Humiliation isn’t the answer. What I've learned....
Recently, I’ve been talking behavior management strategies with school colleagues online and face to face. It seems that many classroom teachers feel that a “clip up, clip down” system or “flip your card” method are the only way to keep students on track.
Here’s recent dialogue from an online post between educators:
Original poster (after sharing an article): If not a behavior chart of some sort, then what?
Response from educator: I completely understand why behavior charts are embarrassing and can be seen as publicly shaming a student for poor behavior, but I would need to see their suggestions for other behavior management strategies in action. If you decide to throw out your chart and use these techniques, let me know so I can come see how you do it!!
Original Poster: If you come up with an alternative, let me know
My response: Classroom management should be about teachers helping our students become better at managing themselves...as many students don't have the tools to do so. I'm not sure a behavior chart does this....
Original Poster: So, Ginger Aaron-Brush, what should we do instead? That’s what I can’t figure out.
As a physical education teacher, I am not with a class of students for the entire day. I understand that difficult behaviors can disrupt the flow of class. And I recognize it when most classroom teachers feel lost without this type of system. My perception may be different than most teachers because my discipline area is much different. But I plead with educators near and far….let’s find another solution. These systems haven’t been proven to correct behavior but they do a great job of shaming students. These methods cause worry and stress for our students and can truly destroy self-worth. Humiliation isn’t the answer.
I know there is no encompassing technique that works for all students. This is why it is essential for teachers to get to know their students. Kids need to be reminded to stay on task and consequences are necessary. But I know we can do this in a positive way. It comes down to building relationships…..creating a connection…..developing a true trust….maintaining a positive classroom culture.
I’m no expert….actually far, far from it. But I would like to keep this conversation going.
From my 19 years of experience this is what I have learned (in no particular order):
We cannot be reactionary. We can’t let our own frustration contribute to our response.
Classroom management should be about educators helping our students become better at managing themselves. Many students do not have the tools to do so. For many we have to teach them this process and for others we must support them through this process.
It is imperative that the student and the educator remain calm when handling a behavior issue. If either isn’t calm then the issue must be discussed or handled at a later time.
When a student misbehaves it’s because they have an unmet need….or it’s because they are seeking a response.
As teachers we must not contribute to the problem…don’t escalate or fuel the situation.
Be proactive—nip the issue before it becomes an issue but ignore what can be ignored. (Knowing the student is imperative.)
Don’t be a disturbance to the class while trying to stop a student from disturbing the class.
Focus on a child’s positive characteristics/attributes and let the student know these are recognized.
Keep things in perspective. These children are (insert age here) years old. They can’t yet self-regulate…..for that matter, many adults have problems self-regulating when they are tired, anxious, overwhelmed, etc.
Each day is a new day….a fresh start for each student and a fresh start to enhance the relationship.
Educators must reflect….at the end of each situation, each class, and each day. Seeing what worked well and what didn’t will help future efforts.
Without a doubt, forming a connection and building a relationship is invaluable to creating a positive learning environment.
What would you add to this list? What tips or strategies can you give teachers to that will help better classroom management?
#DitchtheClip is a great way to converse with other educators via Twitter about getting rid of these types of behavior management systems. What are other resources?