Reviewing ineffective behaviour strategies

Introduction

Question: ‘So, do you use detentions as a strategy to manage behaviour?’

Answer: ‘Yes, I certainly do!’

Question: ‘How many pupils have received a detention from you this week?’

Answer: ‘Oh, about 20 or so, I think.’

Question: ‘And does it work? Does it change the behaviour of your pupils?’

Answer: ‘No, they never turn up!’

This may sound a bit far-fetched or over the top, but if you really have a close look at some of the sanctions (and rewards) you are currently using, you may be surprised to find that overall behaviour has not changed. The same pupils are receiving the same sanctions over and over again, while the same pupils receive the rewards.

The intention of using rewards and sanctions is to recognise good and appropriate behaviour, while encouraging pupils to consider their actions and make better choices. If your evaluations of behaviour show little or no improvement, then why continue to use the same unsuccessful techniques?

Pupils who have an Individual education plan related to learning difficulties will invariably have a review date for their plan set over a period of four or six weeks, or in some cases, termly. For individual education plans relating to behaviour issues and problems, review dates need to be much more frequent. Plans, interventions and strategies that are not effective can have a detrimental effect on long-term behaviour. Pupils will fail to be motivated by reward systems which they do not value, and are also prepared to accept sanctions that are not fully carried through (threats) or even seen as cool by peers.

There are clearly problems associated with reviewing your interventions. Some of them may well be individual or class, department, or faculty-based and can be changed as necessary. There will, however, be a range of school-wide interventions that are part of the whole-school policy. These are less easy to modify on an individual basis.

Practical Tips
When attempting to review the effectiveness of your strategies, it is important to source some objective information. This may include names and numbers, together with times, dates and locations. When this information is linked to both rewards and sanctions issued, it is possible using a time-frame to identify and strengths, improvements and weaknesses in your approach.

When reviewing existing interventions and, especially when attempting to make changes, try to gain evaluative feedback from staff, pupils parents and carers. It is often surprising and enlightening to hear the views of pupils when trying to formulate effective behaviour policies. Make use of:

• school council
• pupil voice
• individual questionnaires
• one-to-one meetings
• parental views

Above all, don’t allow ineffective systems or interventions to simply become learned behaviour. When reviewing your practice, consider the following:

• tracking systems that monitor behaviour of groups and individuals
• existing arrangements as noted in IEP or BSP, etc
• starting to monitor over a period of time looking for evidence of success
• discussion of existing and planned arrangements with individual pupils
• reviewing behaviour IEPs regularly, and be prepared to bring forward the review date if arrangements are not working

The above tips can seem time-consuming and difficult to build into the hectic schedule of the school day, but the stress and morale-sapping effect of ineffective behaviour management strategies will be far more draining. Just as we need to reconsider styles of learning and styles of teaching, it is also worthwhile updating and renewing the effectiveness of the interventions that we may have been using for years. Pupil involvement and innovative thinking linked to consistent application will pay real dividends in enabling pupils to make good choices in their behaviour.

One final word of warning, however. Don’t change things just for the sake of change! Base your evaluations on statistical information, pupils and staff perceptions. Failing or ineffective strategies should be reviewed and changed, successful, well-monitored interventions should be consistently maintained.

This e-bulletin issue was first published in March 2009

About the author: Dave Stott has nearly 30 years' teaching experience including seven years as a headteacher. He has worked in mainstream and special schools and Local Authority Behaviour Support Services, and is now a writer, consultant and trainer.