promoting a positive learning enviornment handbook · the kounin model and the idea that teacher...
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PROMOTING A
POSITIVE LEARNING
ENVIRONMENT
HANDBOOK
EDUC 4202 Student Teacher Interaction in the Classroom Term 1, 2017
Brianna Lush (a1667331)
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INTRODUCTION 4
PREVENTATIVE STRATEGIES 5
PRAISE 5
Strategies in Action: Praise 5
ESTABLISHING CLASSROOM ROUTINE 6
WITH-IT-NESS 6
LESSON MOMENTUM AND TRANSITIONS 6
EFFECTIVE LESSON DESIGN 7
Strategies in Action: Preparation 7
PRESENCE IN THE CLASSROOM 7
FEEDBACK 8
Strategies in Action: Feedback 8
SEATING PLANS 8
Strategies in Action: Introducing a Seating Plan 9
DEVELOPING STUDENT-TEACHER RELATIONSHIPS 9
PHYSICAL LEARNING ENVIRONMENT 9
SUPPORTIVE STRATEGIES 10
ADJUSTING THE ZONE OF PROXIMAL DEVELOPMENT 10
NAME DROPPING 10
FLEXIBILITY AND SPONTANEITY 11
MOTIVATIONAL CUES AND PROMPTS 11
PLANNED IGNORING 11
Strategies in Action: Planned Ignoring 12
INVOLVING STUDENTS IN THE LESSON 12
Strategies in Action: Involving Students 13
REMOVING SEDUCTIVE OBJECTS 13
PRAISING APPROPRIATE BEHAVIOUR 13
Strategies in Action: Managing Low Level Disruption 14
PROXIMITY INTERFERENCE 15
WHISPER TECHNIQUE 15
Strategies in Action: A Word About Uniform 15
CONTENTS
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CORRECTIVE STRATEGIES 16
SIGNAL INTERFERENCE 16
FORCED CHOICES 16
Strategies in Action: Forced Choices 17
REMOVAL OF STUDENT 17
Strategies in Action: Removal of Student 17
GLASSER’S TRIPLETS 18
DIRECT COMMAND 18
I MESSAGES 18
REMINDER OF THE RULES 19
MANAGING CHRONIC BEHAVIOUR 19
RELATIONSHIP BUILDING 19
BREAKING THE CYCLE OF DISCOURAGEMENT 20
PRIVATE CONVERSATIONS 20
Strategies in Action: The Unteachables 20
CONCLUSION 21
REFERENCES 22
APPENDICES 25
APPENDIX A: Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs 25
APPENDIX B: Positive Behaviour Leadership Model 26
APPENDIX C: Kounin Model 27
APPENDIX D: Myers-Briggs Type Indicator 28
APPENDIX E: Theory of Multiple Intelligences 29
APPENDIX F: Bloom’s Taxonomy 30
APPENDIX G: Sociocultural Theory of Development 31
APPENDIX H: Goal Centred Theory 33
APPENDIX I: Choice Theory 34
APPENDIX J: Teacher Effectiveness Training 35
APPENDIX K: Psychosocial Development Theory 36
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Effective classroom management is the key to developing safe, positive and supportive
learning environments for students. For a teacher to manage a classroom well, they must
be able to address misbehaviour successfully and efficiently to ensure that the learning
opportunities for all students in the class are not compromised. A range of strategies can
be used to effectively manage student behaviour in the classroom, which can be
considered in three main groups (Charles 2002):
- Preventative Strategies – those which prevent opportunities for misbehaviour
- Supportive Strategies – those which support students to change their behaviour
- Corrective Strategies – those which address misbehaviour directly
Having a thorough understanding of these strategies is important for all teachers to have in
their “tool-kit” for effective classroom management. Whilst these strategies are effective in
dealing with misbehaviour, they shouldn’t take away the importance of quality teaching, as
“no classroom management strategy will prevent discipline problems if effective teaching is
not taking place” (McInerney & McInerney 2002).
This handbook discusses a number of preventative, supportive and corrective strategies
for behaviour management and describes their application in the classroom.
INTRODUCTION
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Preventative discipline strategies are those which, when implemented in the classroom,
prevent the opportunities for misbehaviour to occur. By treating students sensitively,
providing an interesting curriculum and using effective teaching styles, it is possible to
prevent most misbehaviour, which in turn allows for ideal learning environments and
opportunities to be developed (Charles 2002). Whilst many of these strategies could be
considered as ‘standard classroom practices,’ their purpose in the classroom is significant
for effective classroom management and minimizing inappropriate behaviour.
PRAISE
According to Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs (see Appendix A), one of the foundational
needs is belongingness and love. Praise lets a student know that they are genuinely cared
for and accepted in the classroom environment. It is also a useful strategy for positively
reinforcing the behaviours and routines which are expected within the class.
STRATEGIES IN ACTION: Praise
In her Year 7 Science lessons, Amy Alexander uses praise strategies to
maintain good classroom control. Amy takes any opportunity that she can to
shower praise on her students, from “thank you for putting your hand up” to
“that is an excellent answer, well done, fantastic effort” (see “Praise and
Preparation” 2:00). She realises that many of the students in her class live a
high-tension life and that they don’t necessarily receive that kind of praise at
home. Receiving praise at school is satisfying one of the basic needs that
any child requires (see Appendix A).
PREVENTATIVE STRATEGIES
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ESTABLISHING CLASSROOM ROUTINE
Establishing a new classroom routine allows students to clearly understand what is
expected of them. Establishing a new routine is “crucial for effective teaching and learning
later in the year” (McInerney & McInerney 2002), so it is important that routines are well
thought-out prior to introduction. Aspects of a classroom routine could include appropriate
entry into the classroom, preparation for class, classroom rules, acceptable behaviour and
logical consequences for behaviours, as well as any other school rules that are enforced.
Consistency is vital for the longevity of the routine. This strategy uses the Positive
Behaviour Leadership Model which guides students towards appropriate behaviours by
establishing rules and logical consequences (see Appendix B).
WITH-IT-NESS
Also referred to as having ‘eyes in the back of your head,’ with-it-ness is a key idea which
comes from the Kounin Model of classroom management (see Appendix C). It describes
the teacher’s ability to be aware of what is happening in the class at all times, allowing
them to act on situations efficiently and appropriately. Further to this, a with-it teacher is
able to ‘see into the future’ and predict situations which may occur, allowing them to
diffuse a situation before it becomes significant (AAE 2012).
LESSON MOMENTUM AND TRANSITIONS
Kounin identified that lesson momentum and transitions between activities are closely
related to class misbehaviour (see Appendix C). Stopping a lesson to address
misbehaviour significantly disrupts lesson momentum, so using strategies such as ignoring
and signal interference to manage minor misbehaviours allows the momentum of the
lesson to continue. Transitions between activities should be considered in advance to
ensure they are smooth and logical, which avoids any opportunity for students to lose
focus.
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EFFECTIVE LESSON DESIGN
Effective lesson design is important for maintaining focus, motivation and attention of the
class and includes consideration of the preferences for different personality types (see
Appendix D) and dominant learning styles (see Appendix E) to ensure that every student
has an opportunity to learn using their preferred learning style at some point during the
lesson, hence contributing to student motivation and attention. Learning activities should
be designed in a way such that they logically build in complexity from previous activities
(see Appendix F). Student attention span is also important to consider.
PRESENCE IN THE CLASSROOM
Effective teacher presence can reduce misbehaviour and involves being conscious of body
postures and gestures, movement around the classroom, volume, tone and pace of
speech, facial expressions, eye contact, confidence and showing professionalism and
passion for teaching and the subject area (McInerney & McInerney 2002). This relates to
the Kounin Model and the idea that teacher behaviours influence student on-task time (see
Appendix C).
STRATEGIES IN ACTION: Preparation
Amy Alexander uses thorough preparation during her lessons to ensure that her full
focus can be on managing the behaviour of the class. She ensures that all whiteboard
work is written on the board prior to the lesson (see “Praise and Preparation” 0:39) so
that there is no opportunity for students to misbehave whilst she is writing on the board
with her back to the class. After having the class for three weeks, Amy is fully aware that
there are a range of learning abilities within the classroom, which results in some
students working at faster rates than others. By having the whiteboard prepared with all
instructions for the lesson, students are able to independently identify where they are up
to in the lesson and what they need to achieve. Amy also uses colour coding of her
instructions on the whiteboard to make it extremely clear what students need to be
working on (see “Praise and Preparation” 4:40).
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FEEDBACK
Timely and positive feedback on student work is important for motivating and encouraging
students in their learning, as well as for developing trust between a student and teacher. It
is useful for students to reflect on their thinking and learning strategies and also points
them in the direction of areas where they need to improve. Specificity is vital in the
feedback process, as “the more specific the feedback, the more motivating it is likely to be”
(Brady & Scully 2005). A proportion of feedback should be in writing to ensure that
students have a permanent record that they can reflect on when they need to.
SEATING PLANS
Misbehaviour can arise from encouragement between students. Enforcing a seating plan
in a class allows the teacher to determine where students are seated around the room,
contributing to the overall management of the class.
STRATEGIES IN ACTION: Feedback
Phil Beadle places a large emphasis on student feedback and believes that it
is the bedrock to student success. He suggests that marking student work with
a high degree of rigour is one of the most significant ways to impact on student
learning by informing students of what they are doing well and the targets they
need to achieve to improve (see “Argument Tennis with Phil Beadle” 6:30).
When involved in the Unteachables program, Phil’s feedback at the conclusion
of the program clearly had a significant impact on the students, some of which
were brought to tears. Many of the students came from backgrounds where
encouragement and praise outside of school would be limited, so reading
about the feedback from someone who they had come to admire was an
important step in their journey (see “Unteachables” Episode 4).
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DEVELOPING STUDENT-TEACHER RELATIONSHIPS
Positive student-teacher relationships are important for developing mutual respect
between students and the teacher. Relationships can be built by getting to know the
names of students quickly, using eye contact, meeting and greeting students as they enter
the class and being interested in their other hobbies and passions. Extending the
compassion that is shown to students during lesson outside of the classroom (ie at lunch
time or lesson change over) also grows these relationships.
PHYSICAL LEARNING ENVIORNMENT
The physicalities of the learning environment can have a huge influence over the
behaviour of a class. These physicalities could include temperature, lighting and
classroom arrangement. When required, adjustments should be made to these
physicalities to allow the desired behaviours to be promoted.
STRATEGIES IN ACTION: Introducing a Seating Plan
During his first lesson with a reputable Year 9 class, David Torn introduced
his seating plan by explicitly indicating each student’s allocated seat, one
student at a time (see “Tough Love” 1:58). Whilst David admitted he could
have put a diagram on the board, allocating seats in this way avoids 10
minutes of the lesson being wasted with students saying “I don’t know where
I’m sitting” and wandering aimlessly around the classroom – an ideal
opportunity for misbehaviour. He uses this method as a strong dominance
trick for the challenging class, which clearly indicates who is in charge of the
classroom, and also uses it as an opportunity to learn each student’s name.
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“Despite your best efforts, students will at times become restive and can easily slip into
misbehaviour” (Charles 2002). Supportive discipline strategies are used to encourage
students to get back on track with their work and think about their actions without directly
interceding in their behaviour. Supportive strategies generally do not carry consequences
with them. Instead they can be integrated naturally into the lesson when the development
of behavioural issues is anticipated.
ADJUSTING THE ZONE OF PROXIMAL DEVELOPMENT (ZPD)
The ZPD was identified by Vygotsky as the distance between what a student can do
independently and what they can do with assistance (see Appendix G) (Bocher et al.
2003). Behavioural issues can arise when tasks are set below or above the ZPD – tasks
below the ZPD can be too simple for students and lead to boredom, whilst tasks above the
ZPD can be too complex and lead to frustration and anxiety. In both cases, learning is not
promoted. The teacher needs to be aware of each student’s ZPD and scaffold learning up
or down to allow students to be working in their ZPD and hence becoming actively
engaged.
NAME DROPPING
Name dropping involves simply stating a student’s name when the teacher has observed
that the student is not on task, not paying attention or beginning to misbehave. This could
be used by saying the student’s name once to capture their attention or by saying the
student’s name followed by a question about the content of the lesson. Name dropping
causes a student to ‘prick up their ears,’ making them realise that the teacher is aware of
their actions and that their attention should be focused on the lesson (Levin & Nolan 2003).
SUPPORTIVE STRATEGIES
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FLEXIBILITY AND SPONTANEITY
Sometimes even the most well thought-out lessons do not go to plan, and it is in these
circumstances that a teacher should use their discretion to adjust the lesson
spontaneously. This strategy relates to the Kounin Model and the idea that teacher
behaviours influence student on-task time (see Appendix C).When a teacher can observe
that an activity is not going well or students are generally not paying attention to the lesson,
the lesson could be changed ‘on the spot’ by:
- Changing the current activity completely
- Physically take the class to a different learning environment
- Shortening the time allocated for an activity
- Extending the time allocated for an activity if there is valuable learning occurring
- Involving students in the explanation of concepts
MOTIVATIONAL CUES AND PROMPTS
During lesson instruction, cues and prompts can encourage students to focus their
attention on the lesson and remain on-task. If it is obvious that a student is distracted,
using a cue such as “Jonny, listen carefully because after this explanation I am going to
ask you a question” directs the student to be listening and gives them prior warning that
they will need to provide an answer. The teacher can also use cues and prompts to
scaffold the student’s response if they are having difficulty to avoid them experiencing
embarrassment. Cues and prompts can also be used to reiterate the expected behaviours.
PLANNED IGNORING
Planned ignoring is particularly used to manage attention seeking behaviours. Students
who display these behaviours do so in an effort to attract the attention of the teacher,
which can impact on the momentum of the lesson. By ignoring these behaviours, the
student will eventually realise that it has no effect and will gradually stop doing it. Bill
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Rogers also emphasises the importance of planned ignoring of secondary behaviours (for
example, the eye rolls and sighing). This strategy uses Goal Centred Theory and the idea
that an individual’s actions are an attempt to satisfy their own needs (see Appendix H).
INVOLVING STUDENTS IN THE LESSON
Involving students in the lesson can be an effective way of generating interest and
motivation for learning. Students could be involved by pointing out something on the board,
explaining a concept in their own words to the class or being allocated a specific job. This
strategy can be particularly useful for engaging kinaesthetic learners. (See also
STRATEGIES IN ACTION: Managing Low Level Disruption)
STRAGEGIES IN ACTION: Planned Ignoring
In her Year 10 class, Nicola Lamb uses planned ignoring to manage two
girls who are constantly talking and drawing her attention away from the rest
of the class. Upon reflection of her lesson with John Bayley, she identifies
that the girls want to have her as a friend which results in their attention
seeking behaviour. Nicola uses planned ignoring by going ‘cold’ towards the
girls when they are doing the wrong thing (eg. calling out over the class,
talking about irrelevant topics during class) and showering them with praise
when they are doing the right thing (eg. hand up before speaking, working
quietly on task). The girls don’t particularly enjoy when the teacher which
they admire goes cold against them, so during the lesson they tend to
remain on task and display appropriate behaviours so that they can be on
Nicola’s ‘good side’ (see “Girl Talk” 9:35).
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REMOVING SEDUCTIVE OBJECTS
This strategy can be used with little disruption to the lesson to remove objects which are
distracting students. Simple objects can be quietly removed from a student’s reach,
however removing more personal objects such as mobile phones could cause
confrontation. Situations like this require caution and often an agreement about when it
can be collected again.
PRAISING APPROPRIATE BEHAVIOUR
Praising appropriate behaviour is a strategy which reminds students of the behavioural
expectations that have been set in the class. Examples of praising appropriate behaviour
could include “thank you for putting up your hand” and “well done to those who have been
waiting quietly outside the classroom.” (See also STRATEGIES IN ACTION: Managing
Low Level Disruption).
STRATEGIES IN ACTION: Involving Students
David Torn uses a quick activity at the end of his lesson with a reputable
Year 9 class to finish the lesson on a positive note. He shows an image
where students have to guess the hidden object. David involves students by
allowing them to quietly discuss their ideas with their peers before actively
coming to the board to point out what they think the hidden object is,
ensuring that each student is praised for their effort even if their answer is
incorrect. The slightly challenging task also creates some friendly
competition amongst peers, adding to the interest and motivation toward the
activity (see “Tough Love” 10.45).
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STRATEGIES IN ACTION: Managing Low Level Disruption
French teacher Jane Wright finds her Year 7 class challenging to control due to
constant, low level disruption and attention seeking behaviour. After discussion
with John Bayley, she implemented a number of strategies during her lesson which
resulted in greater control over the class and on-task work.
- Signal interference: John suggested using signal interference to tactically
ignore calling out from two girls in the front row by holding out an open hand
in the direction of the girls. In doing so, it indicates that the teacher has
control of the class and that the behaviour of the girls is not appropriate.
Using a non-verbal strategy also meant that the momentum of the lesson
was not disrupted (see “Attention Seekers” 4:10)
- Praising ideal behaviour: Jane made a significant effort to praise and
encourage the ideal behaviours that she was expecting from the class. She
used this strategy to promote the desired behaviours among the entire
class, hoping that those left out from receiving the praise would want to be
included in that and hence change their behaviour (see “Attention Seekers”
9:08, 10:19 and 10:40)
- Whisper technique: Jane used the whisper technique when she noticed a
student who was wandering off task. In doing so, she was able to privately
address the behaviour and suggest to the student what she needed to work
on (see “Attention Seekers” 11:15)
- Proximity: Jane’s position in the classroom was near the most disruptive
students in the front row for majority of the lesson, to exert authority in the
class and keep a close eye on the challenging students.
- Involving students in the lesson: Students are often more likely to be
interested in watching their peers than the teacher. Jane asks for a
volunteer to do an activity at the beginning of the lesson and showers praise
on her for completing the activity correctly (see “Attention Seekers” 8:43).
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PROXIMITY INTERFERENCE
Proximity interference involves the teacher positioning themself close to a disruptive
student. Having an authoritative figure within close distance to a misbehaving student
usually causes them to move back to on-task work. Proximity interference can be used
without disruption to the flow of the lesson, and when used in conjunction with signal
interference, it creates a very effective classroom management strategy. (See also
STRATEGIES IN ACTION: Managing Low Level Disruption).
WHISPER TECHNIQUE
The whisper technique is used to quietly talk to students about their behaviour. It is an
opportunity for the teacher to draw a student’s attention to their behaviour in a private
manner, depriving them of public attention and reminding them about the expectations
which they are required to follow. This strategy relates to Choice Theory and the idea that
an individual attempts to satisfy their own needs (see Appendix I). Proximity is also an
important aspect of the whisper technique which creates an effective strategy to guide
student behaviour back on track. (See also STRATEGIES IN ACTION: Managing Low
Level Disruption).
STRATEGIES IN ACTION: A Word About Uniform
David Torn subtly uses the whisper technique to alert students about the
state of their uniform as they enter the classroom. Whispering prevents
public attention and allows the correspondence to be purely between the
teacher and student. Proximity is also used by David when he stands at the
door as each student enters the classroom, displaying authority and control
to the class (see “Tough Love” 1:12).
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Despite having preventative strategies in place, at times misbehaviour issues will arise in
the classroom. Corrective discipline strategies are used to manage this misbehaviour
directly. When teachers use these strategies, it is important that they do so in a positive
manner while also remaining calm and respectful. By approaching misbehaviour in this
way, students can be guided back to acceptable behaviour in a manner that avoids further
confrontation or rebellion (Charles 2002).
SIGNAL INTERFERENCE
Signal Interference is a non-verbal strategy that clearly indicates to a student that their
behaviour is inappropriate without disrupting the entire class. For this strategy to be
effective, it is important that the signal is clearly directed at the student and that the
teacher’s expression is business-like, so that there is no chance for the signal to be
misinterpreted (Levin & Nolan 2003). Examples of signal interference could include giving
an evil eye, pointing, head shaking and holding out an open hand. Whilst this strategy
could be used in a supportive manner, it becomes corrective when it is specifically
targeting misbehaviour.
FORCED CHOICES
Using forced choices is a strategy which is commonly used by Bill Rogers, but also relates
to Choice Theory, which reminds students that they are responsible for their behaviour
(see Appendix I). Forced choices involve instructing a misbehaving student that they have
to choose between this or that to correct their behaviour – with ‘or’ being the keyword. An
example of this could be “Jessica, you can choose to put your phone away or I will have to
confiscate it for the remainder of the lesson.” The consequences associated with the
choice must be logical to manage misbehaviour effectively.
CORRECTIVE STRATEGIES
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REMOVAL OF STUDENT
In situations where a misbehaving student is causing whole class and lesson disruption, it
may be necessary to remove them from the classroom for a specified period of time. This
could involve making them wait outside or asking them to see another member of staff.
Removing a student from the class does mean that their learning opportunity is limited, so
this strategy should be used as a ‘last resort’ when other supportive and corrective
strategies have had no effect.
STRATEGIES IN ACTION: Forced Choices
In a new English class, Bill Rogers notices that three girls have rearranged
the classroom furniture to a corner of the room. After introducing himself to
the girls, he directly instructs the girls to move the furniture back to its
original position in the class. However, after some confrontation from the
girls, he uses a forced choice and leaves the girls to decide what they are
going to do – “If you choose not to move the table back, then we will have to
have a little chat at lunchtime” (see “Bill Rogers Video 5” 1:46).
STRATEGIES IN ACTION: Removal of Student
In her Year 7 French class, Jane Wright’s attention is constantly being drawn
to an attention seeking student at the front of the room. The student is off
task and distracting others, as well as drawing attention from the teacher
which limits the instructional time for the rest of the class. After using name
dropping, reminders and some ignoring, Jane asks the student to wait
outside the classroom, allowing more of her attention to be on the lesson
rather than the disruptions (See “Attention Seekers” 4:52).
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GLASSER’S TRIPLETS
The Glasser’s triplets strategy was developed by William Glasser who proposed three
questions that could be used to guide students back to appropriate behaviour. To avoid
confrontation, it is suggested that the teacher uses three statements instead of questions
(Levin & Nolan 2003). Using Glasser’s triplets to address misbehaviour involves the
teacher saying to the student ‘this is the behaviour, these are the rules, this is what you
need to be doing.’
DIRECT COMMAND
Direct commands are used to instruct misbehaving students about what is expected of
them at that time. It is not used in a pleading manner, but instead is a direction for a
student to stop their misbehaviour. Examples of using a direct command could include “I
want you to be quiet and listen” and “Put your worksheet on the desk and write your name
at the top.”
I MESSAGES
“I messages” are a three-part message which highlight to the student the impact of their
misbehaviour on the teacher and/or class. I messages involve a description of the
behaviour, a description on the effect of the behaviour on the teacher and/or class, and a
description about the teacher’s feelings about that effect without a negative consequence
or direct command (Levin & Nolan 2003). An example of an I message could be “When
you forget to bring your homework in (part 1), I can’t check all the work at the same time to
see if everyone is ready for me to teach the next topic (part 2). This makes me feel very
frustrated at the waste of time (part 3)” (McInerney & McInerney 2002). This uses Teacher
Effectiveness Training and the idea that good communication promotes positive
relationships and prevents misbehaviour (see Appendix J).
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REMINDER OF THE RULES
When clear rules and routines have been established in a class, reminding misbehaving
students of those rules can encourage them to think about and change their behaviour. If
the reminder does not cause a student to change their behaviour, it is vital that logical
consequences follow to express the importance of the rules and routines which have been
set.
MANAGING CHRONIC BEHAVIOUR ISSUES
For students that have chronic misbehaviour issues, the combination of preventative,
supportive and corrective strategies may have no impact on their behaviour at all. These
chronic behaviours usually occur as a result of significant underlying issues, many of
which are related to the student’s life outside of school, so Goal Centred Theory is used to
understand that this behaviour could be an attempt to satisfy an individual’s needs (see
Appendix H). Despite these issues, students still need to learn how to control their
behaviour. Commitment, persistence, patience and self-control from the teacher are vital
for successful management of students with chronic behaviour. It is recommended that
this occurs inside the classroom, and there are several strategies which teachers can take
to achieve this (Levin & Nolan 2004):
RELATIONSHIP BUILDING
Building a positive relationship is one of the most effective strategies to help
students with chronic misbehaviour. A student may not have had an opportunity to
develop a positive relationship with an adult, and so in doing so, it indicates to them
that the teacher is ‘on their side.’ Steps to relationship building include considering
why the behaviour is occurring, developing a sense of empathy with the student,
being aware of other cues and behaviours that reveal the student’s personality and
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as a teacher, constantly being aware of your interactions with the student (Levin &
Nolan 2004).
BREAKING THE CYCLE OF DISCOURAGEMENT
Most students with chronic behaviour issues have had plenty of experience with low
self-esteem and failure, leading to a constant cycle of discouragement. This cycle
can be broken by teachers providing opportunities which assist students in meeting
their needs for significance, competence, power and generosity (Levin & Nolan
2004).
PRIVATE CONVERSATIONS
Once a relationship has been established, teachers can use private conversations
with a student to begin to influence their behaviour. These conversations can be
constructed in a way such that the student becomes aware of the issue and its
impact, leading to the development of some solutions or agreements which are
going to assist the student with changing and managing their behaviour.
STRATEGIES IN ACTION: The Unteachables
When taking on the role of teaching a group of students with chronic
misbehaviour issues, Phil Beadle’s initial goal was focused on relationship
building. He involves games to learn the students’ names and provides
opportunities to talk about their experiences with school. He works to build
their self-esteem by asking the students to complete a Multiple Intelligences
test, which he used to personally encourage the students and also to
understand how the students were going to learn best. For two students he
knew would be challenging, he took a moment to talk with them privately,
asking open questions about what makes them ‘tick’, what they think about
schooling and end by agreeing on some simple arrangements about
managing the students’ behaviour in the class (see “The Unteachables”
Episode 1).
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The preventative, supportive and corrective strategies and their applications described in
this handbook can be used collectively to effectively manage misbehaviour in the
classroom. In all cases, consistency is essential.
Whilst a number of strategies have been discussed here, the list is not exclusive and there
are many more strategies which are effective at managing misbehaviour. Due to differing
class dynamics, a selected strategy may not have the same effect on every student, so it
is important that teachers trial a range of strategies until a combination is found which has
the desired effect.
CONCLUSION
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REFERENCES
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Institute of Educational Assessors (IEA) (2017) “Principles of Assessment”, PowerPoint,
The University of Adelaide.
Levin J & Nolan JF (2003) “What Every Teacher Should Know About Classroom
Management”, Every Teacher Classroom Management”, Pearson Education Inc. pp. 25-72.
Levin J & Nolan JF (2004) “Classroom Interventions for Chronic Problems”, Principles of
Classroom Management: A Professional Decision-Making Model”, Pearson, 4th edition,
pp.193-221.
Luongo N (n.d) “Bloom’s Taxonomy”, Saint Peter’s College.
McInerney DM & McInerney V (2002) “Classroom Management and Cooperative Group
Work for Effective Learning”, Educational Psychology – Constructing Learning, pp. 243-
274.
Northern Illinois University (n.d) “Howard Gardner’s Theory of Multiple Intelligences”, pp.
1-9.
Pressbooks Sites (n.d) “Lesson 1.6: Howard Gardner’s Multiple Intelligences Theory”,
accessed 26 March 2017,
https://openoregon.pressbooks.pub/collegereading/chapter/lesson-1-6-on-howard-
gardners-multiple-intelligences-theory/.
Wikipedia (2017) “Myers-Briggs Type Indicator”, accessed 28 March 2017,
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Myers%E2%80%93Briggs_Type_Indicator.
Wikipedia (2017) “Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs”, accessed 28 March 2017,
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maslow%27s_hierarchy_of_needs.
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VIDEOS
Bill Rogers (n.d) “Bill Rogers Video 5”, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EWjBVdcpw7M.
Teaching with Bayley (2011) “Attention Seekers”,
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pXhtwDK4oHw&t=3s.
Teaching with Bayley (2011) “Girl Talk”,
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q3OxKAxpOdo.
Teaching with Bayley (2011) “Praise and Preparation”,
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KkXRjrSsMQg&feature=youtu.be.
Teaching with Bayley (2011) “Tough Love”,
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ec0v4kzYkCY.
Teaching with Bayley (2013) “Argument Tennis with Phil Beadle”,
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zr2xdjQPH4I.
Unteachables, Episodes 1-4.
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MASLOW’S HIERARCHY OF NEEDS | Abraham Maslow
Much of Abraham Maslow’s research investigated the driving factors which lie behind
human motivation. From his research, he proposed a hierarchy of needs which every
individual aims to satisfy. In this hierarchy, an individual cannot move to a higher level until
the lower level needs have been satisfied. The hierarchy can be divided into two sections:
deficiency needs and growth needs (Huitt 2007). Maslow stated that it was impossible to
satisfy the growth needs (needs that lead to learning and development) unless all of the
deficiency needs have been satisfied first. If an individual feels as though they are deficient
in one of the lower needs in the hierarchy, they will act in a way that aims to remove that
deficiency, and often that presents itself as misbehaviour. Teachers can use this theory to
assist in satisfying the deficiency needs of misbehaving students to allow them to be ready
to move into a place of growth and learning.
Figure 1: Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs (Wikipedia 2017).
APPENDICIES
APPENDIX A
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POSITIVE BEHAVIOUR LEADERSHIP MODEL | Bill Rogers
The Positive Behaviour Leadership Model developed by Bill Rogers is based upon the
idea that all disciplinary practices should “empower students to be accountable for their
own behavioural choices, respect the rights of others to learn, be safe and be respected,
and build facilitative positive relationships” (Arthur-Kelly et al. 2003). The principle of
shared rights and responsibilities is significant in this model and the teacher plays a vital
role in leading the students to understand and commit to this. Rogers suggests that
students can be guided towards appropriate behaviour by establishing rules and logical
consequences, developing a positive class tone and adopting a decisive teaching style
(Arthur-Kelly et al. 2003).
APPENDIX B
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KOUNIN MODEL | Jacob Kounin
Jacob Kounin’s model of classroom management – the Kounin Model – focuses on the
behaviours of teachers which have a strong influence on student on-task time and hence
minimize inappropriate behaviour. Kounin identified ‘with-it-ness’ (the ability to be aware of
and foresee situations which are occurring in the classroom), the ripple effect (positive and
negative behaviour can influence other students in the classroom based on how the
teacher reinforces or deals with the behaviour, respectively), avoiding satiation (the
strategies that are used to maintain student focus and motivation) and movement
management (lesson momentum and transition between activities) as the key behaviours
(Arthur-Kelly et al. 2003).
APPENDIX C
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MYERS-BRIGGS TYPE INDICATOR
The Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) is based on theoretical work by Carl Jung. The
indicator is determined through an extensive questionnaire and provides information about
an individual’s personality preferences, in particular how they perceive the world and make
decisions. The way that a student learns is influenced by their personality preferences, and
teachers can take this into consideration to create lessons where all personalities are
catered for. The test indicates preferences for extraversion versus introversion, sensing
versus intuition, thinking versus feeling and judging versus perceiving. A breakdown of the
personality types can be seen in Figure 2.
Figure 2: The 16 different personality types that can be determined from the Myers-Briggs
Type Indicator (Wikipedia 2017).
APPENDIX D
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THEORY OF MULTIPLE INTELLIGENCES | Howard Gardner
Gardner’s Theory of Multiple Intelligences states that “human potential can be tied to one’s
preferences to learning” (Northern Illinois University n.d). Gardner’s theory involves nine
intelligences (capabilities and skills) and suggests that each individual has a preference to
which intelligence they use to demonstrate their abilities. The nine intelligences can be
seen in Figure 3. By taking this theory into consideration, teachers can design lessons
which allow all students to have the opportunity to learn in a way that suits their preference.
Figure 3: The nine intelligences which make up Gardner’s theory (Pressbooks Sites n.d).
APPENDIX E
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BLOOM’S TAXONOMY | Benjamin Bloom
Bloom’s Taxonomy was created to classify cognition into six levels, which increase in the
degree of complexity (Luongo N n.d). The model is hierarchical, meaning that one cannot
progress to an upper level without having mastered the lower level first. Teachers can use
Bloom’s Taxonomy to design learning activities throughout a topic. Figure 4 shows the six
levels and the types of tasks which are associated with the level.
Figure 4: Bloom’s Taxonomy (Armstrong 2017).
APPENDIX F
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SOCIOCULTURAL THEORY OF DEVELOPMENT | Lev Vygotsky
Vygotsky developed the Sociocultural Theory of Development on the idea that learning
occurs via social interactions. Vygotsky believed that learning happens following
interactions with the environment and people around us, which leads us to develop new
skills by understanding what stimuli are considered to be important (Arthur-Kelly et al.
2003). Hence, the Sociocultural Theory of Development suggests that we don’t learn
because we have developed, instead we develop because we have learned. Vygotsky
identified the Zone of Proximal Development (ZPD), which is the range of tasks that a child
can complete with the assistance of others. Once a child has received help for a task, they
should be able to complete it independently. Learning occurs when tasks are located in the
ZPD. The complexities of these tasks are located ‘just out of reach’ of the student’s current
ability, creating the right amount of challenge for a student, sparking motivation and
curiosity. The assistance which is given to students to complete the tasks is referred to as
‘scaffolding,’ where teachers gradually build students up to the level and quality of thinking
that is required to complete the task. If the complexities of a task are located above or
below the ZPD, misbehaviour can begin to occur, as shown in Figure 6.
APPENDIX G
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Figure 5: The Zone of Proximal Development (ZPD) is the distance between what a
student can already do and what is currently beyond their reach (IEA 2017).
Figure 6: The behaviours which could be displayed following tasks in and around a
student’s ZPD. The ‘stretch zone’ is the ZPD, the ‘comfort zone’ is what the student can
already do and the ‘panic zone’ is out of the student’s current ability (IEA 2017).
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GOAL CENTRED THEORY | Rudolf Dreikurs
Humans have a significant need and desire to belong to social groups (Arthur-Kelly et al.
2003). Though his research, Rudolf Dreikurs suggested that misbehaviour is motivated by
a desire to achieve one of four goals to satisfy the need for belonging – attention, power,
revenge or displaying inadequacy (Dinkmeyer 1961) – and hence a child’s misbehaviour
could be understood if the underlying goal was identified. Goal Centred Theory involves
teachers identifying a needs-based explanation that underlies a student’s misbehaviour
and to then determine alternative methods for those needs to be met (Arthur-Kelly et al.
2003).
APPENDIX H
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CHOICE THEORY | William Glasser
Choice Theory was developed by William Glasser in response to the idea that all
behaviours come as a result of an individual’s best attempt to satisfy their own needs at a
given time (Arthur-Kelly et al. 2003). Glasser developed the idea of each individual having
a ‘quality world’ which appears as the ‘ideal life’, and suggested that student behaviour
was driven by an internal desire to pursue that world. Choice Theory is a preventative
approach to classroom management which teaches that an individual is purely responsible
for their own behaviour (Arthur-Kelly et al. 2003). Teachers can lead students to needs
satisfaction by aligning the learning environments to the quality worlds of the students,
resulting in appropriate behavioural choices (Arthur-Kelly et al. 2003).
APPENDIX I
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TEACHER EFFECTIVENESS TRAINING | Thomas Gordon
Thomas Gordon developed his Teacher Effectiveness Training Theory by believing that
students are capable of independent problem solving and self control if they are supported
to do so in an appropriate manner. Through open and honest communication between a
teacher and student, positive relationships are able to be built which contribute to the
prevention of misbehaviour. The theory emphasises that misbehaviour is motivated by
needs-satisfaction. The established relationships allow a teacher to talk to a student about
the effect of their misbehaviour and the actions which can be taken to encourage the
student to change their behaviour to those which are expected (Arthur-Kelly et al. 2003).
APPENDIX J
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PSYCHOSOCIAL DEVELOPMENT THEORY | Erik Erikson
Erik Erikson’s Psychosocial Development Theory is founded on the idea that an
individual’s personality changes throughout their lifetime and that specific development in
personality occurs following a successful resolution of a psychosocial crisis. Despite the
word ‘crisis’ usually indicating a negative event, Erikson has defined a crisis as a situation
in which an individual is encouraged to adjust to new guidelines and expectations,
however they are not yet ready to act on these demands fully (Bartlett et al. 2009). The
theory is divided into 8 stages of psychosocial development, with the two most crucial
stages for school-age children being the “Industry versus Inferiority (6-11 years)” and the
“Identity versus Role Confusion (12-18 years)” stages. Teachers are able to use this
theory to understand the personality changes which occur in school-age children to better
understand the motives behind their misbehaviour and hence support them appropriately.
APPENDIX K