Written by Paul Dix.
Your first term as a new teacher started brilliantly. You had some ideas on how to manage behaviour but put them aside as it seemed they wouldn't be needed. The children responded to you immediately and were thoroughly engaged in what you were teaching. Putting aside your behaviour plan you began to think that you were one of the chosen ones, a natural born teacher. It seemed that great behaviour just happened for you and you laughed off colleagues who warned of a ‘honeymoon period'. Then the magic wore off. The chaos began. They wouldn't listen to you when you called for quiet, they were embarrassingly wriggly in assembly and you have heard concerned grumblings about the noise level in your room. In less than a week, a beautifully curious and engaged Year 5 class have broken bad. Ryan has stopped working and started questioning, "Do I really need to do this Miss? Miss have you got a boyfriend? Miss is penis a rude word?" Tyrone won't come in from play, "I aint comin' though (lengthy teeth kissing)", and Monica has sprayed herself with fake tan and looks like an unwrinkled Dale Winton. The fascination of a new teacher has created a false dawn. How do you reset behaviour and build the firm base that you should have set from day 1?
Now choose a strategy that best fits how you might respond when you see the children the next morning.
A Call in the big beasts - You have noticed that one colleague in particular seems to have absolutely no problems with behaviour. She often talks about it in the staff room. Go and ask her for support.
B Drill the routines - Go back to the start. The basic routines. Get them right before attempting anything else.
C Appeal to their better nature - Talk to the class. Reason with them. Ask them to give an undertaking that they will improve their behaviour immediately.
Now describe what happens in each case.
A: Get help
Miss Long is not hard to find. Her voice whips down corridors like a lizards tongue. Verbally lashing children with old school flourish. As you ask for help over a cup of tea at lunchtime you are surprised at how quickly the tears well up in your eyes. You explain that the children seem to have become unruly almost overnight. Before you have finished explaining she is on her feet with a sense of urgency. She clearly has a plan. As you follow her out of the room she tells you to sit down, have a cup of tea and relax while she has a word with the children. After 15 minutes she returns with a big smile and tells you to go and enjoy the afternoon's teaching. As you walk back into the classroom you can see that you have not been the only one to shed a few tears. The boys are cowed and some of the girls look shell-shocked. Ryan is subdued, Tyrone has a 1000-yard stare and Monica is scrubbing manically. The other children are clearly shaken. They are quiet, over-polite, frightened even. You realise that you have walked into the aftermath of a massacre. You called in the attack dog and unleased it. The trust that you so carefully built is ripped apart and you have sent a clear message to the class, ‘I don't know how to deal with your behaviour'.
Talking behaviour
- Is it ever right to ‘read the riot act' to the whole class?
- Do all schools need at least one scary teacher?
- Are the teachers who are best at managing behaviour the most aggressive?
B: Drill the routines
Although there are individuals who are causing concern you decide to prioritise the routines that the class are get wrong. You start by explaining to the children that you are not happy with some of the routines. You are specific about the behaviours that you don't want and the behaviours that you do. To help everyone you display the two routines that you want to change as a set of symbols, prominently in the classroom. Immediately after your introduction you start energetically catching children who are doing the right thing. It works brilliantly but you are not going to be fooled by any more false dawns and you persist. Children who chose not to follow the routine immediately are given small, incremental sanctions. Counting down from 5 to get quiet while at the same time reinforcing those who are doing the right thing is becoming a useful routine. Returning to a seating plan that was lost in the excitement at the start of term was a good idea too. You drill the new routine for group work by writing noticing each child who follows it. Writing up the child's name with a big smile/special leaf/mad monster enthusiastically is exhausting but effective.
The class gradually reach a base level of behaviour that you are happy with, for now. There is more to be done but you have changed the direction of travel. The whole class routines have had a positive effect on Ryan, Tyrone and Monica but you are aware that they are going to need more work (and Monica is going to need wet wipes).
Talking behaviour
- How long do you need to drill a routine before it is embedded?
- What are the advantages of having the routines you are teaching displayed with symbols not words?
- Why might a countdown to silence be more effective than hands up?
C: Appeal to their better nature
You gather the class together to speak to them about what has been happening. They are a lovely group of children who behaved well until a few days ago. You are sure that a quiet word will go a long way.
After some difficulty in getting the children quiet you explain how their behaviour has made you feel and how upset you have been. You explain that you don't want to be ‘one of the shouty teachers' and that you would much rather work in a spirit of equality and mutual trust. The children listen intently. They make all the right noises in all the right places. They promise to be better behaved. The sincerity is palpable. The afternoon goes brilliantly and you are sure that they have turned the corner.
The following morning however you shout, unusually loudly to get your voice heard. Yesterday seems like another country and they are breaking their promises faster than a newly elected politician. There are no routines for better behaviour and you worry that you may have been too unspecific. Staring into your mug of tea at breaktime your faith in humanity has been shaken. To see one false dawn is a mistake but to see two is just plain naivety. You remove all thoughts of being a natural born teacher and resolve to learn your craft thoroughly.
Talking Behaviour
- Why can't you rely on the good nature of most of the children?
- Is it right to connect their behaviour with how you feel? Are there any dangers lurking?
- Is there such a thing as a natural born teacher?
Which approach did you use?
A: Your behaviour style
Too Hasty
Slow down, take a moment to think about who might be the best colleague to help you with behaviour. Many schools have maverick teachers who are a shade too aggressive in managing behaviour. They get their needs met but no one else's. Find support from a teacher who will guide you, stand alongside you but never take over. Look for the teacher who can manage behaviour rather than the one who forces children to comply.
B: Your behaviour style
Righteous Reinforcer
Even experienced teachers can come unstuck when they forget to reinforce the routines. A focus on important routines at any time in the term can sharpen everyone's behaviour. Before introducing any activity define, display and drill it. The best teachers have time doing this. Their routines are so engrained that they can transform a classroom in the blink of an eye.
C: Your behaviour style
Too much love
Children learn very young how to make the right noises when an adult is upset with them. Pleading with children to behave better never worked. ‘Behaving better' means something different to each one. When a child promises to be ‘better behaved' it is a lovely wish but a wish is all that it is.