Getting Started with Strategies for Behaviour Management

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What Are the Most Effective Behaviour Management Strategies?

Effective behaviour management strategies focus on preventing negative behaviours while reinforcing positive ones through modelling, clear routines, and relationship building. The most successful approaches include demonstrating ideal behaviour yourself, involving students in creating class rules, and establishing predictable daily routines. These proactive strategies work better than reactive punishment systems.

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Behaviour management is a way to modify behaviour that concentrates on maintaining order. Its main focus is on discouraging negative behaviour while shaping and upholding positive behaviours using less severe strategies than those used in structured behaviour modification.

Feature	Modelling Behaviour	Collaborative Rules	Clear Routines	Building Relationships
Best For	Setting behavioural expectations through demonstration	Engaging transformative students and creating ownership	Preventing behaviour issues before they start	Long-term behavioural improvement
Key Strength	Works better than rules alone, shows respect	Transforms confrontational behaviour to cooperative	More effective than punishment systems	Students want to behave well beyond rewards
Implementation	Demonstrate desired behaviours, discuss with class	Students help create class rules and expectations	Establish consistent daily procedures	Focus on connection over control
Time to Impact	Immediate classroom dynamics shift	Quick buy-in from students	Gradual but consistent improvement	Long-term investment with lasting results

An effective behaviour management strategy has a major impact on a classroom. A teacher can create an incredible lesson, but if there is no proper behaviour management in the classroom, students will remain unable to fully participate in the lesson.

Finding safe and effective behaviour management strategies that helps both teachers and students play a crucial role in maintaining a positive learning environment. Behaviour Management is not all about penalizing unwanted behaviour or even rewarding positive behaviour. Rather it is related to having strategies in place to help children to act in ways that help them learn the most from their lesson. Depending on the type of institution, behaviour management in schools is always a top priority. Without a school-wide policy that everyone adheres to and a consistent set of effective behaviour management strategies, classrooms can quickly become transformative places.

This guide will try to identify some of the approaches to classroom management that will immediately have an impact. You probably do not need a behaviour management Guru, abiding by some simple principles can very quickly change the cultureof a school. This article will focus on positive behaviour management techniques rather than developing a regime of harsh punishments. For many experienced teachers, the contents of this article might be second nature. However, if you are an NQT or just want to brush up on your skills and we think you'll find some classroom behaviour management ideas.

Below is a list of some of the most effective classroom management strategies teachers can use to become even more effective teachers.

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Effective Classroom Management Strategies

Below you will find a list of some of the ways you can encourage your students to be the best possible version of themselves. Some of these strategies focus on how you, as the teacher, can modify your own behaviour. Whereas other strategies are designed for you to implement with the students.

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Be a Role Model

It may sound obvious, but one of the most effective behaviour management strategies is to model the behaviour that you expect from your students. If you want your students to be respectful, then you need to be respectful to them, even when they are being challenging. If you want your students t o be organised, then you need to be organised yourself.

Your students are always watching you, and they will quickly pick up on your behaviour. Therefore, be mindful of your own actions and words, and to make sure that you are setting a good example. One thing that we tend to forget as adults is that children have very little experience in schools. What might seem obvious to us is not so obvious to them. Therefore explicitly modelling the behaviour you expect is a surprisingly powerful tool.

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Establish Clear Expectations

Another effective behaviour management strategy is to establish clear expectations for your students. This means setting out exactly what you expect from them in terms of their behaviour, both in and out of the classroom. When you're thinking about the classroom rules, ensure that they are:

• Clear
• Concise
• Easy to understand
• Easy to implement

When expectations are clear, students are more likely to meet them. When expectations are vague, students are more likely to misbehave. Try to make the rules together with the class and create a visual reminder of the rules to place in the classroom. This gives the students a sense of ownership and makes them more likely to abide by the rules.

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Use Positive Reinforcement

Positive reinforcement is a powerful tool for shaping behaviour. When you see a student behaving in a way that you want to encourage, be sure to praise them for it. This could be as simple as saying "thank you for being so helpful" or "I really appreciate you being so quiet while I was talking".

You can also use positive reinforcement to reward students for meeting expectations. For example, you could give students a sticker or a small prize for good behaviour. This will help to motivate them to continue behaving well. However, always remember that the best reward is often your attention and praise. Students crave attention, and they will often behave in ways that they think will get them noticed. Therefore, by giving them positive attention when they are behaving well, you can help to shape their behaviour in a positive way.

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Ignore Minor Misbehaviour

Sometimes, the best way to deal with minor misbehaviour is to ignore it. If a student is simply fidgeting or talking out of turn, it is often best to just let it go. This is because, by giving the student attention, you are actually reinforcing the behaviour. However, this is a balancing act. You need to be careful not to ignore behaviour that is transformative or harmful. If a student is being transformative, you need to address the behaviour immediately. Otherwise, it will only get worse.

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Be Consistent

Consistency is key when it comes to behaviour management. You need to be consistent in your expectations, your responses to misbehaviour, and your use of positive reinforcement. If you are not consistent, students will quickly learn that they can get away with misbehaving. This will make it much more difficult to manage their behaviour in the long run. To be consistent :

• Have whole school policies
• Ensure you apply the school policies consistently
• Communicate with parents about behaviour issues

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Build Relationships

Building relationships with your students is one of the most important things you can do to improve their behaviour. When students feel like you care about them, they are more likely to respect you and to behave well. This means taking the time to get to know your students, to learn about their interests, and to listen to their concerns. When students feel valued, they are more likely to behave in ways that will make you proud. After all, behaviour is communication and if they respect you, they are more likely to communicate in a respectful way.

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Stay Calm

teachers stay calm when dealing with misbehaviour. If you get angry or upset, you are more likely to say or do something that you will regret. This will only make the situation worse. When you are calm, you are able to think more clearly and to respond in a more effective way. It also helps to de-escalate the situation and to prevent it from spiralling out of control.

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Conclusion

Effective behaviour management is not about control; it's about creating a supportive and structured learning environment where students feel safe, respected, and motivated to learn. By implementing these strategies consistently and thoughtfully, teachers can creates positive behaviour, reduce disruptions, and cultivate a classroom culture that promotes academic success and personal growth.

Remember that every student is unique, and what works for one student may not work for another. Experiment with different strategies, observe their impact, and adapt your approach to meet the diverse needs of your students. Building strong relationships, setting clear expectations, and providing consistent support are the cornerstones of effective behaviour management.

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Further Reading

Classroom behaviour research

Positive behaviour support

Behaviour intervention strategies

For those seeking to examine deeper into the research and theory behind behaviour management, the following resources offer valuable insights:

• Evertson, C. M., & Weinstein, C. S. (2006). *Handbook of classroom management: Research, practice, and contemporary issues*. Lawrence Erlbaum Associates.

• Marzano, R. J., & Pickering, D. J. (2005). *Classroom management that works: Research-based strategies for every teacher*. Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development.

• Rogers, B. (2011). *Classroom behaviour: A practical guide to effective teaching, behaviour management and pupil support*. Sage.

• Emmer, E. T., & Sabornie, E. J. (2015). *Classroom management for middle and high school teachers*. Pearson.

• Jones, V. F., & Jones, L. S. (2016). *Comprehensive classroom management: Creating communities of support and solving problems*. Pearson.