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Classroom management

Elizabeth KarakehagiasEducational Consultancy Group

educongr@hotmail.com 12/04/2012

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What is challenging behaviour?

Constant calling outInterruptingDistracting othersDistracting the teacher

Code of conduct

• Does the school have a policy or a code of conduct that includes procedures?• Whose responsibility is it to

establish and monitor the code of conduct?• Are there common classroom rules?

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Guidelines for Defining BehaviouralExpectations

• Identify Classroom rules and expectations• Establish School Rules (Rights and

Responsibilities?)• Rules should be broad enough to cover all

potential problem behaviours• Make rules positive• Post them in your classroom

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Why 3-5 Rights and Responsibilities?

• Easier to learn and remember than a long list of specific behavioural expectations

• Posting them creates a visual cue for students and staff to remind them of the rules

• State rules positively – What TO DO!!! as opposed to what Not to do

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Rights and Responsibilities in the Classroom (1)

• In this classroom, students and the teacher have the right to do as much work as possible.

Therefore, their Personal responsibilities include:o Students should bring all their equipment to classo Students should listen when others are speakingo Students should be on timeo Students should attempt all work

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Rights and Responsibilities in the Classroom (2)

• Their Communal responsibilities include:o Students should encourage others to bring all

their equipment to classo Students should encourage others to listen

when others are speakingo Students should encourage others to be on

timeo Students should encourage others to attempt

all work7

Rights and Responsibilities in the Classroom (3)

• In this classroom, students and the teacher have the right to feel comfortable and safe.

• Therefore, their Personal responsibilities include:

o Students should pass all objects hand to hand

o Students should speak politelyo Students should keep their hands to

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Rights and Responsibilities in the Classroom (4)

• Their Communal responsibilities include:o Students should encourage others to pass all

objects hand to hando Students should encourage others to speak

politelyo Students should encourage others to keep

their hands to themselves

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Be Proactive! & less reactive

• We need to explicitly teach expected and desired behaviour, rather than take the risk, or expect, that students “should know”, or they will figure it out on their own• Our tendency when students don’t follow behavioural expectations is to punish students rather than teach students…• Would we punish a student for not reading a word

correctly?

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Plan Ahead(before school year & each day)

• Set habits early… rather than waiting to change students’ habits later

• Before we can teach, reinforce, and enforce anything in our classrooms we must clearly define:

1. fair behavioural expectations 2. effective behavioural routines

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Strategies to avoid disruption (1)

Keep the lesson flowing:Know exactly what you are going to do and

have all necessary resources readyAt the beginning of the lesson tell the

students the activities they are going to doSet up an accepted and fully understood

pattern for distribution of materials, roll-marking, going to the toilet

Keep the lesson flowing: (2)

Let students know when an activity is about to be changed so they prepare to finish what they are doing and mentally get ready for the next activity

Attend to the needs of the majority and have them engaged before dealing with individuals

Give all instructions clearly and concisely

Some important don’ts.

Don’t spend more time on any activity than necessary

Don’t interrupt a discussion or activity to jump from one thing to a different one

Don’t allow yourself to be sidetracked into answering irrelevant questions

Strategies to avoid disruption (2)

• Keeping students interested.Vary the volume, speed and tone of your voiceBe enthusiastic about what you are teachingVary the way you teach e.g. use a variety of

procedures such as assignments, debates, excursions, group work

Move around the roomEnsure that the lesson content is challenging but

achievable and whenever possible relevant

Strategies to avoid disruption (3)

• Keeping students focused: When asking a question, take a number of

answers before saying whether they are correct

After asking a student to answer, allow a few seconds for them to answer

Collect and correct all homework

Strategies to avoid disruption (4)

• Making students feel monitored.Try to position yourself so that by lifting your

eyes you can see all or most of the classTry to make eye contact with as many

students as possible during the lessonWhen talking to one student do not become

oblivious to the rest of the class

General tips for behaviour management (1)

Label the behaviour not the childChildren aren’t born with behaviour

problems, they learn themAll behaviour has a purposeWhat you see is what you can changeNip behaviour problems in the budSchool needs to be seen as a good place

General tips for behaviour management (2)

Students and teachers both have rights and responsibilities to ensure a good learning environment

Consider the curriculum – tasks may be too easy or too difficult or just not motivating

Changes in the seating arrangements or time for certain activities

Children need freedom to move within clearly-defined limits

General tips for behaviour management (3)

Start on one aspect of behaviour firstAlways be consistent and clam in your

approachCatch the child being good rather than

focusing on the negativeStudents need to feel they belong. Devise

classroom rules (Rights and Responsibilities)together

General tips for behaviour management (4)

All students want to feel valued and respected and to be part of the group. A positive self-image is vital.

It is important to communicate effectively with students. Make sure you listen to them.

Students need to know the consequences Modelling and imitation are valuable

techniques for students to acquire appropriate behaviour.

References

• “The developmental management approach to classroom behaviour.”

Ramon Lewis