The Do's and Don'ts of behaviour management

Having worked with children whose behaviour has been a major issue, these are the things I feel helped me the most in terms of keeping them on task and in the room without sacrificing the learning expererience for the rest of the class.  I'm not an expert, but these are some of the things that have worked for me.

1. Boundaries. Children LOVE boundaries. In my experience, children with behavioural difficulties long for them as they are often the children who get them the least.  At home there may be little or no consistency and even at school, once a child has a reputation for being troublesome it can affect the way adults deal with them.  Sometimes they will be 'noticed more' and pulled up on things that other children may get away with.  I have also seen staff walk on egg shells around these children who may 'kick off' whilst coming down much harder on children who will just listen and take it on the chin.  This leads nicely onto point 2...


2. Consistency. Consistency is key for all children but for those who have behaviour issues I have found that they will notice any inconsistencies, home in on them and obsess over them.  It doesn't matter how many times they have broken the rules themselves, if they see someone else get away with something it will be the greatest injustice in human history.  The way you deal with things has to be consistent, from one day to another, from one child to another.  They need to know what to expect...point 3...


3. Routine. Again, following on from the consistent boundaries put in place, they need to know the routine of what will happen. It has to be the same or it won't be fair.  Routines in terms of the daily time table and even length of activities all help maintain a more settled mindset.  As adults we don't particularly like change and children are no different.  They find comfort in knowing what to expect and seeing it happen.  Often these children have very chaotic lives out of school, so in school they need the reassurance of routine.


4. Keep them busy.  Perhaps easier said than done but if children are not engaged or if they feel they cannot succeed then often they won't even bother trying.  It is much easier to be the child who doesn't want to do something than be the child who can't.  Self esteem and bravado play a huge role in this, especially if the child has a reputation they are aware of.  Keeping them engaged and busy will keep them under control even if at times it feels like you're only temporarily distracting them with work.


5. Control. At the end of the day, you're the adult and you have to be in control.  Not just in control of the children but yourself too. If you can't keep your emotions under control and if you frequently lose your temper then you will also lose control of the kids.  Everything you say should be considered and measured, not screamed in the heat of the moment.  Which leads on nicely to 'What not to do'.


And here's what NOT to do.


1. Threats. Don't even think about making a threat unless you are 100% sure you can and will carry it out. If you make an empty threat (and we've all done it and instantly regretted it as soon as the words have left our mouths!) then you have lost.  The threat shouldn't be something you really don't want to do or something you'll only do if you're left with no choice.  It should be something that you know is acceptable, the children know is acceptable and something you will happily carry out.


2. Shout; a lot.  Your voice is your greatest tool.  Yes shouting will have an immediate and sharp impact in the very short term.  The first time you shout it will probably work fine. The second, third and forth times within the following 15 minutes will only stress you out.  The children will get used to it, the impact will go and eventually it will just be white noise.  Save it for when you really, really need it.  Keep it locked away for those special occasions when you have no alternative.


3. Go solo.  If you have difficult children with challenging behaviour issues then don't try and do it all on your own. You need the support of senior leaders and your headteacher.  You need to know that they have your back and will support you.  Teaching is a hard enough job at the best of times but if there are real behaviour problems too then trying to do everything on your own will only knock you for 6.  Seeking support from colleagues is not a weakness or an admission that you aren't good enough.  Teaching can feel like an individual sport but it should always be a team game.


What do you think?  Would be great to hear what strategies other people use.  Thanks.

@teach_fresh