For some, classroom management is a breeze. For others, it takes a lot of rigorous planning, and even trial and error, to achieve success. Unfortunately, there isn’t one magical program to answer all of our classroom management needs. There are, however, many different tips and strategies that promote positive behavior from students, both individually and as group. Before diving into some of those techniques, I think it is important to mention that through my experience in the classroom, what was most effective for me was building a relationship with my students. I have found that our kids, especially those with the most challenging behaviors, want to feel seen and respected. I know that may sound cliché, and I in no way am implying to sugar coat or implore lighter consequence for a deserving behavior. But I strongly believe that when you have a relationship with a student, where there is mutual respect felt, they will innately want to be their best selves. They will care about how you see them and want you to be happy and proud of them. In building a relationship with your students, you will also see how each of them responds differently to various systems and address certain behaviors accordingly. You may even learn about things going on for them personally, which can also influence their behavior. I truly don’t believe any student wakes up in the morning with an intention to drive their teacher crazy (even if it feels that way sometimes). 

Every time I discuss classroom management I can’t help but think of a former student of mine; we’ll call him Michael, who, to date, was the most challenging and rewarding experience of my career. Michael had come to us because he was about to be kicked out of his old school. He was aggressive, defiant and would yell and call the teachers and administrators names- those of which are not even in my vocabulary! He came to us mid-year and was angry, unwilling, unresponsive and even combative at times. He had a lot of unfortunate events happen in his life that he was not only resentful over but also too young to really understand; causing much of his unwanted behavior. He was being seen by the social worker, school psychologist and other outside service providers. The following year he was put into my class. My administrators called for a meeting with me to discuss this particular student and “what I was getting myself into.” As much as it may have seemed helpful to hear all of this information, I really wanted to go into the year ready to form my own opinions and my own path with Michael. I decided I just wanted to get to know him and for him to get comfortable with me. I gave surveys or writing assignments that asked some personal interest questions to give myself some talking points. I’d keep him a little extra during reading groups and individual conferencing to chat or plant little seeds to show I was interested.  Slowly but surely he started to see my intentions were good. He was used to being labeled as the “bad kid” and was constantly embarrassed in front of his peers. I soon realized that pulling him aside in the hall and addressing his behavior privately was more effective. He’s had some experiences in his life that caused him to mature at a young age, therefore although he was young, he didn’t view himself that way. Because of that, I spoke to him honestly and straight forward instead of like a little kid. I would say things to him like “Are you feeling disrespected by me today? If not, then being disrespectful towards me is unacceptable. Talk to me about what’s going on so maybe we can work through this together.”  I’d also give him options for some calming activities if he was having a hard day. I’m sorry if I’m rambling- I don’t mean to. That is just how passionately I feel about the importance of getting to know your students as individuals and connect with them. Michael is a perfect example of its effects. By the end of the year he was not only a joy to have in my class, but a top performing student academically. So, what are some things that you can implement in your classroom?

Here are a few things that have proven to be effective for positive behavior in the classroom:

1. Reward systems: 

• Sticker charts- To promote more individual results, stickers are put on student’s charts when they display good choices. Student must fill up their own sticker chart to earn a reward (such as a prize from the prize box, extra technology time, etc)

• Punch cards- similarly to a sticker chart, students are responsible for their own individual behavior. Each child is given their own punch card. Teachers put a hole in the card each time a student is meeting the requirements. Once the entire punch card is full, a reward is earned. The number of holes needed will depend on age or individual need of the student.

• Table stars/tallies- When groups are making good choices, they earn stars or tallies. Whichever group has the most by the end of the week earns a reward (such as lunch with the teacher).

• Warm & fuzzies- to promote positive behavior as a whole group, a cotton ball (or another object) is placed into a jar when the entire class is making good choices. Once the jar is filled, the class earns a reward (such as pajama day, movie day, extra playtime, game day, etc.)

When using systems for small or whole groups, you may even notice the students helping each other to stay on task and maintain positive behaviors. If they are meant to be working together to earn a reward, I often times saw my students refocusing each other so that their group can continue to work toward their prize.                         

2. The 4:1 ratio technique:

This PBIS technique focuses on the idea that the teacher provides 4x more praise than criticisms. Therefore, for every “criticism” you give a student, you then provide 4 (specific) positive praises. For example, you may tell a student to “take out your books” because they haven’t done so in a timely manner. Once it’s done, the teacher follows up with 4 praises throughout the task such as “Thank you for taking your book out”, “Thank you for working so quietly”, “Wow, you’ve written so much already, good job staying focused”, “I love how you took a book out to read now that you’re done.” Aubrey Daniels, an expert in human behavior, emphasizes that “in order to shape the behavior you want, you must provide enough positive reinforcement for that behavior to become consistent. This is a great tool to use.” It is important to note that when using this technique, it is not random. This is something that requires intentional implementation. A great place to start if you’d like to learn more about this is: https://biasbehavioral.com/four-simple-ways-to-use-a-4-to-1-ratio-of-positive-praise-that-actually-work/. If you’re a visual learner, like me, you can also watch many YouTube videos in order to see this in action!

3. Limit down time:

When students are bored, they can often times act out. It is important that students are actively engaged in tasks and activities during their time with you. This can help avoid some mischievous behaviors. Some ways to do this may be to have additional work available for extra practice and/or enrichment, provide students with specific tasks to do when they complete their initial assignment or create a chart listing things students can do when they complete their work. I always entitled my chart “When you think you’re done, you’ve only just begun…” You may even allow students who complete their work to help their peers.

4. For the student that needs a break:

Send them on an errand, create an area in your room where students can work with less distraction, use a timer to manage work/break time, let them write/draw for a few minutes, teach students calming strategies to help regulate themselves and display visual reminders (For individual students: https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/FREE-Identify-Emotions-and-Calming-Strategies-Visual-AutismSpecial-Education-7404880?st=316d8f90e5d32499e95efaeb9df4f4fc  OR for a whole class visual: https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Visuals-for-Calming-Strategies-FREEBIE-2598269?st=316d8f90e5d32499e95efaeb9df4f4fc)

5. Build a relationship with your students:

As I discussed earlier, this is essential for success when implementing other systems in your classroom simultaneously. This can be done by creating surveys to learn about  interests, working with them one on one, inviting students to have lunch with you, playing games, talking to them about their interests-not just academics, finding something you have in common, laughing with them, and even sharing stories about yourself.

If you would like more information about how we can help support classroom behavior management in your school or district, go to our website www.cmdi.us to set up a free discovery call!