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.
There are many different strategies for classroom and behaviour management these include positive reinforcement, time out, acknowledging your students and making them feel apart of the community, listening and being consistent with your disciplinary actions are also very important. Reinforcement strategies are used to increase desired behaviours.
Walker and Shea concur that positive reinforcement is a strategy that assists in increasing desired behaviours. As a teacher you need to first identifying the desired behaviour and then use different reinforcements like a smile, sticker, free time, a pat on the back and positive phrases like.... “Kelly I like it when you put your hand up” (Walker. J., Shea. T., 1984). The most important element to remember when using positive reinforcement other than identifying the desired behaviour is the timing of your response. You must only acknowledge the student and behaviour once the desired behaviour has been displayed or executed. Another strategy for classroom management is negative reinforcement (1984, page 26 – 29).
Negative reinforcement is the removal of something the students don’t like or want. For example the teacher takes a pencil case from the student as they were consistently playing with it and not focusing on the task that the teacher set. When the teacher notices the student behaving in the desired manner the teacher gives back the pencil case. This in return enforces the desired behaviours’ required by the teacher (Walker. J, Shea. T, 1984). If positive and negative reinforcement are not successful the teacher may chose to use a form of punishment which may include losing lunch time or free time in class or even time out (1984, page 32) .
Punishment according to Walker and Shea punishment is not effective long term.
Punishment tends to suppress the undesirable behaviour rather than extinguish it and often the behaviour recurs when there is a different teacher. Examples of punishment can be taking away pleasurable items, time out, loss of recess time or having to hang out with the teacher during lunch time (1984, page 33). Tokens and charts can be a very useful tool when wanting to implement corrective behaviour management.
Tokens can be used and cashed in for rewards, the tokens are handed out when a desired behaviour is being displayed like putting up your hand before you speak, not running in the classroom, etc. Some suggestions for rewards can include getting free time (cost 20 tokens), reading a book of the student’s choice (15 tokens) and craft (10 tokens). Tokens can also be deducted for incorrect behaviour choices (Walker, Shea. 1984).
It is important as a teacher to create an environment that provides students with an equal right and opportunity to learn. Disruptive behaviour affects the other students learning rights to having time to learn and also to have time with the teacher. It is important to nip bad behaviour in the butt. When implementing clear classroom rules with clear consequences look at displaying them in the classroom and/or discussing them on a regular bases to remind the students what they are. Equally it is important to be consistent with your strategies and fair when dealing out consequence amongst students. This will help to provide an inclusive environment where all students can learn and grow and enjoy their time at school.
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.
Walker. J., Shea. T. (1984) Behavior Management a practical approach for educators. United States of America, Times Mirror/Mosby College Publishing.
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