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Classroom Behavior |
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Author: David Holloway Classroom Behavior
Classroom behavior is an issue that pretty much every teacher has to deal with at one point or another. Problems with behavior in the classroom are common at every stage of the education process. A lot of people act as if bad behavior in the classroom is a new phenomenon - a symptom of the decline in moral standards in our society or some such nonsense - but in reality, there have always been behavior problems. The difference, of course, is in how we choose to treat them.
Back in the day, bad classroom behaviors were not tolerated at all. Any sign of acting out of would result in firm, harsh discipline. Although this maintained order in the classroom better, it did so at the expense of a comfortable, safe learning environment. Children could not feel free to express themselves at all, and as a result those who couldn't fit in were ruthlessly pushed down.
Nowadays, we have a much different way of looking at classroom behavior. Behavior problems are still addressed promptly, but we try to do with more psychology and less brute force. A lot of classrooms that I know of have reward systems where good behavior is acknowledged just as much as bad behavior is punished. The class might get a treat on a certain day of the week, or people with good classroom behavior might get five extra minutes of recess or first choice among games. Most of all, the well behaved kids will get the recognition of the teacher and their peers - something the kids usually value.
Of course, at a certain point you have to stop messing around with classroom behavior. With older students, you can make the point that bad behavior in the classroom is simply not tolerated. The moment it crops up, ruthlessly push it down. Do not let the students make any excuses, and don't give them a second chance. You don't have to be nasty about it, But you do have to make sure that you rules are respected. Otherwise, you will not have the respect of your students. And as a teacher, that respect is everything.
The most effective means of dealing with classroom behavior problem is simply to make the lessons fun and interesting. If you can get the students directly engaged in the learning process, they won't get bored. If they don't get bored, they are much less likely to act up. Having active, student centered learning will make your class a joy for all of your kids. They will really feel like they are part of the learning environment, and you will see immediate results. I am not saying that it will solve all of your classroom behavior problems, but it certainly will reduce the frequency. After that, all you have to do is deal with the few bad apples that every class has.
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