Behaviour+Strategies

By Katie Whitehurst, Marwena Baku and Michelle Jordan =**Behaviour Management**= ** Why are behaviour management strategies important and how should it be used? **

Teachers should understand the effects of positive and negative consequences, and use them in the appropriate situation. This allows the teacher to encourage or discourage the desired behaviour. It is important that teachers are conscious of how they discipline the children making sure that it is done in a manner which will develop the child. Consequences should be delivered consistently, without anger, revenge or vacillation. Students should be made to understand why they are receiving a consequence by relating it to class rules and expectations.

Teachers should understand each child taking into account their personality and other factors such as culture and personal circumstances and so use the type of consequence that would be most effective in the desired direction of behaviour.

Behaviour strategies that are well developed and clear, will lead to less confusion in the children’s understanding of them and so reduce the chance of disruption. Each class rule should be discussed with the students so that they understand why it is important. This then allows a smooth transition to positive or negative reinforcements as the teacher can refer to them when praising or disciplining a child. As these strategies are enforced continuously, they become a natural part of the class routine allowing the whole class to function well.

**﻿** **Strategies for managing behaviour:**

It is essential to set clear boundaries from the start, which can first be introduced by displaying and discussing the school rules. To help highlight and make these more personal to the children (particularly for KS1) they could draw pictures and/or put the rules into their own words. They could even make up some of their own rules if the school rules are more general.

To eliminate ‘low level’ disruption, introduce a good and poor behaviour chart, where lots of ticks can be awarded to a child who is for example sitting quietly and a cross next to a one who is displaying negative behaviour. After three crosses they should sit apart from the class and reflect on their behaviour. Ticks can be awarded if the behaviour improves however if they persist then a fourth cross is added and the child is sent to a different class to work. If this fails to improve things then a letter is sent home. The child with the most ticks in a day receives a reward and the ticks and crosses are wiped off to start the next day afresh.

 If a child has been sent to reflect on his or her behaviour it is useful to give them  a structured sheet to help them to do this, differentiated to their age and ability.  It gives them the opportunity to acknowledge what they have done wrong and  think about how they might behave more positively another time.


 * Think Sheet**


 * Draw what happened.

Label your picture to explain what you did. ||


 * Draw what should have happened.

Label your picture to explain what you should have done. ||  An example of a KS1 'think sheet'

<span style="color: #000000; font-family: Arial,sans-serif;">Spotting bad behaviour before it erupts is an important skill to develop. If a child on the verge of creating disruption can be given a simple task to do, bad behaviour and the consequential punishment can often be avoided.

<span style="color: #000000; font-family: Arial,sans-serif;">**Examples of rewards**


 * <span style="color: #000000; font-family: Arial,sans-serif;">Verbal feedback (praise-well done, excellent, good job)
 * <span style="color: #000000; font-family: Arial,sans-serif;">Non verbal feedback (thumbs up, smile)
 * <span style="color: #000000; font-family: Arial,sans-serif;">Merit system with a school rewards policy
 * <span style="color: #000000; font-family: Arial,sans-serif;">Certificates for good behaviour
 * <span style="color: #000000; font-family: Arial,sans-serif;">Stickers
 * <span style="color: #000000; font-family: Arial,sans-serif;">Celebration assemblies
 * <span style="color: #000000; font-family: Arial,sans-serif;">Fun Friday (last 30mins) in recognition of good behaviour



<span style="color: #000000; font-family: Arial,sans-serif;">**Remember:**


 * <span style="color: #000000; font-family: Arial,sans-serif;">Rewards need to be public and the merit chart visible
 * <span style="color: #000000; font-family: Arial,sans-serif;">Be consistent in order to be successful
 * <span style="color: #000000; font-family: Arial,sans-serif;">Rewards need to motivate learning and discourage bad behaviour
 * <span style="color: #000000; font-family: Arial,sans-serif;">Reward systems work best if part of a whole school approach

<span style="color: #000000; font-family: Arial,sans-serif;">**Links**

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