Managing behaviour is key to establishing a safe environment where pupils can learn. Behaviour itself however is highly complex and tied up with an individual’s social context and behavioural psychology.
As new teachers, you may have already begun to experience the diversity of individual behaviours, and you may have begun to gather a range of strategies to manage them. Beyond establishing routines and interventions for managing misbehaviours, it is important to establish a productive classroom environment that supports positive learning behaviours and establishes positive social norms.
Developing confident and effective habits for managing behaviour takes time; the Education Endowment’s (2019) report on behaviour in schools shows that a positive classroom climate is directly linked to years of experience in the classroom. It is therefore important in the early years of teaching to begin establishing routines, practising positive habits, and seeking advice from colleagues who are
Video
Routines in a music classroom
Robert Marzano suggests that ‘it is simply not possible for a teacher to conduct instruction for children to work productively if they have no guidelines
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Sound advice, thank you
Knowing your students the first few weeks can be daunting, having a printed seating plan has helped me with this
Yes – I think it’s also important to talk to their existing teachers as well, so you have some idea of what to expect.
The article and video reaffirm how important knowing your students is in terms of behaviour management. I appreciated the advice in the video to find opportunities for positive praise with students who early on pose behavioural issues/challenges, so that you can build a positive relationship with them from the start rather than a negative one.
I can agree that just by knowing your pupils name it becomes so much easier to deliver a lesson and get their attention when needed.
The last sentence of this video really made an impression on me – ‘show them that you care about their learning by following things up’. A really great positive way to think about what could potentially be a negative experience. Thank you!
Where the student has a diagnosis of autism spectrum disorder it is important to establish an agreement with the TA or LSA who is providing one to one support for that student on when is best to suggest to the student that they have a learning break. This will help the student to refocus and practice their emotional regulation techniques.