Classroom management for the 21 st Century Scholarship and certificate programme Workshop 4

Agenda for today: Introduction to Mental Set Understanding misbehaviour Rewards and sanctions Writing a behaviour policy Tackling lateness and poor attendance

Mental Set: ‘A heightened sense of situational awareness and a conscious control over one’s thoughts and behaviour relative to that situation” Marzano et al (2003)

Mental Set Withitness: Being aware of what is happening in all parts of the classroom at all times. (Brophy, 1996) Emotional objectivity: Implementing and enforcing rules, procedures and disciplinary measures, and cultivating effective relationships without interpreting any misbehaviour as a personal attack. (Marzano, 2003)

With-it teachers: Monitor their classrooms regularly Position themselves so they can see all students all the time Continuously scan the room to keep track of what’s going on Let their students know they are ‘with it’ Catch problems before they become disruptive Accurately target the correct students when they do have to intervene to stop misbehaviour In the event that they have not seen who caused the disruption, firmly address the whole group with a warning instead of singling out the wrong individual

Emotionally objective teachers: Address disciplinary issues in an unemotional, matter-of-fact manner Are realistic in their attitudes towards students and teacher- student relationships Like the children they teach but view them professionally as young learners

Understanding misbehaviour The work is too easy The work is too difficult You are boring them! They are tired/hungry/thirsty/too hot They are pre-occupied by other problems Have trouble with self- control They are seeking attention They are testing your boundaries

Rewards and sanctions What do you do in your school?

School behaviour policy: purpose The aim of a behaviour policy is: To adopt a consistent and positive approach to the management of students’ behaviour To establish clear boundaries so students know what is expected of them

School behaviour policy: purpose Or… To enable teachers to teach, not to constrict them To enable learners to learn, not to oppress them To achieve an atmosphere of structure, order and calm where learning is possible (Tom Bennett, Behaviour Specialist)

School behaviour policy: content Expectations of pupils, staff and parents in upholding acceptable behaviour standards Reward system Support structures for students causing concern Procedure for dealing with unacceptable behaviour Sanctions (Tom Bennett, Behaviour Specialist)

Tackling lateness and poor attendance Three issues to consider: Attendance at school Punctuality arriving at school Punctuality to lessons

Improving poor attendance: Do your students recognise school as a place where they belong and are valued? Do they understand what it is they are trying to achieve by coming to school? Are your students able to access the curriculum and become engaged in their learning? Do parents recognise the importance of daily attendance at school?

Improving punctuality to school: Implement a graduated response to punctuality arriving at school If lateness is more than a few minutes, parents should be informed

Improving punctuality to lessons: Judge lateness fairly and consistently Judge the student’s attitude as they enter the class Deal with it immediately Don’t allow lateness to interrupt the flow of your lesson Require a decent explanation Have a graduated response