Classroom and Behavior Management

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A. Introduction to the module
B. An information section on classroom organization
C. A self quiz titled "Check Your Knowledge" for Section B

D. An information section on classroom rules for behavior management
E. A self quiz titled "Check Your Knowledge" for Section D

F. An information section on time management
G. A self-quiz titled "Check Your Knowledge" for Section F

H. Practice Activity | I. Classroom Application | J. References and Resources

D. Behavior Management

Schools are expected to provide safe, orderly environments that are conducive to learning. Positive school climate contributes significantly to managing student behavior. A positive school climate is a caring environment where every student feels he or she belongs. Establishing that sense of belonging and security can be facilitated by specifying expected behavior. School rules that apply throughout the building should be posted in each classroom, as well as classroom rules.

Classroom rules and procedures establish appropriate expectations for student and teacher behavior in the classroom. Rules frequently focus on the way students interact with each other and with the teacher. Classroom rules should not conflict with school-wide or school district-wide rules. Further, our behavior as teachers should conform to the rules and procedures we establish for others if we want to be respected and have those rules and procedures respected.

No one system for managing behavior has been found to be uniformly effective. Teachers frequently use Assertive Discipline, Teacher Effectiveness Training, a Positive Approach to Discipline, Reality Therapy, and other approaches. A number of resources are included at the end of this module for further reading about specific techniques. Your school or school system may have adopted a particular system and expect you to use it. You need to find out, if you don't know. There are, however, some general guidelines regarding classroom rules that enjoy fairly wide acceptance.

Schools frequently emphasize student responsibility. Familiarizing students with the rules provides a structure in which students know what is expected of them. They receive positive reinforcement for behaving responsibly within that structure. Responsible behavior is also encouraged when students have jobs in the classroom in addition to responsibilities associated with their own belongings and learning. Students may even have to "apply" for such jobs. Fifth grade students in one class apply for, and are assigned, jobs such as teaching assistant, computer technician, librarian, zookeeper, etc.

Guidelines for Developing Classroom Rules

1.	Establish Rules Early, at the beginning of the school year.

2.	Involve Students in establishing the rules.

Classroom meetings (based on writings of William Glasser) are frequently used for this purpose. The teacher becomes a facilitator, rather than the leader of the group. Guidelines for the meeting are minimal. Students and the teacher are seated in a circle. Students listen when someone else is talking and show respect for the ideas of others.

One teacher has middle school students respond to four questions: How do you want me to treat you? How do you want to treat each other? How do you think I want to be treated? How should we treat one another when there's a conflict? Vague terms such as 'be nice' have to be explained.

Middle school and high school teachers sometimes place the students in groups to discuss and recommend suggested rules that are shared, compared and refined over the first days of school.

Limit the Number of Rules. For young children, five may be the maximum with which they can cope.

State Rules Positively in Short, Clear Terms appropriate to the level of the students. Convey expected student behavior rather than all the ways students might break the rules.

Identify Rewards and Consequences. Whatever rewards and consequences are specified must be consistent with school policy.

	Common rewards for primary and intermediate grade students might include some of the following: doing a particular job in the classroom, being first in line, helping in the library (or elsewhere in the building), taking the class pet home for the night or weekend, receiving a no homework pass, using the computer, having extra center or free time, being the leader in a class activity or game.

	A secondary Spanish teacher, when there is a quiz, makes a list of all students who have completed all the assignments in the past five days. Each name is put on a slip of paper, and one is drawn out. (That person doesn't have to take the quiz.) Note: there have to be enough measurements (quizzes, tests, assignments, etc.) that the lack of one quiz won't unduly influence a grade.

	Middle school and high school teachers sometimes place the students in groups to discuss and recommend suggested rules that are shared, compared and refined over the first days of school.

	In using group contingencies, the reward is for the group and is based on the behavior of everyone in the group. Theoretically, peers will exert pressure on the students who do not conform to expectations so that the group can be rewarded. One example of this involves the teacher's writing something on the board (such as the term "surprise" or "party"). The consequence for misbehavior is that the teacher erases the last letter from the word. Students know how they are progressing toward the reward by the teacher's action without the teacher having to stop class and discuss the behavior.

	In determining consequences, first offense might cause only a reminder. The second could be a warning, while the third results in loss of privileges, and the fourth resulting in a penalty of another type, or contact with the parent. Some schools have in-school suspension, among the consequences. Assigning additional schoolwork becomes more of a punishment than a consequence, and this adds to the perception of schoolwork as something to be avoided. Middle and high school students may have a consequence of attending Saturday school or an alternative school, or even out-of-school suspension.

6.	Post Rules in the classroom or Have a Copy for Each Student to keep. One teacher signs the posted list and has each student sign, as with a contract.

7.	Practice and Review Frequently, particularly at the beginning of the year. Discuss the rules thoroughly with your students. During the first few weeks of school, be proactive and remind them of the rules in advance of situations in which they might be violated. Reinforce student behavior that follows the rules

8.	Inform Parents of the rules at the beginning of the school year. This can be done in a letter, a memo, in person at a PTA meeting, by email, a class web page, or by whatever means you feel is most effective. If there is concern that written materials may not be delivered by the student or read by the parent, teachers sometimes have the students return a tear-off section at the bottom of the page on which parents initial or sign that they have received and read the rules.

9.	Monitor Behaviors Systematically, using a system to monitor rule compliance and rule violations. This monitoring can be accomplished in several ways.

10.	Enforce Rules Consistently. Once students demonstrate understanding of the rules after much practice, the rules need to be enforced consistently. Consistent enforcement is critical for effective classroom management. The rules are applied to all students equitably, and they are applied during the last hour of the day in the same way they are during the first hour of school. However, enforcement can allow for different consequences for repeated infractions, if that is established in the rules.

Rules will necessarily vary with the age and maturity of the students. The Internet offers many examples of classroom rules. Specific websites are not included because of the frequency with they become obsolete. Using a search engine with appropriate keywords can easily locate currently available examples, similar to those below:

Kindergarten:

Walk inside
Use an inside voice
Follow directions
Use words to let others know what you need
Be kind to others

Elementary:

We raise our hand to speak.
We keep hands, feet, and objects to ourselves.
We walk in the classroom and hall.
We listen when our teacher or classmate is speaking.
We follow directions

Walk, don't run
Listen
Keep hands, feet, objects to ourselves
Respect others

Third Grade:	1. Be polite. Raise your hand to speak 2. Be kind. Keep your hands to yourself except to help someone. 3. Be responsible. Always do your classwork and homework. Take care of school property. 4. Be considerate. We are here to learn. Do not do things that prevent you or your classmates from learning.

	Be respectful of yourself and others. Raise your hand before you speak during a classroom lesson. Listen quietly while others are speaking. Obey all school rules

	Leave your seat only when necessary. Keep your hands to yourself. Be quiet in lines, hallways, and restrooms

Middle School:	Be in our seats when the bell rings. Bring paper, pencil, notebook, book. Follow directions. Speak without using any negative comments. Accept group role and responsibility

While the meaning of many rules might appear to be self-evident to us, that may not be the case for some of your students. Sadly, we live in a society where many children may not have been taught what it means to "be respectful of yourself and others." When classroom rules are established, make sure everyone understands those rules in the same way.

This concludes Part 2 of the information on Classroom and Behavioral Management.

Go to the next section to check your knowledge (covering Section D).

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