ReflectionSituation:
The pre-primary class in which I did my prac was comprised of a very energetic group of children. The boys in this class favoured rough play and cooperative play when building. The class got along quite well with one another and even the girls began to get involved with the imaginative play that the boys were doing. The class had a lot of energy and a love of learning but often struggled to sit still on the mat, requiring constant prompting to pay attention and to sit quietly. I began the term by using the same behaviour management strategies as my mentor- she had a sticker chart and a traffic light chart that were both used as well as call and response strategies for attention. The sticker chart was largely used for positive reinforcement but could also be used to negatively reinforce by removing stickers for especially rude, disobedient and disruptive behaviour. The traffic light chart was used to rebuke challenging behaviours; resulting in timeouts and send outs if the behaviour continued. I used these initially as well as building a rapport with the students early on while I was still doing more observation than full time teaching. There was one student who was particularly challenging, as he had been absent for the first few weeks of term and was, therefore, not used to having me as a teacher. He and I struggled for quite a number of weeks. This particular boy was quite rowdy but this led to disruptive behaviours during mat time in particular and he was disobedient and rude. I introduced some new behaviour management techniques about halfway through the term after I fell sick and wanted to save my voice. I fell back on using some of the techniques I had seen other teachers use in the past, such as; clapping a rhythm to be repeated, and silent gestures to get the class’s attention (in this instance I would put my finger to my lips and when they saw me do it they had to copy and stop talking). I kept using these even after I stopped being sick. This worked well however I was still having problems with the one boy. Action: I used the traffic light chart with this particular boy as well as removing stickers from the sticker chart. He would often grin and be excited at the prospect of punishment, which I found quite frustrating as it was rude and I could not find something to help manage these challenging behaviours. I tended to emphasise negative reinforcement rather than positive reinforcement or other techniques. After a week or two of frustrating and challenging behaviours I went home one evening and researched behaviour management strategies online and read a few articles about the reasons for disruptive behaviour and how to manage it. I began to realise that he was enjoying the attention from his peers and from me during these interactions. I resolved instead to ignore his disruptions where appropriate and instead focus on the students who were distracted and regaining their attention rather than drawing attention to him. This technique had limited success alongside the negative reinforcement. I was reminded that I could call the head of student behaviour and pastoral care, which was something I had tried with one other student. During one lesson, after a few disrespectful and disruptive incidents I called the head of student behaviour and he removed the disruptive child from the class. This action had two effects, it demonstrated to the student that I was serious about what I said and it gave me the opportunity to talk with the department head about how I could manage the behaviour differently. The advice I was given was to expect better first time obedience and keep stopping the class if they weren’t behaving according to my expectations, reinforcing that I meant what I said and the expectations I had. It was also suggested to me that I speak to the parents of children who were being repeatedly defiant or difficult and to threaten to call the dads of difficult boys as boys are more responsive to their fathers often. I spoke to the child’s mother when she came to pick him up that day and with her support and help I was more able to manage him in class and her influence made him more cooperative. The other feedback I received was to use more positive reinforcement as a preventative. I found that I tend to use more negative reinforcement, especially if I’m feeling frazzled by repeated challenging behaviours. Outcome: The outcome of applying these different techniques; using positive reinforcement, being stricter in waiting for them to behave and holding them to that standard, speaking and partnering with parents, and the new strategies I was already using- meant that the subsequent weeks flowed better. I was having to stop the class more often but they were listening more and were less disrespectful when I showed no tolerance for that behaviour. I found that my behaviour management had to improve throughout the term in order to stay on top of the energetic and often disruptive behaviour in the class. I could have asked for help earlier on rather than just trying to work out how to deal with challenging behaviours on my own. Collaborating with other teachers and with parents is something I should develop as well as my repertoire of behaviour management strategies. |
Action PlanFor future I would build on the strategies I have learnt on this prac to develop a more concerted plan for behaviour management. I would work hard at the beginning of the year building a rapport with the students but also demonstrating that I mean what I say. I would work on different ways of positive reinforcement. In any new school I would make contact with other teachers for support and tips, potentially speaking to the previous year’s teacher for a greater understanding of the students in my class (especially in small schools like the one I was in for prac, where the student population only change incrementally each year). Greater research is need into different types of behaviour management. Once I had established which year level I would be teaching then I would research and put together a plan for how to deal with challenging behaviour, and positive reinforcement such as whole class rewards, individual prizes for good behaviour etc.
One thing I plan to research is other behaviour management chart ideas. The traffic light chart is good for a sense of ownership over behaviour and providing a consequence for behaviour, but is quite limited in changing behaviour. I would like to find a strategy that possibly incorporates both positive reinforcement and negative reinforcement and is more visible to the whole class. As part of my action plan; at the beginning of the year I would be clearer and introduce my behaviour plans and expectations to the students. One strategy I would introduce is one to help with politeness and respect, where rather than running up to an adult who is in a conversation and demanding attention the student comes up and puts hand on the adult's arm and waits to be addressed. This strategy helps the classroom to flow smoother and to encourage respect for adults. |
Evidence
Establishing the Classroom- The First 2 Weeks of the Year.
The first two weeks of a new year proved to be busy time and a large learning curve for a number of children in the class. It was interesting to note which children were already established in the school (year 2's and some year 1's) and which of the children were essentially starting the year from scratch.
The two classroom teachers held a firm line with all the students as part of establishing rules and guidelines for the classroom, they were patient and fair with all the children but refused to let any students push the boundaries or to behave in a way unacceptable to the rest of the class- this approach sets up the standard of behaviour and work for the remainder of the year. Expectations are clear for all those involved as are the consequences for not meeting the behavioural, interpersonal, and academic expectations. The rules were explained clearly from the beginning and repeated throughout the first two weeks- most notably, a 'no running on the concrete and around corners' rule for outside play which was explicitly taught a number of times. The teachers throughout this time were very firm in rules and unwavering in a small areas (such as not being able to access drink bottles in the class at lunch time and using the drink fountain instead) to establish authority and boundaries for the rest of the year.
The tests were all standardised assessments, such as the Diana Rigg spelling test, 'Words Their Way' phonics and letter recognition tests and 1 Minute Number tests, as well as tasks to establish counting to 100 and above. The data was analysed by both teachers and used to create groups for literacy and numeracy.
The first two weeks of a new year proved to be busy time and a large learning curve for a number of children in the class. It was interesting to note which children were already established in the school (year 2's and some year 1's) and which of the children were essentially starting the year from scratch.
The two classroom teachers held a firm line with all the students as part of establishing rules and guidelines for the classroom, they were patient and fair with all the children but refused to let any students push the boundaries or to behave in a way unacceptable to the rest of the class- this approach sets up the standard of behaviour and work for the remainder of the year. Expectations are clear for all those involved as are the consequences for not meeting the behavioural, interpersonal, and academic expectations. The rules were explained clearly from the beginning and repeated throughout the first two weeks- most notably, a 'no running on the concrete and around corners' rule for outside play which was explicitly taught a number of times. The teachers throughout this time were very firm in rules and unwavering in a small areas (such as not being able to access drink bottles in the class at lunch time and using the drink fountain instead) to establish authority and boundaries for the rest of the year.
The tests were all standardised assessments, such as the Diana Rigg spelling test, 'Words Their Way' phonics and letter recognition tests and 1 Minute Number tests, as well as tasks to establish counting to 100 and above. The data was analysed by both teachers and used to create groups for literacy and numeracy.