Managing classroom behavior is one of the most important things to master as a teacher. But that doesn’t mean it’s easy and it doesn’t always look the same. Read on to find the best tips for managing classroom behavior!
Managing classroom behavior is the bread and butter of what we do as teachers every day. Whether it’s reinforcing positive behaviors or redirecting unwanted behavior, it’s a never ending job. We’re even managing classroom behavior without realizing sometimes!
And whilst we all know that good behavior management strategies are so important, it doesn’t mean they are always easy to implement. And sometimes, they don’t work for every student. In this post, you will learn a range of techniques to help you with managing classroom behavior.
This post is all about managing classroom behavior.
Managing Classroom Behavior:
Behavior Management Definition
If you have just finished your teacher training, I bet you will have heard tons about behavior management! And if you’re a veteran teacher, you will have been in many staff meetings and trainings all about various behavior management techniques.
But before we get into discussing those, let’s make sure we’re all clear on exactly what behavior management means. Behavior management refers to the strategies and techniques we put in place as teachers to help support our students into making positive behavior choices. In the past, behavior management techniques focused on discipline and punishing children for doing the wrong thing. And whilst we do need to have clear boundaries in place and consequences, behavior management should also focus on more positive strategies.
There is no one right way to go about tackling behavior management. Managing classroom behavior effectively depends on many different things, such as your own personal teaching style, your school’s policies and the individual needs of your students.
Having said this, there are some tried and true behaviour management strategies that prove effective for most teachers, which we will look at in more detail later.
[Related Post: 11 Positive Classroom Management Strategies To Try Right Now!!]
The Important of Behavior Management in the Classroom
Now we know a behavior management definition, let’s think about the importance of classroom management. Managing behavior effectively in your classroom means students can learn and concentrate in lessons. It means you can spend your time helping students rather than dealing with low level disruption. It can also help keep everyone safe in your classroom, as you can de-escalate behaviors before they reach a crisis point.
Behavior management is also important because it helps you build positive relationships with your students. Boundaries are super important and students will respect you for sticking to them.
The Top Behavior Management Strategies
Now that we know the why, let’s dive into looking at how to master managing classroom behavior. There are so many different behavior management techniques on Pinterest and Instagram and some of them are great! But some seem waaaay to time consuming for this tired teacher (desk pets, I’m looking at you!!)
We can broadly split the best behaviour management strategies into three groups: building relationships, rewarding positive behavior, redirecting unwanted behavior.
Building Relationships:
Building positive relationships with your students should be at the very heart of what you do. Without this, you will find managing classroom behavior so much more difficult. And your job way less enjoyable! Here are some of the best ideas to help you build positive relationships with your students to form the foundation of your behaviour management strategy:
1. Greetings
Make sure you greet your students each morning as they come into class. This can be as simple as waiting at the door and saying hi to each student as they enter (make sure you say each child’s name too.) Or some teachers create individual handshakes with each student or allow them to choose a morning greeting (high five, hug etc.)
What you do doesn’t matter. Just that you do it each morning. Be consistent! You’ll be amazed how much you learn by greeting each student in the morning or as they come to your lesson. You will learn things about their home life and their hobbies and interests. You will see who needs a little bit of extra love and attention that day or who maybe missed breakfast that day. It is honestly invaluable.
Your students will also love getting to know you! They will start to feel a connection with you and will come to trust you. This is the foundation for all good behavior management.
2. Communication with families
Building positive relationships with your students is super important but it’s also important to do the same with their families. Depending on your school routines, try to make yourself visible to parents at the start and end of the day so they become familiar with you. I have found families are so much more likely to communicate with you when they can see you and just have a quick chat, rather than arranging a formal meeting.
If that’s not possible for you, take the time to ring home or send an email introducing yourself to your families. Try to make it a goal to send a positive email home or have a quick phone call for each student each term. I know what you’re thinking – I don’t have time for that! Trust me, I get it. But also, I promise you that you do! I just had a quick template email that I would send and change out the child’s name and it would take literally two minutes. And I got soooo many lovely emails back from families that were so pleased I took the time to communicate with them. Some parents are only used to being contacted by school when their child is in trouble and that’s just sad.
3. Communication with students
Try to take the time to communicate with your students regularly about how they are. Giving students this opportunity to communicate with you will make them less likely to act out for your attention.
Having a box in your classroom where students can share their worries or feelings is another great way to communicate. I made slips that had a space for the students to write their names and their message, as well as a box to tick if they wanted to discuss it with me. Sometimes kids just like to tell you things, aha!
Rewarding Positive Behavior
Positive behavior management should make up the majority of your time when managing classroom behavior. We want to be focusing our time and attention on the students who are making the right choices in the hopes of encouraging everyone else to follow. Here are some brilliant positive behavior management strategies:
1. Class Reward
Have your students work together to earn a class reward. This is a great way to incentivise good behavior and also help build a classroom community.
My favorite class reward system is the one I used this year. My kids know I love my Stanley cup aha, so I made a Stanley cup whole class reward system! The students have to work together to earn stickers for the class Stanley cup and once they get 10 stickers, they earn their reward! I always write up what they will earn to help them stay motivated. If you want to check it out, I have addd it to my TPT store 🙂
Make sure you choose a reward that your students will love! If they aren’t bothered about the reward, they won’t be as motivated to earn it. You could come up with some sensible (!) class reward ideas together. If you’re struggling for ideas, you can check out the flashcards I use on my TPT store!
[Related Post: The Best Class Reward Systems And Ideas That You Cannot Afford To Miss!]
2. Individual Rewards
It is so important to reward those students who are doing the right thing. I know we have all been there when we get to the end of the day and realise some of our always students (the ones always doing the right thing) haven’t had a single bit of our individual attention that day. And that sucks, both for us and for them.
So make sure you take the time to reward students for making the right choices. You could do certificates, prizes, notes home or whatever else you fancy.
‘Secret student’ is another fun way to do individual rewards. In my classroom, I choose a secret student each day and comment throughout the day about whether my secret student is making the right choice etc. Because each student thinks it could be them, they all want to make sure they’re doing the right thing! If my secret students has had a good day, I reveal who it was at the end of the day and send a message home to their parents. If they didn’t have a good day, I just say something like ‘unfortunately, my secret student didn’t meet my expectations today but don’t worry because tomorrow is a new day!’ This keeps it positive and nobody feels upset or embarrassed.
Redirecting Unwanted Behavior
Whilst it is really important that we use positive behavior management techniques in our classroom, that doesn’t mean we are a pushover! There still needs to be clear boundaries in place and consequences for unacceptable behavior. But we also need to remember that all behavior is communication. Always try to think what each student is communicating with you via their behavior.
Rather than making a big deal out of unwanted behavior, it is best to try to redirect that energy to something more positive. Of course, if you have a child who is displaying violent or aggressive behavior then you have already passed this point. But try some of these techniques and you may find it helps nip low level behavior issues in the bud.
1. Calm Down Corner
Having a calm down corner in my classroom this year has been so useful and here’s why. It gives children in my classroom a space to go to when they are finding the classroom environment overwhelming. I have some mindfulness coloring, some fidget toys, bubbles to blow and comfy cushions. Students can ask for a pass to the calm corner or sometimes I will suggest to a student that they need to visit the area. It just allows children to regulate their emotions before their behavior spirals.
I have also added an affirmation station to my calm down area. This has been so great at building children’s self-esteem and confidence and reminding them how brilliant they are, even if they have had a little wobble.
[Related Post: A Complete Guide To Creating The Best Classroom Affirmation Station]
2. Brain Breaks
Another great way to redirect any unwanted behavior is to offer a child a brain break. This could be going to the calm down corner which we’ve just spoken about. It’s also a great idea to offer the whole class a brain break at regular intervals throughout the day. This helps the class reset between lessons and regulate their emotions.
[Related Post: The Best Brain Breaks: 37 Amazing Ideas Your Students Are Guaranteed To Love!]
3. Growth Mindset
Encouraging your students to have a growth mindset is also an important part if your classroom management. It helps students to see how important and special they are. This is especially important for students who find it hard to meet expectations in the classroom, which can lead to low self-esteem. If you are looking for a growth mindset display, you can check out my Etsy shop or TPT store. 🙂
This post was all about managing classroom behavior.
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