I am so excited to write
a guest blog post for Nicole from Teaching with Style. I am new to
the blogging world and this is my very first guest blog! Thanks Nicole :)
I am very passionate
about behavior management, but even more so about silent behavior management-the
kind you can't see because everything is under control. The teacher who yells
at her class to quiet down or children calling the shots in the room is not
what I will be referring to. When you walk into a teacher's classroom and it is
a well-oiled machine...that's behavior management. You think to yourself,
"Gosh, I want to be like that. How does she/he do it?" You may think
there are no visible signs of managing behavior and that the students are 100%
angelic. That is not the case. The teacher has done a fabulous job creating
a strong classroom community built on
trust and communication. Expectations were laid out, students follow the agreed
upon rules, and receive rewards/consequences based on their ability to follow
the desired expectation.
At the
beginning of each school year, I reflect on the behavior successes and
difficulties of the previous year’s class. I then set goals for the upcoming
school year. I select specific strategies I want to implement and then I
visualize how I want the actions to look as they are being carried out so that I
can teach students step-by-step. It is very important that the first few weeks
of school are spent introducing the expectations for behavior, demonstrating
them for students, and having students repeatedly practice the actions. It may
seem redundant while going through the process, but by spending large amounts
of time upfront on behavior management, less time is spent during the year on
corrections because students are aware of expectations, are held to a high
standard, and act accordingly.
I want to share with you a few hand-picked strategies, mostly procedural expectations that translated into appropriate student behaviors throughout the school day.
Redirections happened most often in actions with a *
The most difficult procedure to maintain expectations is marked
by **
Successful behavior management procedures are marked with a √
If
procedural behaviors were not followed according to the expectation set at the
beginning of the year, the student records their behavior on a classroom street
light. All students begin with their designated number not on the street light.
Their first warning, they move their numbered clip to green, receive a note
home, and five minutes off recess. After their second warning, students move
their clip to yellow and receive a note home, 10 minutes off recess, and silent
lunch. Lastly, if a student’s behavior continues to progress, they move their
clip to red and receive a note home, 15 minutes off recess and the principal is
contacted.
I believe in
second chances. So, if a child has moved their clip but gets their behavior
back on track throughout the day, I let them move their clip back one level. If
I did not do this, students who struggle with behavior and move their clip
early in the morning chalk their day up to a "loss" and continue to
act out. However, by giving students an opportunity to try again, they are
motivated to correct their behaviors.
It’s very
important to set boundaries and limitations for children, especially in a
classroom of 20+ students. The more children a classroom holds, the stronger
the teacher's behavior management. Otherwise, chaos will easily ensue. Also,
beginning the year stricter than your natural style is a good idea to set the
standard for behavior expectations. As the year progresses and your
relationship grows with your students, easing up a bit allows everyone to
become themselves within the established boundaries. Remember, you are the
leader in the classroom- establish that role early!
What is your behavior
management style?
What procedures do you
have in your class that keeps student behavior in line with expectations?
