Managing and Improving Behaviour in School
Whether you're new to role or have years of experience under your belt, behaviour is high on the list of priorities at the moment, and a challenge for many teachers and school leaders across the country.
Managing behaviour effectively is a cornerstone of creating a positive learning environment. While each school faces unique challenges, the foundations of a successful behaviour management strategy remain consistent. In this blog, we’ll explore practical approaches to support school leaders, teachers and staff in fostering an environment where positive behaviour thrives and disruptions are minimised.
Spoiler alert: There are no quick fixes.
Promoting positive behaviour
Recognising and rewarding positive behaviour reinforces good actions and sets a model for other pupils. It can be easy to use words such as ‘misbehaviour’, which can have negative connotations. However, positive behaviour management is about working to avoid needing to use sanctions by modelling positive interactions to pupils, just like you would if teaching a new skill or concept. This isn’t to say that you can’t use sanctions or shouldn’t follow the school’s behaviour policy, but it can be helpful to look at positive behaviour management like prevention is better than the cure.
As part of your approach, you may consider:
- Daily acknowledgment and simple gestures like praising their efforts in the moment which can go a long way in building mutual respect.
- Starting each day with a positive greeting to get things off on the right foot, even if things didn't go as planned the day before.
- Using positive phrasing and avoiding criticism.
- Utilising rewards systems such as certificates, house points or privileges for individuals and groups to encourage others to follow suit.
- Public recognition highlighting achievements in assemblies or newsletters to celebrate pupils’ positive contributions.
Discover how to build a positive and nurturing classroom environment for all your pupils with this Positive Behaviour Management CPD course. In this self-guided, research-based study, you’ll learn how to avoid the overuse of sanctions by developing practical, positive strategies of behaviour management. In doing so, you’ll cultivate stronger teacher-pupil relationships and create a classroom where everyone thrives.
Avoiding the use of group sanctions
Group sanctions, or collective punishment for a whole class or group, are a common response to classroom disruptions. However, while they might seem like a quick fix, group sanctions can have unintended consequences. They often cause resentment among pupils who were not involved in the misbehaviour, damage trust between pupils and teachers, and may even discourage positive behaviour by making pupils feel that their individual efforts go unrecognised.
Equip your staff with effective strategies to avoid group sanctions and foster fair, individualised approaches to behaviour management using this comprehensive CPD training bundle. Tailored for behaviour leads, senior leadership teams and anyone aiming to enhance behaviour management skills, this one-hour PowerPoint training session promotes collaboration, discussion and actionable planning, supporting a positive shift towards more equitable and constructive behaviour management methods across the school.
Managing Classroom Noise Levels
Many of us will have taught a notoriously loud class, but how do we go about not reaching and exceeding their levels purely to be heard? By implementing practical, consistent strategies, teachers can maintain a balanced classroom atmosphere where pupils are encouraged to participate, while also respecting boundaries on noise levels. Setting clear expectations, modelling desired behaviour, using auditory and visual cues and identifying trigger points can all be helpful when looking to manage and reduce the noise level in your classroom.
This CPD training bundle focuses on identifying the root causes of rising noise levels in classrooms and explores a range of strategies to tackle this.
Redirecting low-level behaviours
It can be easy to let a few low-level behaviours slide in your classroom, and sometimes ignoring them is the right approach. However, consistently doing so can impact the behaviour of others around them, as well as individuals falling into bad habits. Low-level disruptive behaviours, such as talking out of turn, fidgeting or being off-task, are common in classrooms and can interfere with a positive learning environment if left. Redirecting these behaviours in a calm and proactive way helps maintain focus and respect while minimising the escalation of minor issues into larger ones. Utilising subtle redirection techniques, such as asking the pupil a task-related question or reframing instructions positively can help, as can exploring any underlying causes for the low-level behaviours.
This 29-slide CPD PowerPoint, designed to last between 30 minutes to 1 hour, is a ready-to-roll CPD session on managing low-level disruption. It's a perfect way to train staff in the different ways they can redirect a pupil's behaviour to get learning back on track for all. With examples, eight behaviour management scenarios to choose from and thoughtful questions, the session allows for collaboration and sharing between staff members so you can be sure everyone's on the same page when it comes to managing disruptive behaviour.
Responding calmly to manage behaviour
When it comes to managing behaviour in the classroom, responding calmly is one of the most powerful tools a teacher has. A calm, measured response can prevent escalation and help pupils regulate their emotions. Here are some strategies for maintaining and fostering a calm, positive learning environment:
- Use a neutral tone and body language
- Pause before responding
- Acknowledge and validate your feelings
- Use positive reinforcement
- Reframe and redirect the conversation
- Use clear, consistent language
- Encourage self-reflection
In the moment, it's easy to feel the tension rising and your heart racing. However, practising calm responses practically during staff training sessions can help the team to have strategies to fall back on when they can feel a situation escalating. Use this comprehensive CPD training PowerPoint to explore how your staff feel and why it can feel natural to respond to situations with heightened emotions, before trialing alternatives together.
You can explore these budget-friendly, in-house behaviour CPD training materials and more, here.