick to the rule. Other ideas include:
- frequent reference to the rules and the rights that they support
- use of a rule as a topic in class discussions or assemblies
- visual aids on the walls and on desks
Resource 12 CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD
Resource 13 CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD
Resource 14 CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD
Resource 15 CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD
Resource 16: Good reward guide (1)
Rewards come in many forms: intrinsic, social, token, activity and tangible.
Everybody loves social rewards. They're free, unlimited and effective. The key thing to remember is that the type of reward you use depends on the individuals you're rewarding. Some students prefer tangible or activity rewards. Others find intrinsic rewards in doing their work.
Resource 17: Good reward guide (2)
The first rule of rewarding is that it has to be what the student would like. We're all different. The tangible reward of chocolate may be repulsive to some people. The social reward of a letter home may upset and embarrass a student who knows their mother can't read well.
Often older students say that they don't want credits or house points. What they often want is the social reward of knowing that the adult has noticed and valued what they've done. They also like activity rewards, which give them choices.
Students need to know how to get the reward. You may need to spell it out. "I will give a sticker to everyone who does x".
They also need to get rewards as soon as possible after they've got something right. Some staff carry stamps with them so they can catch a student being good and stamp their work, home/school book or school diary immediately.
Resource 18: Good reward guide (3)
We need a hierarchy of available rewards, small to large.
We need to have some ways to reward everyday good behavior on a minute-by-minute basis, as well as exceptional effort or achievements.
We need group and individual rewards.
Note: it's important you distinguish between reward and recognition. Students should have appropriate behaviors reinforced by recognition in the form of positive comment. This should be done routinely as often as possible as part of the continuous interaction between teacher and student, and should not be confused with a reward.
Resource 19: CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD
Resource 20: Praising students who hate it
Scene 1
Teacher: "You had a good lesson today Chris."
Child: "No I didn't, I didn't finish the sheet"
Teacher: "No, I meant working in the group."
Resource 21: Praising students who hate it - analysis
Scene 1
The initial praise is too vague and easy to counter, meaning the moment is lost by the time the teacher has explained.
Scene 2
Chris can't argue with what the teacher noticed, and by following up with specific information about the calculator, the teacher reinforces the sincerity of the praise.
Resource 22: Using your successes
Think of some common negative situations or challenging students you work with. Then ask yourself the following questions and act on the answers. You may find negative times/behaviors decreasing:
- Are there times when the student in question doesn't behave in the negative way? What is different in the more positive situation?
- If they don't practice the behavior what does it feel like?
- When does the student interact appropriately with you? How do you feel?
- Think of a situation when you felt happy with the student. What exactly was happening? What were you doing differently?
- Could you do more of that, so things go well more often?
- Is anyone else (colleagues or students) doing anything that makes a positive difference to the behavior of the student?
- Is there anything else that makes a positive difference to the behavior of the student?
- What do your colleagues say about what you do to help the negative situation?
Scene 3
The offer of the sticker excites the student's curiosity, while acknowledging he may not want praise.
Scene 2
Teacher: "I noticed that you worked well in your group today, Chris."
Child: "Um, did I?"
Teacher: "Yes, I saw you taking turns with the calculator."
Scene 3
Teacher: "I'd give you a sticker if you'd let me."
Child: "What for?"
Teacher: "The way you came into the classroom so quietly."
Resource 23: The vital pause
When giving instructions (particularly to individuals or small groups):
Call the name of the student or the group. Then PAUSE - allowing them to tune in. When they show they are listening, acknowledge it and then give the instructions. Here's an example:
Teacher: "Red Group…[PAUSE]. Look this way… [PAUSE]… thanks Laura [to the first student who looks up]… thanks every one. Now close your books and tidy up the table. Thanks" [assume cooperation].
Resource 24: First things first
Avoid conflict by making sure your instructions are clear.
Let students know what's expected of them when you start to speak – it helps them to tune in to what they are going to listen to.
Communicate instructions in small manageable "chunks" and in coherent order.
When finished, briefly sum up what you've just said, or get a student to sum it up.
Here's an example of a teacher speaking to class:
Teacher: "I'm going to tell you what we're doing next. I want you all to listen until I've finished. I'll tell you when you can start moving. OK? [Scan for students who are not listening. Call them to attend. Repeat if necessary.]
Lee, what did I say?"
Lee: "You're going to tell us what to do next."
Teacher: 'Thanks Lee. That's right. You've been making notes about whether you're for or against fox hunting. This is what you are going to do now. You're going to be working in groups. You'll discuss your point of view with your group. This is what you need. You'll need your notes and a pencil. Is everyone clear about what group they're in? Are there any questions? No? OK. You have to move into your groups. You're going to discuss your opinions. You need to take your notes. OK. Lets go."
This might seem like overload, but it's the pattern of giving instructions that makes it most likely students will understand and cooperate. In this way, you can avoid conflict and misunderstandings.
Another useful tip is to split instructions into three or four chunks. As you give an instruction, hold up your hand and count them off on your fingers. When you repeat them, count again. This helps visual learners, and gives students a peg to hang their recall onto.
Resource 25: Fly the flag
Assert yourself by using this pattern; "I want you to stop talking, Terry," rather than just "Stop talking, Terry." It is more personal and polite. You can move up to "I am telling you to stop talking, Terry." This is more serious, and makes it clear who is in charge.
Resource 26: The scratched record
9.45am
Teacher: "Please stop talking Jerry and get on with your work."
Child: "It wasn't just me!"
Teacher: "The others may have been talking. I want you to get on with your work."
10.00am
Teacher: "Please stop talking Jerry and get on with your work."
Child: "Mrs. Bartlet lets us talk when…"
Teacher [in an interested tone]: "Does she? I want you to get on with your work and stop talking."
10.15am
Teacher: "Please stop talking Jerry and get on with your work."
Child: "You're always picking on me."
Teacher: "I am sorry if you think that. I would like you to get on with your work."
Resource 27: See you later
If you want to have a discussion with a student, pick a time that suits you. Students often try to set up an argument so that they avoid work and get attention in class. Here are two examples:
Teacher: "Please stop talking Ben and get on with your work."
Child: "You said you were going to give me a merit last week and…."
Teacher: "That sounds important. I'll talk with you at the end of the lesson and you can tell me…. Now I want you to get on with your work."
Teacher: "Please stop talking Ben and get on with your work."
Child: "I hate this work. It's boring."
Teacher: "I am sorry. Why don't we have a talk about this at the end of the lesson. Now I want you to get on with your work."
Resource 28: Sandwiches
We use "sandwiches" whenever we are giving bad news to friends. We put the bad news (the sandwich filling) between two pieces of nice fluffy bread and butter: Here's an example:
Teacher: "I am sorry to interrupt you in your work.'"
(bread and butter)
Teacher: "I'm afraid break is canceled because of the weather.'"
(sandwich filling)
Teacher: "But if you clear up quickly, we can get the board games out."
(bread and butter)
Resource 29: When… then
"When…then" is a simple but effective technique. Here's an example:
Child: "Can I go to the bathroom?"
Teacher: "When you've done the first part of this sheet, then you can go to the bathroom."
This just sounds better than:
Child: "Can I go to the bathroom?"
Teacher: "No, you can't. Not until you've done the first part of this sheet."
Resource 30: Rule reminder
Refer students to rules, rather than telling them off.
Teacher: "We have a rule about coming in to classrooms. What is it? Make sure you stick to it."
This depersonalizes the conflict and reminds the student of what is important.
Resource 31: Reality check
Sometimes it's effective to describe what's going on and leave the students to work out what to do. They usually know, and it's useful for them to make the right choices. Here's an example:
Teacher: "There's a lot of litter on the floor, and only 10 minutes before the end of the lesson!"
The students may respond in a negative way, but you've left the ball in their court, and if they do start to pick it up, you can heap praise upon them.
Resource 32: Assume cooperation
There are several different versions of the message for NO SMOKING. The one that assumes cooperation is: "Thank you for not smoking…"
This is the tone that we need with students. It's saying "thank you" before the student cooperates, rather than "please". It is walking away after we have given an instruction, rather than hovering to see if the student cooperates. It is stating things as fact, "I will see you at break today," rather than couching them as requests, "I want you to come to my room at break".
Resource 33: Say it like it is
If you're getting angry and a student's behavior is causing you stress, you can tell them. Keep the message clear. Link your anger or stress to the behavior not the student. Here's an example:
Teacher: "When you talk loudly to Keisha, I have to stop what I am saying. I am getting angry because I want to explain the homework and we don't have much time."
Resource 34: See you later
You can be frank when you're getting angry: Here's an example:
Teacher: "I'm getting very annoyed with your constant interruptions. We can't talk about it now. I don't want to be unfair to you. I'll see you at break when we can have a proper discussion."
Resource 35: If… then
If you're threatening a student with dire consequences, you have to offer choice. You have to tell them what they need to do to escape. The threat should be expressed as a reminder of the inevitable consequences of their behavior. Here's an example:
Teacher: "If you carry on that time-wasting gossiping with Richard, you'll have to make up your work at lunchtime. I want you to do question seven and I'll be back in five minutes to check."
Resource 36 CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD
Resource 37: Swearing
Swearing is powerful, and can make students feel better. Some students may use bad language at home all the time. Students sometimes use swearing as a way out of a lesson that's boring them. We must break this pattern.
A good way of dealing with swearing might be to say, "We have a rule about bad language in this school. We'll talk about your swearing later. I want you to start your work now." Keep focused on the learning. All students need to see that you take swearing seriously, but that learning is more important. Do make sure you follow up the swearing incident in line with the accepted procedures of your school.
Indirect swearing, or disrespectful language can be hard. If you really don't quite hear what was said, it may be a good idea to ignore it. It's not a good idea to ask, "What did you say?" They might tell you! A better response may be something like, "I'm glad I didn't hear that." This tells the student that you're alert, but are choosing not to rise to the bait.
Resource 38 CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD
Resource 39 CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD
Resource 40: Good sanction guide (1)
Good sanctions should be:
Appropriate
Let the punishment fit the crime.
Wherever possible the sanction should have a logical connection to the misbehavior. If a student fails to complete a task in the time set aside for it, logically they should complete it at a time that doesn't suit them. If a student scratches a name on a desk, logically they should repair it. If they break something deliberately, they should contribute to the cost of replacement. If they hurt someone's feelings, they should help that person feel better.
Predictable
Students need to know exactly what will happen if they choose to misbehave. You need to be able to refer to the sanction if a student is in danger of incurring it. "Do as you are told or else" is not good enough. "If you continue to interrupt me, then you will have to stay behind for five minutes at the end of the lesson to discuss good manners" gives the student a choice. As you build up a consistent response, the students will know what to expect.
Resource 41: Good sanction guide (2)
Good sanctions should be:
Respectful
Students have as much right to respect as we do. Sanctions should never be used to hurt, demean or belittle. Students who are treated in this way will not become more cooperative. At best, they will become cowed and demoralized, and other students will become anxious and wary. At worst, the students will be resentful and vengeful, and other students may well take their side. This is not what we are trying to achieve.
Manageable
You have to look after yourself. You cannot give up your breaks to administer lunchtime detentions daily and stay sane. Phoning parents is effective, but can take hours if you have to call back several times. Whatever sanctions you decide on, think about whether they are manageable for you and your colleagues.
You may have to suffer a short-term cost, in lost breaks for example, to bring a student back in line. If you're not getting the benefit you're looking for, try something else.
Resource 42: Good sanction guide (3)
Good sanctions should be:
Immediate
As with rewards, sanctions are most effective if given immediately. Students have short memories and are unlikely to associate the inconvenience of a detention with the pleasure of misbehaving a week ago. This is especially true for younger students.
Effective
Nothing is worse for staff morale than endlessly repeating a sanction that has no effect. Progress may be slow but it should occur. If a student or a class is not responding, other strategies may need to be put in place.
Resource 43: Different kinds of sanctions
We can have a token system. A good example of how to use them is this:
The class, or a student, starts the lesson with 5 tokens
- If they are noisy, say "if you carry on with this noise you lose a token"
- Give them a chance to respond
- If they do, acknowledge it positively. If they don't, remove a token
Note: They lose break time according to how many tokens they have lost. They cannot regain tokens.
Obviously, students should be praised to the skies if they keep all their tokens. If a student or class always lose their tokens, you'll need to think of another strategy.
Students respond well to loss of privilege. You may want to develop some privileges in your class. These are powerful rewards for individuals. Loss of the privilege can be a useful sanction.
Whatever students say, they don't like their parents knowing about their misbehavior. Health warning: if you're going to contact parents regularly about misbehavior, make sure you contact them also when things are going well. Then the parents will take your bad news more seriously.
Social sanctions work well for younger students. Structured disapproval can go like this, "I don't like the way you are playing with George. If you continue to push, George and I will go and work over there."
REFERENCE LINKS
Search your school's professional library for good books on the topic of "Managing Behavior Positively".
New websites are always being created to help both professionals, parents and students. Explore the Internet for your specific area of need and interest.
Some websites you might like to visit include:
PBIS World
http://www.pbisworld.com
The National Education Association
https://www.nea.org/professional-excellence/student-engagement/classroom-management
National Association of Special Education Teachers (NASET)
https://www.naset.org/index.php?id=783
Sites the source of resources and information
Author: Ayers, H; Clarke, D; Murray, A
Title: Perspectives on Behavior: A Practical Guide to Effective Interventions for Teachers (2000)
Publisher: David Fulton Publishers
ISBN: 1853466727
Author: Cowley, S
Title: Getting the buggers to behave (2001)
Publisher: Continuum International Publishing Group
ISBN: 0826449786
Author: Gordon, G
Title: Managing challenging children (1996)
Publisher: Prim-Ed Publishing
ISBN: 1864003022
Author: Hook, P and Vass, A
Title: Confident classroom leadership (2000)
Publisher David Fulton Publishers
ISBN 1853466867
Author Rogers, B
Title Classroom behavior (2002)
Publisher: Paul Chapman Publishing
ISBN: 0761940189
Author: Rogers, B
Title: Cracking the hard class (2000)
Publisher Paul Chapman Publishing
ISBN: 0761969284
Title: "Classroom Management Series"
Publisher: NASET: National Association of Special Education Teachers
URL: https://www.naset.org/index.php?id=783
DEFINITIONS
Pastoral Support:
A planned intervention to help students manage their behavior more effectively.