Behaviour Management

Routines are very important when it comes to behaviour management in a classroom. Teacher talk, routine and scripts are going to be very important when it comes to managing your class. Barnes (2006) makes it clear that teacher-talk is vital and can take over your everyday life. What is teacher-talk? Teacher-talk is a loud consistent voice that does not change despite circumstances. “Teacher-talk includes phrases beginning with ‘I need you to....’, You can when.....’, ‘When I tell you....’ or ‘when I can see all eyes...’,” (2006, P. 27). Teacher-talk is so important especially when you are just starting out as a teacher. When you do your internship you attend once the routine has been achieved in the first couple of weeks and thus making so important to know strategies for behaviour management. These phrases will be helpful to get the class back on track.

Hands up is a very common problem in a classroom where students will just call out an answer to a question. The strategy to this problem according to Olsen (1997) is body language. Hold your hand out towards the student like a stop sign and then look for another student who has their hand up and ask for that student who is displaying the correct behaviour to answer the question. You should also thank the student for putting up their hand to reinforce the correct behaviour (1997, P. 28-29).

Barnes (2006) goes into mentioning that with teacher-talk it is a great tool to use phrases like “When.....Then” an example ‘when you have finished packing up you may go to lunch’ the main focus of using teacher-talk is to mean what you say and take control of the class.

Routines are very important and Barnes makes the point that if you’re teaching a lesson and it lacks pace, structure or is too easy you can invite poor behaviour.
Mendler, Curwin and Mendler discuss little things that really matter; for example greeting each student as they enter the classroom makes the student feel welcomed and a part of that community. “School is for kids, including those we find unattractive, those who misbehave, and those who don’t give their best. It is our professional duty to welcome and teach each student with enthusiasm, care, and courage. To do less diminishes us and all of society” (2008, P.53). This is a very powerful statement and really is what I believe teaching to be about and a simple but very effective way to show all students that you have integrity and lead by example. It is equally as important to use positive phrases like ‘thank you’, ‘I like how you’ this encourages traits that we are looking for.

Reference List

Mendler, B. Curwin, R. and Mendler, A. (2008) Strategies for Successful Classroom Management Helping Students Succeed Without Losing Your Dignity or Sanity. California, Corwin Press.

Barnes, R. (2006). The Practical Guide to Primary Classroom Management. London,Paul Chapman Publishing.

Olsen, J. (1997). Managing Classroom Gambits. Australia, Goanna Pty.