Behavior+Management

Healthy Control of Your Classroom
A classroom cannot be a learning environment unless the students are under control and focused. Even the best teachers struggle with challenging student behaviors or an out-of-control classroom at times. Here are a few tips, beginning with proactive steps so your students have the opportunity to get off on the right foot, as well as some behavioral management strategies for when you notice problems arising. These tips are loosely focused toward younger classrooms (Early Childhood or Elementary Education,) but many translate to any grade level.

Thoughtful Set-Up
1. The learning environment should be calm and comfortable, not busy or too rigid in aesthetics or design. - Room should have designated areas for displaying student work and achievement which rotates on a scheduled basis, and student's work should stay within that part of the wall. Too many work samples. poster or clutter within a classroom is overstimulating. - Routine should be a healthy part of the student's learning schedule, so they can begin to predict and depend upon their daily activities. Time warning for transitions, such as clean up, are important to avoid chaos from feeling rushed. If there is a break in the daily schedule, let the students know at the beginning of the day, and remind them at key times before the new activity. 2. Make classroom expectations of student clear to them in the very beginning of the school year. - Ex. 'I expect you all to speak to each ther in a respectful way, and keep your hands to yourself.' or 'Class begins promptly at 9:15 am, I expect you to be sitting quietly in your seats waiting for your first instruction by that time, so any bathroom or locker trips should be done prior to the start of class.' - It is also helpful to create classroom guidelines and expectations with the students, so they may take ownership of their behaviors. 3. Make clear the consequences if they students do not meet your expectations, as well as the procedure for warnings. - Some teachers like the system of Red Light, Yellow Light, Green Light; in which the students name is moved from green to yellow for a warning and red receives the stated consequence. (Time out, detention, losing of privileges, etc.)

**Teacher-Student Interaction**
1. Your attitude sets the tone. Teachers should present themselves to students as kind, fair, consistent, respectful. - Speak in an appropriate volume; with confidence, but not too loud. You are the first determiner of the volume of the classroom, students will always rise to your volume. - Never talk over a loud class. Either wait for quiet, or some teachers like to use a clap echo to get students attention. This is introduced at the beginning of the school year; you will instruct the students any time they hear you clap a pattern, they must immediately stop what they are doing and clap back, then give you their quiet attention. - Do not call out a students name many times, you lose your significant and legitimacy. Either wait or walk over to the student address them face-to-face. - A teacher should not demand respect, but expect its return by way of giving it to each student. 2. Try your very best to always be calm and reassuring when addressing the students. (You may need to take a moment to collect yourself.) - Students should also feel their environment is one in which they are safe; teachers should never embarass or belittle a student in front of their peers. - Often challenging students are looking for a reaction, so by maintaining your calm, you prevent the situation from escalating. - Use positive statements as opposed to negative. Ex. 'Please walk' instead of 'Do not run.' 3. Guided choices are a way to prevent and defuse behavior problems. As opposed to telling a child what they may not do, tell the child they have an option between two appropriate activities or behaviors. 4. Student expect of the teacher to set boundaries and maintain them within the classroom. The first and most effective way to carry this out is by establishing yourself as a consistent authority figure who acts out of reason, not emotion. If a warning is given, follow through with the consequences on the next undesired behavior. Never give idle threats, this will only take away your legitimacy! 5. If you have more than one teacher in a classroom, work as a team. Strategize together in alone time in regard to challeging behaviors, and also reinforce and support the other's decisions and actions in front of the students. A strong front is an asset, and students will easily take advantage of teachers who are not on the same page.

Addressing Problems
1. Try your best to know the reasoning behind the behaviors. - Many challenging behaviors are attention seeking. Often it helps to acknowledge a child's postitive behaviors as often as possible, and never give special placement or treatment to a student in regard to their undesired behaviors. - At times a child is acting out because of emotional or at-home problems, do your best to be aware of their out-of-school situation to see if there is any assitance you can provide. This will not only create you as the child's ally, but will also take pressure off of the classroom. 2. Know the warning signs and patterns. - Ex. If two children always have problems around eachother be mindful of seperating them, (without drawing attention to the fact you are keeping them apart.) - Ex. If transition times are particularly hard for a certain child, give them extra warning and assistance. 3. Observations are a helpful tool. As often as possible, keep records of the child's behavior, even when not acting out. This may help you to better understand the child and their problem.

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