Positive and effective classroom behavior can sometimes seem out of reach to a teacher who is struggling every day.
She just can't figure out how to get from here to there: here being challenged, confronted and worn down daily, there being a room where she just gets to teach. Is that so much to ask?!
As with any journey, we start with preparation and then go at it one step at a time. But first let's talk about your school's main disciplinarian: your principal. Any classroom behavior plan will eventually include him, so let's review the field guide to this particular species of admin.
One of the biggest frustrations a teacher can face is never knowing where the “go-to-the-office” line is, let alone what kind of behavior it takes to cross it.
When does a principal expect a poor behavior choice to be escalated to the office, and when does he expect the teacher to handle something in the room?
When is it OK to ask for help, and when will struggles with classroom behavior management be considered a sign of weakness?
Here's the thing, though: Many principals are uncomfortable drawing a line.
They're human, and humans in general like to avoid conflict. Lines mean conflict… as soon as one is drawn, sure enough a student will step over it and that means dealing with parents and suspensions and all sorts of discipline items that the principal would really rather not address.
You see, just like a teacher, a principal's fondest wish is to just be able to do his job. Just be able to, well… principal, as in develop teachers and celebrate student achievement.
Enforcing a line is sure-fire way to spend a lot of time doing unpleasant tasks. So keeping things hazy gives principals some wiggle room to avoid conflict in certain situations. This may help them on a case-by-case basis, but long-term, problems snowball as kids figure out just how much they can get away with.
There's only so much you can do to encourage a building's staff or principal to create or adopt a rational building-wide discipline plan. Who I'm concerned about is you… and you can be successful even without strong support from the office.
Sometimes it seems like every third sentence I speak during the day is to set an expectation. Early in the year, these expectations are heavily weighted toward behavior until students get used to the routine. Expectations create a feedback loop.
… you are reminding students that you already established the proper behavior, they aren't meeting it and here comes the consequence. Calm, deliberate, effective.
With expectations set, teachers can remind. Without expectations, teachers must react.
I cover the full expectation-setting process here.
Anticipation allows you to set expectations that address inevitable behavior issues and, when necessary, intervene before a situation heads in the entirely wrong direction. It's a delicate balance sometimes: when to steer clear of a situation that will end in trouble, and when to set an expectation around that situation to help a child learn self-control.
As a teacher involved with an effective classroom behavior plan, you are critical in getting this accountability piece through their heads. For most of a child's life, they experience consequences that are enforced upon them by others, including you.
Eventually, a teacher will begin to see children internalize this lesson and hold themselves accountable for choices. Better yet, you'll see children learning to understand that consequences follow bad choices, so it's best to make the proper choice up front.
This only comes in glimpses, especially in the lower grades. But your work is so important, and it all makes an impact in both the short- and long-term as you help our children grow into responsible, self-controlled, disciplined adults.
Our ultimate goal in any classroom discipline plan is to have students take responsibility for their own actions and control their own behavior without constant adult oversight.
Let's face facts, though: there's a reason why every nation on earth has police officers and some sort of court system.
Let's not fool ourselves into thinking that any class will ever be totally self-governing (I'd be out of a job!), but let's also do everything we can to move our students in that direction as far as we can.
Here are some daily interactions that will enhance your classroom discipline plan and help students with their self-management.
Make her say it out loud. Many kids really don't like to do this, but it is the first step in keeping them from becoming disingenuous politicians in the future (“Some mistakes were made…”).
This makes the point (and often gets a grin) before asking them to restate.
Apologizing is a key part of respect, but it is very hard for many kids (and adults) to do.
Twice a day I go down the list of kids and ask them how many points they earned for the last three hours (half of the day) with a maximum of ten points possible.
There… that's it! That's all there is to it. Sounds pretty simple doesn't it? It needs to be simple for the kids to relate to it. Of course, there a few more guidelines for making it as effective as possible.
You may also find situations where a student takes too many points, too few, or more than you think they should based on what you observed. Be sure to ask them to tell you why. In general, you will usually know the behavior behind the points.
Offer a half point back for honesty.
Offer to give someone eleven points for outstanding behavior.
Just don't overdo it – make this a rare occurrence. Discipline in the classroom is not about the kids vying to earn points from you. It's about earning points for themselves and feeling good about it.
Whatever process you do, make the rules fit your room. And avoid a process where you assign points for bad behavior – that is the wrong kind of motivation.
So… what to do with all of these points being assessed? Your inclination might be to track them every day and add them all up for monthly totals and do something with them, such as give a prize for anyone over ‘x' points.
Resist the temptation. It is a lot of work and it makes the process high-stakes. Suddenly it becomes all about getting something, which leads to playing the game however they can to get the highest points they can, rather than a simple process of self-reflection and a fresh start after every session.
Separate from the point system outlined above, I do hand out “bonus tickets” for great work or attitudes or kindness as well. That's all they are: a piece of colored paper. No redemption value of any sort. No tracking. No collecting yellow tickets to exchange for a blue one or any other scheme.
The kids love getting them though. Why? Because they are handed out by their favorite teacher!
Avoid extrinsic rewards (candy, especially). The kids don't need them to be happy, engaged learners. And you don't need them for an effective classroom behavior plan. All kids would much, much rather get their teacher's approval than a piece of candy any day.
Knowing your kids also means knowing how individual students will react in certain situations. Some personalities will conflict if seated next to each other; some kids have particular trouble walking in line or playing fair at recess; etc. A large part of managing behavior is structuring situations so as to avoid generating problems in the first place.
This is not to say that you should go to extraordinary lengths to create the perfect situation to please every student who may potentially misbehave; that's impossible, and kids need to learn to control themselves (with your help) in a variety of situations.
However, there is no point in waving a red flag in front of a bull, so to speak! If a fight ensues every time Alleedra lines up behind Kelly, then you need to stop that situation before it ever gets started.
Always keep your diagnosed, behaviorally-challenged kids in mind. Once you've experienced Sam when his parents forgot to give him his prescription medication, you should be able to quickly redirect him to a more successful path when it occurs in the future.
Likewise, if you are working with Aspergers or Autistic students, understanding the triggers that upset them will go a long way toward making their school experience calm and enjoyable even on difficult days.
Classroom behavior management works best when it is subtle and proactive rather reactive.
Some kids have to move. The kids who are on what I would call the “ADHD spectrum” (meaning they may or may not be medicated) may have a need to physically move their bodies that they simply cannot suppress – nor should they or they won't be able to focus.
Samantha simply could not sit still and was constantly tipping her chair back and falling over. My solution was to give her a very low desk (from 1st grade) to sit on. This allowed her to fidget or sit curled up without the danger of tipping.
Cyril needed to pace. I worked out an acceptable short path for him to follow that minimized distractions to other students. After the rest of the class got used to it, they barely noticed his movement.
It is a good idea to establish some methods for helping Aspergers or Autistic kids calm down if they are becoming agitated. I once worked with a boy who found it very soothing to rub in some scented hand lotion when he became upset; the lotion provided a unique tactile sensation as well as a distinct smell that he found intriguing – and therefore distracting and calming.
Ask the parents for input at the beginning of the year. You'll likely need the information right away since the stress of starting school creates a difficult time for these kids.
Somewhere deep down inside, nearly all students crave predictable structure, whether they acknowledge that fact or not. A set daily/weekly classroom routine helps them feel stable.
Much of a school day is already structured for you by recess, lunch, etc. Do your part to keep your instructional blocks regular.
I post my daily schedule on the whiteboard. Just like adult attendees at a day-long seminar, kids like to know what is coming up next. Subconsciously, they can mentally prepare for transitions between events (and they can remind you when you forget the time!).
Classroom discipline always improves when a teacher anticipates classroom behavior management problem areas and sets his class up to be successful with a consistent classroom routine.
My student is non-verbal and very aggressive and constantly eloping. He is ASD1. Any ideas on how to keep him from eloping. I do the three-step prompt but as soon as you put him in the chair he is on the floor again. This is all day. Thanks.
Wow, I have learnt a lot! Setting expectations for kids is really a helpful tool.
I especially appreciate the information for kids on the Autism spectrum. Thanks. And the sharing of the daily schedule is something I need to get better at. You are right, when I do put it up the kids like and they help keep me on track!
Great, Anna! Thanks for commenting. I agree… people just like to know what’s going to happen next. Helps with them telling time, also, when they need to check the clock to see if a schedule item is happening on time or coming up.