Teaching Expertise

The key to successful behaviour management is… you!

Look after yourself and you’ll be in better shape to help your pupils. Phil Craig suggests eight strategies

A few years ago, I heard Simon Cusworth, an educational psychologist, talking at a conference about a concept he referred to as ‘selfish altruism’. He said the first priority for all teachers was to look after their own emotional, physical and psychological well-being. If they were able to do that successfully, then they would be better placed to be ‘altruistic’ towards their pupils. Conversely, if teachers are constantly stressed by the inappropriate or challenging behaviour of their pupils, then they are likely to react in ways that will actually escalate situations rather than calm them. The end result of this is that the process damages both teacher and pupil, creating lose-lose situations rather than the win-win ones that we want to achieve.

This concept of selfish altruism makes sense to many teachers and support staff in schools. The simple fact is that if we become involved in situations that develop into confrontations, we damage not only the pupil, but ourselves as well.

When talking about behaviour management in the classroom, Alistair Smith (1) says that pupils need to know:

  • who is in charge?
  • what are the rules?
  • are the rules applied fairly and consistently?
  • what are the consequences of breaking the rules and/or adhering to the rules?

That’s the ‘what’ of behaviour management in the classroom. Quite simple really, isn’t it? However, the ‘how’ is much more difficult to accomplish. It’s my belief that implementing many of the strategies of positive behaviour management espoused by colleagues such as Bill Rogers, Alistair Smith, Andy Vass, Trevor Hawes, Sue Roffey and Sue Cowley, will make the ‘how’ a lot easier to achieve. In fact, these strategies are the very foundations of selfish altruism.

It is estimated that over 20 per cent of teachers leave education within the first three years of qualifying and up to 50 per cent within five years (Roffey2, 2004). Many of these teachers cite the poor behaviour of their pupils as one of the principal reasons for their departure. For that reason alone, it is plain to see that effective and positive behaviour management in schools is a very important issue for all concerned with the future of education, not only in this country but elsewhere, because this crisis in teacher retention is mirrored in the USA, Australia and many other European countries.

What then are the key concepts in achieving ‘selfish altruism’?

It’s not personal – so don’t bite!

A good beginning is to tell yourself that it’s not personal. Easier said than done, I hear you say, but it really is true. Very, very rarely is it personal. When a pupil has lost control in the ‘immediate emotional moment’ (as Bill Rogers calls it) he or she is telling authority (because that’s what you represent), the school, the world to ‘get lost’ (that’s the polite version) – not you! If the problem you’re facing is just general, low-level misbehaviour, then it’s a case of pupils testing the limits. Again, it’s not personal – it’s just what pupils do. The important thing is not to bite. If you do, then you break Alistair Smith’s first rule about the teacher being in charge. In the classroom, only one person can be in charge and it’s got to be the teacher. If we react badly, we have lost control twice – of ourselves and of the class. We have shown them how easily we can be wound up and isn’t that entertaining for the rest of the class? Additionally, we have raised our own stress levels and damaged at least two people in the process.

A really good example of ‘not biting’ came from a teacher in a Bradford secondary school. A pupil had said to her, for no apparent reason, ‘Miss, why are you so fat’? She would normally have gone ballistic with the pupil. However, this time some-thing inside her clicked into gear and she heard herself say to the pupil, ‘You know, Jack, I’ve often asked myself the same question. I go to the gym, I try to eat sensibly but I still can’t seem to shift the weight’. The pupil was shell-shocked by her response and blurted out an immediate apology. This was not the response he had expected from her and, as a result, she had created a win-win situation out of something that could have spiralled out of control. She also reported that she had felt ‘powerful’, in control of the situation and that this interaction had marked a turning point in her relationship with the pupil.

Allied to this strategy is ‘partial agreement’. Support staff in schools frequently report responses from pupils such as ‘You’re not a teacher’. Partial agreement requires them to respond with something like, ‘Absolutely correct, Kyle, I’m not a teacher, but I am a lunchtime supervisor (or what-ever the correct title is) and I am responsible for your behaviour during the lunchtime period’. Again, the secret is not to ‘bite’ and risk escalating any situation into a lose-lose one. This strategy works at all levels because teachers, and even senior managers in schools, also get retorts such as ‘You’re not the headteacher’.

Is it an eight or is it a two?

McGee (2001) proposes that when something negative happens in your life, give it a score out of ten, where nine or ten is really, really serious and two or three is much less so. He adds that when something happens today that you would score as an eight, nine or ten, ask yourself, ‘Will it still be that important in six months time or even next week?’ Hence, if a pupil does not respond in an appropriate way to you, ask yourself immediately, ‘Is this an eight or is it a two?’ You’ll find this strategy also works very well at home with your own children or even, dare I say it, your partner!

Rules rule

Alistair Smith’s second question about classroom management is whether or not pupils know what’s expected of them? He states that they need to know the class rules in order to comply with them. Every classroom should have the classroom rules on the wall in print big enough to be read by everyone in the class. Additionally, the language used on the poster should be the language of inclusion eg ‘In our class, we will keep hands, feet and objects to ourselves’. As well as governing everyone (adults as well) in the classroom, how many misdemeanours does that one rule cover?

The important point about rules is that pupils should be involved in the making of them and, once they have been decided upon, they need to be constantly reinforced with reminders. Otherwise, they get forgotten and become redundant. Additionally, when a pupil asks, ‘What have I done?’, it’s much more effective to point to a rule on the wall and say, ‘We all have a rule about keeping objects to ourselves (name of child), and I expect you to comply with it’.

Admit you’re fallible

Pupils like teachers who are human. When a situation has not ended in the way you would have hoped for (eg when a student has had to exit the classroom in a previous lesson), it’s okay to begin your follow-up with something like this: ‘Maybe I didn’t handle that situation in the best way that I could have, Saied, but in order to prevent this happening again, this is what I need you to do in the future’.

Sometimes you have to lose the odd battle in order to win the war

As a teacher, it’s sometimes easy to slip into the frame of mind whereby you can’t be seen to be wrong – or be seen to ‘lose’ in interactions with pupils. This is where we can inadvertently react to the ‘secondary behaviours’ of pupils and not focus on the primary reason for the interaction. For example, reacting badly to a pupil’s poor body language when they are doing (unwillingly) what you are asking of them, is a classic example. What do we seriously expect of them in this situation? They’re doing something that they really don’t want to do: do we really expect them to be (and look) happy about it? We’ve got to realise that the pouting and sulking is their ‘battle’ (their little bit of victory) after the ‘war’ has been lost.

Rewards are more powerful than sanctions – choice is the key!

In any school, the reward system is much more important than that of sanctions. Ridiculous as it sounds, I have had very difficult sixteen year olds almost turning cartwheels for a positive letter or even a phone call home, telling parents how well they were doing. However, no matter how good the reward system is in a school, unfortunately there will always be occasions when sanctions are needed. The key to effective sanctions is that they are ‘certain’ rather than ‘severe’. I believe that sanctions have to be perceived by the pupils as an irritating inconvenience.

For example, if a pupil is consistently off-task and not working during a lesson, then I think it is perfectly legitimate to say something like, ‘I need you to finish this piece of work during this lesson, Natasha. You’ve got 20 minutes left. If you don’t choose to finish it during class time, then you’re choosing to finish it during break/ lunchtime/after school. It’s your choice. I’ll let you think about it’. You then walk away, expect the pupil to be compliant and give him or her what Bill Rogers calls ‘take-up time’. You are not challenging and you matter-of-factly and unemotionally state the consequence. The important issue here is not to bluff. If the pupil doesn’t finish the work during class time, then he or she must finish it in his or her own time. The powerful message is that, if the pupil does not make the right choice, the teacher can say, ‘Natasha, you chose to miss your break’.

Use the collective power of the organisation: you are not alone!

All schools are powerful institutions. Don’t forget that fact. If you are struggling with a difficult individual or class, don’t suffer in silence. Tell someone. Members of the senior management team have a duty of care to all staff in their school and if you are really struggling with an individual pupil or class, then seek advice and support from one of them. If you are reluctant to involve a senior manager straight away, seek advice from a colleague you trust and respect. The worst thing you can do is to bottle it up and hope the problem goes away, because it won’t!

If you are struggling with a difficult individual or class, don’t suffer in silence.

Cherishing and cultivating your life outside school is, to me, the core of selfish altruism. Look after yourself first and be in a better state of mind to help your pupils. Some teachers feel guilty if they think they’re putting their own interests before those of their pupils, but McGee writes that ‘guilt’ needs to be re-defined as:

  • Give yourself
  • Uninterrupted
  • Indulgent
  • Leisure and pleasure
  • Time at least twice a week

Feedback from teachers who have adopted the principles of ‘selfish altruism’ has been very positive. Many have reported reduced stress levels both at work and at home, including comments from one colleague, ‘I wish I’d known all this 20 years ago. I could have saved myself, my pupils and my own family an awful lot of stress’.

What I’ve described above is only the start of a different way of thinking about the demands of behaviour management. Good luck and have fun! TEX

 

References

  1. Alistair Smith, Accelerated Learning in Practice, Stafford: Network Educational Press, 1998
  2. Sue Roffey, The New Teacher’s Survival Guide to Behaviour, London: Paul Chapman Publishing, 2004
  3. B Rogers, Classroom Behaviour, London: Paul Chapman Publishing 2002
  4. P McGee, 59 Minutes to a Calmer Life, Reading: Cox & Wyman, 2001

Phil Craig is Head of Service for Pupils with Emotional and Behavioural Difficulties for Kirklees LEA. He has taught in mainstream and special schools in Britain and Canada and has lectured in both countries. He delivers training in positive behaviour management to colleagues in schools, colleges, universities, scout leaders and even office workers who have to deal with difficult customers.

Reproduced with permission of ‘Special’ Magazine.

Learning mentors improve behaviour

This article examines the role of the learning mentor and how they can be deployed in the school for the benefit of the whole learning community. David Morley reports

In recent years learning mentors have been used in schools across the country to break down the barriers to learning and help pupils to achieve their full potential through dedicated and professional support. They provide the link between academic and pastoral support, playing a vital role in the efforts to improve achievement levels.

The role of learning mentors

All children, irrespective of background, age or ability are capable of going through periods of poor behaviour. To really make an impact on learning and behaviour we need to aim to deal with such issues in a more systematic and professional manner, seeking to trace issues back to their root cause. This can only be done effectively through dialogue and discussion. The issues may be overcome quickly or may require more lengthy intervention and support.

The learning mentor’s role is not purely one of solving playground disputes. Learning mentors (LMs) are trained to work with children on both a collective and an individual basis to investigate the children’s concerns, fears and anxieties. Most schools using LMs employ a team of LMs to provide support and cover throughout the school. LMs are not based within the confines of one classroom but have a role throughout the school. Although LMs may provide timetabled support for some children, between them they should be on call to deal with matters as they arise.

The role of LMs came about as part of the DfES Excellence in Cities initiative and they are recognised as a new occupational group through the National Occupational Standards for Learning, Development and Support Services (NOS LDSS). NOS LDSS describes their role as: ‘support and guidance to children, young people and those engaged with them, by removing the barriers to learning in order to promote effective participation, enhance individual learning, raise aspirations and achieve full potential.’1

A base for learning mentors

It is vitally important that LMs are provided with a base to work from. Headteachers need to aim to provide an environment that is secure, calming, quiet and most of all permanent. For the LM role to develop, consideration needs to be given to how the role will change over time as the programme becomes more successful and LMs move into new areas such as developing extended school links and providing parenting classes. Specialist information needs to be on hand to provide to staff and parents on issues such as behaviour, bullying and parenting.

The LM’s room needs to be divided into distinctive zones which are specific to the role of the LM. This would include a focus area with a table and a chair, sectioned off with office dividers. These areas are particularly useful for children who arrive in an agitated state and are unable to communicate with staff until they have calmed down. A second area might include a sofa for conversations where counselling and listening are required. An area for discussion or reconciliation is important especially if aspects of ‘restorative justice’ (RJ) are included as part of the LM’s role. If your learning mentors are to support and encourage good behaviour then an area for games such as pool or table tennis as well as board games might be considered. Displays in the LM room might reinforce messages relating to bullying, racism or behaviour. The LM’s room needs to have a catchy name rather than be referred to as the ‘learning mentor’s room’. You might consider holding a competition to name the room.

Who to appoint?

The most important factor in the success of the programme is the selection of the right personnel. Staff suited for the position of LM might come from within the school and have the advantage of knowing many of the children already; however, don’t rule out the possibility of casting the net further afield as you never know who is in the market for such a role.
Due to their role, LMs need to complement each other so that as many eventualities as possible are covered. The whole system would break down and fail if staff urgently needed a learning mentor, yet the school’s only LM was tied up all morning on an RJ conference.

LMs need to be multiskilled and multitalented. Not all existing TAs will make good LMs. Think about which of your staff have the following characteristics:

  • Confidence – the ability to deal with a range of potentially volatile situations such as fights, aggressive and abusive behaviour and anxious parents.
  • Calmness – to show the children that you are not intimidated by them and that they will do what you are asking them to do.
  • Vision – to look at existing problems and concerns in a new light by challenging stereotypes and incorporating new ideas in resolving disputes and conflicts.
  • Flexibility – having the skills needed to change the approach or working conditions/time to suit the needs of the children you are supporting. A staff member who is reluctant to phone a parent at 3.15 to report an incident as ‘they have finished for the day’ will not make a good learning mentor.
  • Innovative – a LM needs to be able to develop and implement new ideas – perhaps developing links with other schools and organisations.

Referral information

Children can be referred to the LMs for a variety of reasons. These might include:

  • poor behaviour
  • low self-esteem
  • standard of work
  • bullying behaviour
  • victims of bullying
  • difficult family circumstances
  • low level of social skills
  • poor concentration or low motivation
  • poor organisational skills.

Learning mentors will meet with a child and set up a programme over a fixed number of weeks that will include targets. This programme will be set up in consultation with the teacher and other staff involved with the child, eg SEN or EAL. Parents will also need to be informed of the programme.

Programmes may involve some or all of the following:

  • 1:1 mentoring
  • group work which focuses on self-esteem, social skills for example
  • observations of the child in class
  • working with the child in class.

The LM will liaise closely with the teacher and if necessary, SENCO, to monitor progress of the pupil.

It is vital for the LM to be provided with information relating to the behaviour incident that they are being asked to investigate. This will need to be completed on a referral form. This information is also vital when it comes to compiling data on behavioural incidents taking place in the school.  This data can also be used to provide a clearer picture of a child’s behaviour to parents and it may also be relevant for gathering information for a child’s IEP or statement. The introduction of LMs will incur additional staff costs, therefore a detailed breakdown of referrals can also be provided for the governing body. Headteachers will also be able

to detect trends and patterns in behaviour that may become part of a teacher’s performance management strategies.

Behaviour support

One of the primary functions of the LM is supporting the class teacher with behaviour. By calling on a LM for support, class teachers are able to return to the teaching of their class without interruption.

Help from LM can be called for in a variety of ways. Some classes may be lucky enough to have a phone in their classroom; others could use a card system where a sensible pupil carries a card to the LM’s room indicating that support is needed.

A skilled LM would then take the pupil away from the classroom to the LM base. They may choose to leave them in the focus area for a short time before investigating the incident and reasons for their behaviour. The discussions may involve more than one child. A decision will then be taken on the consequence for their behaviour in line with the school’s behaviour policy. Eventually the LM will then deal with the reintroduction of the child to the classroom and feedback to the class teacher.

Children can also be supported with anger management and strategies for staying in control.

Restorative justice

Many agencies, organisations and local authorities have now adopted RJ as a procedure for dealing with conflict between both adults and children. RJ is about restoring harm caused, encouraging responsibility and reintegration. Wronged and wrongdoer achieve this together with the facilitators on the sidelines. It is about mending relationships.

Specialist training is available for schools who wish to include RJ as part of a whole-school approach to behaviour. Schools are able to adapt aspects of their RJ training to suit the needs of their school. RJ is a time-consuming process and class teachers may not have the time available to carry out the processes of RJ.

RJ may take the form of mediations with the main people involved, full conferences with others affected, including parents or circle-based activities. The basic ‘rules’ of the sessions are:

  • Everyone has the opportunity to contribute.
  • Everyone waits their turn.

A video on the basics and benefits of RJ is available.2

Drop-ins

As LMs become established in your school the children will become comfortable and feel that the LMs and their base are approachable. The children may bypass their class teacher and come to the LMs directly to discuss issues that are of concern to them. These ‘drop-in’ sessions usually take place during break and lunchtimes.

Developing strategies

Over time, LMs will be able to develop a range of different approaches and strategies to support their work in school. Some of the methods they use may be ‘off the shelf’ programmes available from sources such as Jenny Mosley3, others may be created and tailored to suit the particular needs and circumstances of your school.

Training for learning mentors

LMs cannot be expected to come into their roles and be successful without training. LMs will need to complete the five-day National Learning Mentor Induction Programme.

There are additional opportunities for LMs to complete NVQ level 3 in learning, development and support services with specialist options for LMs. LM coordinators are also able to complete NVQ level 4. As with all NVQs, these are work-based learning and study programmes.
Additional training for LMs is also available. School leaders may want to do this ‘in-house’ using professional training material.4

And finally

In the future your LMs may be able to link up with other LMs in your local area to discuss progress and successes. Networking is of key importance to LMs as they find out more about their role and where specialist support and advice can be obtained.

David Morley is deputy head of a large primary school in Milton Keynes.

 

Restorative justice: behaviour and relationship management in schools

Restorative Justice (RJ) is an alternative approach to behaviour and relationship management in schools

Restorative Justice (RJ) is an alternative approach to behaviour and relationship management in schools. The idea is based on ancient tribal practices as a form of repairing harm caused by inappropriate behaviours that damage the communities that we live in, by bringing together those involved to discuss and talk through the issues that lead to their conflict.

Through the principles of Restorative Justice people take responsibility for the impact of their behaviour on other people, by providing a forum that allows a fair process of communication. This process can be through structured questions about the incident and the impact caused leading on to an opportunity for choices to be made to repair the harm and allow closure, providing resolution to conflict.

Restorative Justice has been used in schools to reduce offending, victimisation, bullying and truancy from school. The ethos of RJ is about:

  • Building and nurturing relationships by listening to unmet needs
  • Repairing harm done to relationships through inappropriate behaviours
  • Considering everybody’s needs in the process
  • Recognising responsibility for behaviours
  • Encouraging accountability for those behaviours (actions)
  • Developing emotional literacy by providing a safe forum for people to express difficult emotions
  • Promoting active citizenship in our school communities

The ways in which this could take place can be placed on a continuum of informal to formal.

Restorative Enquiry (Informal) In the classroom when incidents happen use terms such as: ‘that behaviour is making me feel/affecting me… you can make a choice to change your behaviour or (consequence)’.

This detaches the behaviour from the individual, explains what they are doing and how they are causing harm and to who, and allows a choice to repair that harm by changing the behaviour.

Ask the structured questions (below) on an enquiry basis to the wrongdoer.

Restorative Discussion

Here you can use the structured questions (see below) when an incident has occurred involving two people.This highlights the incident and allows resolution by the people involved through taking ownership for the incident and offering solutions, leading to closure for both.

This is often used when incidents happen in front of a teacher/adult in a school setting.

Small impromptu Conference (Formal)

Where there is conflict you can play a role in mediating between the people involved in an incident. Allow a forum for those people to be heard and provide an opportunity for resolution. Often used in bullying incidents or staff and student conflict.

Full Restorative Conference (Formal)

This is a more structured conference where the wrongdoer has admitted to the incident that caused harm and has agreed to take part in a meeting about what happened, who was affected and be offered solutions to repair harm caused.

In a school setting this is often used in a fixed-term exclusion. It can involve parents, senior teachers and other members of support groups (alongside your school’s punitive system) as an option to repair harm and allow closure.

Why RJ?

To raise awareness of restorative justice we need to gain an insight to why people do the right things. If you asked yourself this question punishment will be low on the list, if present at all. At the top would be moral, ethical and social issues, yet in our school behaviour systems we often use punitive punishments such as detentions, referrals, letters home and exclusions. All these systems are about doing things to our students with high levels of control. These often, in my experience, do not work. Young people will tell us that it is not fair and often have little understanding to what actually caused the harm, therefore reinforcing the relationship breakdown that lead to the punishment with the addition of unmet needs. Using the principles of RJ alongside these systems, we value the importance of working with the young people with high levels of control and support.

In my experience it works! And young people will tell you that it is far harder to admit to what you have done and accept that it has caused harm. RJ allows participants to take ownership of what they have done, initiate repair and offer solutions in a fair process.

The Restorative Questions

The following questions allow a restorative process to take place and can occur anywhere from the classroom to the playground.

  • What happened?
  • How did it happen?
  • What part did you play in it?
  • How were you affected/who was affected?
  • What do you need to make it right?
  • How can we repair the harm?

Obviously these are not set in stone and more child friendly speech can be used, but these will start the process and get results.

Why does it work?

  • Repairs harm
  • Holds wrong-doers accountable, preventing denial
  • Empowers victims by seeing the wrong doer accept the impact of their behaviour
  • Allows closure
  • Allows agreement
  • Allows ownership of behaviours

And finally…

RJ is a very powerful tool. It utilises people emotions and feelings so has to be done with care as it can cause damage if done badly. At the end of the day, behaviour is the silent voice of the child or adult and RJ allows that voice to be heard in a supportive manner.

Further reading materials that I recommend are:

Why Restorative Justice? By Roger Graef

Just Schools – A whole School Approach to Restorative Justice by Belinda Hopkins

Internet:

www.transformingconflict.org

www.realjustice.org

Harriet Wall is an Advanced Skills Teacher in Citizenship and Restorative Justice. She works at a school in North Oxfordshire where she manages a Learning Support Unit and co-ordinates PSHCE. Harriet is also a consultant and trainer of behaviour management and RJ.

This article first appeared in Teaching Expertise, September 2004.

The benefits of behaviour tracking

Education writer and former headteacher Gerald Haigh shows how ICT can be used to track pupils’ behaviour and create good, quantitative evidence on which to base action.

The first requirement for any programme of school improvement is the gathering of detailed information about what’s going on. One of the best statements regarding this was made by American executive Louis Gerstner, who took over, and eventually transformed, IBM when it was on its knees in the early 1990s.

‘Good strategies,’ he said, ‘start with massive amounts of quantitative analysis, hard, difficult analysis that is blended with wisdom, insight and risk taking.’

Today’s school leaders well understand that. They accept that the intelligent collection and reading of the mass of data accruing from assessment can be the key to real improvement in teaching and learning.

But what about behaviour? Is there the same concentration on data collection and analysis? That’s been a bit slower to develop. It’s been generally perceived as more difficult to be objective about behaviour. To put it simply, you can’t give children half-termly behaviour tests, recording the results in a central database.

Remember, though, what Louis Gerstner said – quantitative analysis yes, but ‘blended with wisdom, insight and risk taking’. Teachers can understand the limits within which data is collected and have the insight to interpret it, and the courage to act on what it’s telling them. Many schools have worked on ways of recording and analysing incidents, gathering information to develop ways of  improving  school behaviour.

Finding the patterns

How does that work? Here’s Sam, for example, working with Mr Johnson, doing history in a temporary classroom on campus. In mutinous mood, Sam leans back and provokes a confrontation by refusing to work: ‘I’m not doing this stuff!’

You don’t want Sam to behave like that – and, of course, you’ve given Mr Johnson the wherewithal to deal with it. But if you’re interested in improving behaviour across the school, you don’t want Sam’s behaviour to come and go unremarked. You’d like to know how this incident fits into an overall pattern.

Various questions come to mind, of which these comprise only a sample:

  • Is Mr Johnson having particular trouble with Sam?
  • Is Mr Johnson having trouble with a group, of which Sam is a member?
  • Do all the history staff have trouble with his group?
  • Does Sam’s group behave worse in the temporary classrooms?
  • Does everyone behave worse in these classrooms?

You’ll think of other possibilities, but you get the idea.

If you can get the answers to questions like these – and, more important, support your judgements with a robust record of incidents that show the patterns, then a number of possibilities arise including:

  • comparing your data on pupil attainment – individuals, groups – with your data on behaviour
  • helping Mr Johnson to see the nature of his problem
  • showing parents the facts about Sam’s conduct
  • convincing history staff that maybe they need to think about teaching styles and curriculum content
  • showing the site manager and the authority that there’s a real educational case for improving the temporary classrooms
  • providing hard evidence for governors in a pupil disciplinary case.

Using the evidence base

So when you translate these possibilities into action, it becomes possible to put resources into specific problems, which is a lot more productive and professional than just lining people up and telling them to behave. Don’t forget, either, that if you also record incidents of praiseworthy behaviour, you have evidence that can support your work on spreading good practice around the school.

Lots of schools have done this without the help of management software, often by a system of recording incidents on paper forms that are sent off to a central point. That kind of paper trail, though, no matter how carefully devised, is always going to be either unwieldy or lacking in detail. There are many schools that faithfully collect behaviour reports, only to find that they pile up in filing cabinets .

The DfES Teachernet website has a case study that tells a familiar story:
‘The school’s processes for recording disciplinary events are largely manual. The school therefore maintains a series of discrete recording systems in different parts of the school and information is collected and recorded in many different ways. It is time-consuming to compile and update pupil records, and information about assessments, disciplinary events, academic and pastoral events was not easily accessible to other members of staff.’

Of course, you can do better than that, even with a paper system, but this is a task that’s ready-made for ICT. That’s because ICT makes it so much easier to handle a mass of information. Applying this to the recording of behaviour opens up many possibilities for analysis and for making your data more accessible.

How does it work?

Systems vary, but essentially your computer screen presents you with a form to record a behaviour incident. Typically, the form will offer 15 or so incidents for the teacher to choose from – such as ‘Homework not done’, ‘Stopping others from working’ and ‘Verbal threat to teacher’. Importantly, although the software will offer a large selection of these, the school can edit them to suit its own priorities. There’s also room for comments.

In some schools the teacher will complete the form on her own laptop or workstation – which is the procedure to aim at. In others, a paper slip is still used, and passed to someone else – an administrator perhaps – for entry into the software. After that, the software crunches the data, and offers you a large selection of possibilities for getting the information out. So you can look at all similar incidents, all incidents in a particular subject, or with a particular teacher, or involving a particular child. You can break it all down by gender, age group, class, tutor group. And you can have lists, or various kinds of graphs, and in some cases there are pre-digested letters to parents. The sky’s the limit. All of it, of course, can be edited to your requirements.

So, for example, when Sam’s parents come in to see you, they can look over your shoulder while you call up on the screen not only that incident, but all of the other incidents in which Sam has been involved recently.

‘I appreciate that you feel Mr Johnson’s picking on Sam,’ you say. ‘But if you look here you’ll see five similar incidents in the past month, all with other teachers. You’ll see, too, that three of the incidents happened last week, which seems to show that things are getting worse. Here you can see that Sam’s year head interviewed him last Friday, and that we wrote to you after that. I can print out a copy of the letter if you didn’t get it.’

That’s at one level. Now here are some conversations that might take place within the school:

  • ‘Hi Joe, I’ve been looking at the incidents you’ve reported with Sam Noggin and Sam’s partners in crime. They’re not angels, but I have to say you seem to have had more than your share of trouble with them lately. I guess we need to see how we can help you.’
  • ‘What is it about that history room? It’s not just Sam Noggin – other people seem to have more trouble in it than they do in other places. Is it the ventilation? Does it have the wrong vibes because of who taught in it last year? Jack, I want you to sit in on some lessons there and see what you think.’
  • ‘So, if you look at these figures and compare them with Ann’s observations, you’ll see that this particular group plays up much more when they’re asked to work from a textbook. Let’s put that in front of the department and see if they can think of ways of getting the children’s noses out of the book and into something more stimulating.’
  • ‘There are lots of “homework not done” reports coming in. I reckon that means we need to look at the homework policy. We need to talk to the departments, the parent governors, and the students themselves, of course, and see if we need a rethink.’
  • ‘I’m just pulling together a list of the incidents involving Sam, ready for a meeting with the ed psych.’

You may say: ‘Surely we know that already from just simple observation?’ That’s true. But what the ICT gives us is good quantitative evidence – dates, descriptions, frequencies. You can see – and show  others in simple lists or graphs, the when, where, who and how often. All of this immeasurably strengthens your case in meetings with teachers, department heads, individual children, parents, governors and inspectors.

 One final story. Long ago, I was a senior member of staff in a large comprehensive. The head, disturbed by what he saw as a deterioration in discipline, sent round a memo admonishing everyone for letting things slide. He instructed us to – and I remember the exact words – ‘Be generally a bit menacing for a time.’

How helpful was that? I, for one, had no idea what it was to be ‘menacing’. ‘Maybe we should wear scary wigs and cackle a lot,’ suggested one of my colleagues.

Systems

First, examine your existing MIS (Sims, Facility, Integris, whichever it is) to see if it will do it. That’s always the starting point before buying extra software. It’s important, incidentally, to talk to your authority MIS support team about software as well as to your behaviour support or curriculum people. They’re not always on the same page of the hymn book.

Other systems include.

Don’t forget to look at Becta’s pages on management information systems: www.becta.org.uk

Behaviour tracking: key points

Tidy up your behaviour policy before you start. The software won’t tidy it up for you. Poor data going in produces misleading information coming out.

Consistency is obviously important – you’ll worry that one teacher will over-report and another one will ignore incidents. But that’s always a problem, regardless of the system in use – and schools find that intelligent use of the software (Louis Gerstner’s ‘wisdom and insight’) will help you identify these differences.

The software won’t improve behaviour. It will give you detailed information to support what you’re doing.

It can’t replace professional judgement. In fact, it demands more of it as you:

  • tackle problem teaching
  • face parents with their children’s behaviour
  • investigate why a child has a particular problem on Wednesdays
  • investigate why everyone seems to go mad on Thursday period 4
  • investigate why Room 21 has more behaviour incidents in it than any other space in the school
  • formulate whole-school positive responses to the information that’s revealed.

Include good behaviour as well as bad. Some schools do this by simply including examples of good behaviour among the list of incidents. 

Whatever system you choose, work with the supplier to make sure that it suits your particular circumstances. Don’t readily accept any suggestion that something can’t be done.

Creative solutions to early years behaviour

When dealing with the feelings and behaviour of early years pupils, teachers should try looking at creative ways to approach and deal with problems says Anni McTavish

Behavioural issues commonly encountered in an early years setting include biting, fighting and conflict, problems with sharing and tantrums. Creative strategies to deal with these can be implemented in any setting, significantly improving the day-to-day experiences of both children and adults.

Biting
Biting is a common behaviour in young children between the ages of 14 months to two and a half years of age. Most biting occurs in toddlers, who have little or limited language, but usually stops as language and social skills develop.

Children may also bite because of hunger, teething, anger or boredom. They may not have enough space, be overcrowded or not have access to enough favourite toys. Biting may be initiated by transitions, such as a new baby in the family or giving up a dummy, by worry or stress, or because they are in an inappropriate environment or expectations are too high.

Useful questions to ask: When and where did it happen? Who with? What happened before? What happened afterwards? Why do you think it happened? What is ‘behind’ the behaviour – how do you think the child feels?

We may feel awkward, or defensive, in response to questions from parents of ‘bitten’ children, for example, do we tell them who the ‘biter’ is? We may also be unsure of how to support the parent/s of the child who is biting.

If a child bites:

  • Comfort and take care of child who has been bitten, in a ‘low-key’ calm way. (The biter may not realise how much it hurts). Tell the bitten child: ‘That must be sore, let’s get a cold cloth.’
  • To the biter, say in a firm, but gentle voice ‘It’s not OK to bite, biting hurts. If you want to bite, you can bite a cracker or a toy, but I can’t let you bite Tom.’
  • Encourage the biter to ‘make amends’ in some way; help get a cold cloth, a tissue or teddy for comfort.
  • Do not insist on ‘sorry’, unless the biter genuinely wants to do so.
  • Support the bitten child to say ‘No, don’t do that’ and to ask for a hug/soft touch.

Strategies to use

  • Make a point of giving positive attention and affection to the ‘biter’ throughout the day.
  • Provide snacks and drinks regularly.
  • Make sure there is more than one of a favourite toy.
  • Arrange furniture and resources to make space and room for play.
  • Be on hand often to help children set simple limits – say ‘mine’, or ‘no, my toy’, and model for them how to negotiate and take turns.
  • Be aware of changes taking place at home, and help children to deal with these by talking, ‘You miss your dad while he’s away.’ ‘It can be a bit scary when you move to a new house.’
  • Discourage ‘playbiting’ at home, but do share concerns and strategies with parents. Behaviour will change if everyone works together.
  • Never bite a child back.
  • Teach children how to gain positive attention.
  • Develop a ‘biting policy’, and a leaflet with guidelines to support parents and practitioners.
  • Reassure parents that biting is a common occurrence, and a phase that their child will move through. (Do not say, ‘This is one of the worse cases I’ve seen’ – even if it is!)

Creative ideas to try

  • Provide crunchy snacks – apples, carrot sticks, cucumber, toast, rice and corn crackers.
  • Introduce a puppet or persona doll story about biting, along with the idea of a ‘biting’ basket containing objects that are safe to bite or mouth – jam jar lids, flannel, new plastic dog toy, rubber door stop, tough beanbag.
  • Provide a treasure basket for seated babies (six to 10 months) and heuristic play resources for one- to two-year-olds.
  • Provide teething rings of all shapes and sizes. 
  • Plan simple rhyme and singing sessions for short amounts of time with small groups of children.
  • Provide interesting natural play materials to pinch, poke and squeeze – playdough and clay.
  • Model how to say sorry appropriately with other practitioners/children.
  • Take photos of children being caring, gentle or respectful of each other, and make a display, perhaps linking to the themes of the EYFS – Positive Relationships and Learning and Development.
  • If biting persists, ask the child’s parents to visit a dentist or a paediatric osteopath.

Fighting and conflict

Learning how to deal with conflict is a necessary skill for children to acquire. Children are also learning to ‘self-regulate’ – becoming able to tolerate a feeling of distress (Perry, 2001). This involves a child in either waiting until the need is met (for example, feeling hungry, but being able to wait for lunch in five minutes), or in being creative and beginning to problem solve. Providing a structured, predictable environment, with warnings for changes in routine, and then appreciating children when they manage to ‘self-regulate’, will all help : ‘Well done for waiting your turn so patiently.’

To help with conflict – the most common reason is over toys or resources – be on hand with a non-judgemental commentary, along the lines of: ‘You really wanted the toy, and when you grabbed it, Izzie hit you, and now you are so mad you want to hit her back! I can’t let you hit Izzie, but I can help you talk to her about what you’d like.’ 

As children learn to tolerate some frustration and anxiety, they will be less reactionary, and impulsive. Be ready to step in and model for children how to wait for a turn: ‘Let’s wait here by the table, until they’re finished, then we can have a go.’ The key is to be a child’s ally in these situations, rather the rule maker who says: ’Stand there and wait your turn!’

Where conflict is more serious, for example, children are being verbally abusive or racial comments are being made, help them see things from a different perspective through the use of a story (McTavish, 2007, p30). This will also give them some ‘emotional distance’, making it safer for them to begin to consider their actions.

Recognise children’s physicality – is there lots of throwing, hitting or kicking? Provide ways for them to express this through games and activities such as throwing wet sponges again the wall, hitting balls or targets, building with blocks, banging with saucepans and wooden spoons, squirting runny paint on to large pieces of paper, kicking balls. Sing songs or play movement games to practise stopping, starting and waiting, encourage children to work in pairs, on their own or as part of a group. 

As long as children are not hurting each other, it can be useful to wait before stepping in – to see if they come up with their own solutions, however small. Praise them if they manage this, and talk about it later in a small group, so other children have the opportunity to learn.

Sharing
Young children are not always ready to share, though if we re-phrase this as ‘turn-taking’, and are inventive with games to facilitate this, some sharing is possible. I believe that first, we must allow children time to develop and experience the concept of ‘ownership’. So, having a peg or cubby where children can place special toys from home is ideal.

A simple photographic game of baby photos on a flap, with the ‘grown-up’ picture beneath, can help to explain ‘who belongs to whom’. Once a child learns that sharing does not necessarily mean they have to give their one precious toy away, sharing becomes more of a possibility.

  • Help children develop confidence in turn-taking with simple games and songs like ‘Two little dickie birds’, but have six birds in a bag. Sing the song and share the game with six children. Other songs include ‘Five little monkeys jumping on the bed’.
  • Ask children to hand round plates of fruit, where there is plenty for everyone to have three to four pieces. Model politely saying please and thank you as you do this.
  • Positively reinforce any spontaneous turn taking, but rather than saying, ‘Good boy or good girl’, say ‘I like how you’re taking turns, well done!’
  • Help children to join in and develop friendship skills, ‘Could you deliver this “letter” to Mina in the house?’ or, ‘I think they need some more blocks for the train they’re building… here are some.’

Strategies and ideas

  • Provide pots of bubbles to blow in the wind.
  • Have colourful ribbons to dance and sing with.
  • Include simple board games that are fun to share with one other.
  • Try using parachute games.
  • A well-resourced role-play shop, with plentiful supplies of boxes, tins, paper bags, tills, pens and paper will provide lots of opportunities for sharing and turn taking.
  • Help children to negotiate how turn taking can work:
    • ‘Nikhil loves the trains, can he have Gordon for one minute, as long as he gives it back? I can put the egg timer on for you.’
    • ‘Let’s write a list of names of who wants to have a go. How long shall we each have – two, three or four minutes?’
  • Tell a simple story about two children or puppets fighting over a toy, and invite children to help ‘sort it out’, and come up with ideas to solve the dispute.

Tantrums
A child’s screams and hitting can be alarming, but tantrums can be common in many young children under the age of five. Remind yourself this is normal development and stay calm! Tantrums are a bit like a rain barrel with too much rain. In the same way, emotions can be too much for a child to hold, and they overflow.

Tantrums can happen when a child, used to a relaxed approach at home, joins a setting with clear limits and well-defined boundaries. Children are learning to deal with their emotions, and need our help to do so.

Ideas to try:

  • Consider the ‘useful questions to ask’ – When and where did it happen? Who with? What happened beforehand? What happened afterwards? Why do you think it happened? What is ‘behind’ the behaviour – how do you think the child feels?
  • Try distracting a child if you know a tantrum is brewing.
  • Utilise the outdoor area fully.
  • Remind yourself that limits are important, it’s OK to stick to them.
  • Children find it hard to wait too long, so make sure routines run smoothly.
  • Could they be hungry, tired, or becoming ill?
  • Offer cuddles, a cosy story time or gentle songs to ward off a tantrum.

If a tantrum occurs:

  • Make sure child is safe and keep other children ‘out of the line of fire’.
  • It may help to avoid eye contact.
  • Reassure visitors and other children that this is normal and the child needs to express some strong feelings.
  • Do not try to reason with or have a conversation with a child in the throes of a tantrum.
  • You may, depending on the child, be able to hold him, rock him or reassure him to help him calm down.

Ideas for promoting positive behaviour

  • ‘Clue-in’ to what children’s schemas might be and use this knowledge to inform planning. (Nutbrown, 2007)
  • Have a celebration tree – record individual children’s achievements on paper ‘leaves’ and hang on to the tree.
  • Use children’s names and simple language to appreciate behaviour you like.  ‘I like how you put all those blocks away Sasha!’ 
  • Provide guidelines for students, parents and volunteers about how to support positive behaviour, and make sure they use children’s correct names.
  • Report achievements and positive behaviour to parents within earshot of their child. This will also help to build positive relations with parents.
  • Stick to three or four general rules, such as, ‘Walking indoors, running outside’, ‘Respectful and gentle touch’, ‘Listen when someone speaks’ – it goes without saying that adults need to model these appropriately! You can then reinforce these ‘good’ behaviours throughout the day.  
  • Make a point of saying what you do want, rather than what you don’t.
  • Say, ‘Yes, we can get the trains out, once we’ve finished tidying up these blocks’, instead of ‘No, we must tidy-up first!’
  • Consider the effects of too much stimulation, colour and sound in the environment, and aim to keep the setting as calm as possible, with soothing colours, and natural resources. (King, 2007)
  • Smile at children, and tell them how much you like them, and enjoy spending time with them.
  • Make time for fun, laughter, jokes and special treats.

All behaviour needs to be taken in context. Although there are some general rules and guidelines, it is important that each child’s individual situation is considered, and any plan to deal appropriately with behaviour must begin with observation, and some detective work. Taking time to get to know a child, for example, what’s happening at home, their interests and passions, as well as spending time with, them will help.

Consider too, how adult responses might be affecting behaviour. Take care of yourself by talking through concerns with colleagues and consulting parents, and access training and specialist help where necessary.  

Feelings and Behaviour – A Creative Approach

In her book Feelings and Behaviour – A Creative Approach, published by Early Education, Anni McTavish provides further information on how to use puppets, stories and responsive behaviour skills to respond creatively and compassionately to the various incidents, emotions and behaviour that young children display. The book is structured to help practitioners respond to young children’s feelings and behaviour, with each chapter providing step-by-step guidance and practical suggestions, supported by examples of good practice. There is a wealth of useful information and practical ideas to develop positive strategies for dealing with difficulties which can arise in any early years setting.

www.early-education.org.uk

References

Perry, B D (2001) Self-Regulation: The Second Core Strength
King, J (2007) The Environment in your Nursery – The Effect of Sound and Colour on Young Children
McTavish, A (2007) Feelings and Behaviour – A Creative Approach
Nutbrown, C (2007) Threads of Thinking: Young Children Learning and the Role of Early Education
Paul Chapman Publishing Ltd 

Useful books and resources

Biting

  • Teeth are not for Biting by Elizabeth Verdick, Free Spirit Publishing, USA (2003)
  • Smiley Shark by Ruth Galloway, Little Tiger Press (2003)
  • So Much by Trish Cooke and Helen Oxenbury, Walker Books (2008)
  • Bootsie Barker Bites by Barbara Bottner and Peggy Rathman, Paperstar Books (1997)
  • Creating Places – Community Playthings
  • Communication Friendly Spaces by E Jarman (2007)

Sharing

  • Mine! by Hiawyn Oram and Mary Rees, Frances Lincoln Children’s Books (2000)
  • Rainbow Fish by Marcus Pfister, North-South Books (2007)
  • Look what I’ve got by Anthony Browne, Walker Books (1996)

Tantrums

  • Angry Arthur by Hiawyn Oram and Satoshi Kitamura, Red Fox Picture Books (1993)
  • Mine! by Hiawyn Oram and Mary Rees, Frances Lincoln Children’s Books (2000)

Productive post-lunch classroom behaviour

It often takes time to sort out problems that have arisen over the lunch break. What measures can we take during this time to make sure that afternoon classroom behaviour is still condicive to work and an effective learning environment?

Training for Midday Supervisors is often the first strategy that we use. But what skills do they need and is it the right place to start?

Perhaps we should first look to the systems we have in place and how they help/hinder the process. Many schools facing poor behaviour and other issues at lunchtime try to solve the problem by cutting down the time slots for lunch and staggering the breaks. If we are trying to create future citizens of the world though, don’t we need to allow them to practise socialising in a safe environment and not just keep them apart? Primary pupils in particular need that opportunity to play, with the attendant exercise and fun factor. With the growing concern about the inactivity and unsociability of pupils today shouldn’t we be creating more not less opportunity to move around and come into contact with peers?

So what systems should we look at? How are the lunches served and what are the flashpoints for ‘trouble’?

Queuing is often a major source of frustration so how can we manage the system? It can be a real eye opener for staff to join the queues (not just nip to the front!) for a few days and observe the tensions and the issues. Analysis of this data can help with solutions. Some of the issues can include:

  • too many pupils attempting to queue
  • restricted space for queuing
  • inefficient payment/ticket/card system
  • tendency for ‘popular’ food to run out, therefore increasing the need to get to the front of the queue at all costs.

Creative thinking can remove many of these triggers for poor behaviour, e.g. rotating the Year groups who go into the dining room early, keeping back some of the popular food items so late entrants still get a choice, numbered tickets to stagger admission to dining area.

In Primary schools the serving of lunches may not be the cause of tensions but the keeping of pupils at the tables after they have finished eating before they can go ‘out’ can be a cause of problems for supervisors. Review of the staffing of play areas will often solve this.

Wet lunchtimes strike fear into the heart of the most seasoned supervisor!

Having plans for activities and the equipment to use are vital. In Primary schools giving each supervisor a box of pens, crayons, comics, puzzle books, scissors, jigsaws etc coupled with the creative use of available space for discos, videos etc can go a long way to keeping pupils happy and occupied – without teachers finding their equipment going missing!

Often the need for supervisors to ‘report back’ to teachers (especially in Primary schools) at the end of the lunchtime causes delay to the start of the afternoon session and results in the pupils not settling quickly. This can be avoided by the simple method of each supervisor having a report book and handing this to the teacher with very brief written comments on any incidents. The teacher can then tackle the issues at a suitable time that will not hinder the learning in class.

Supervisors themselves need training but it should be done in conjunction with a senior manager as often, fresh ideas and insights gained during training cannot be put into practise because the Supervisors have no input into school decision making and need the support from a member of the senior management team.

All members of the supervisory team need quality induction if they are to perform their role well and a sufficiently detailed job description to make their roles and responsibilities clear. The creation of a Handbook detailing procedures and expectations is a good starting point. Performance reviews also add to the supervisors’ sense of self worth and point up the need for development of skills. On page 29 of TEX you will find a checklist to use with Midday Supervisors, which will help identify their training needs.

Checklist for midday supervisors

Do I know the school policy for:

  • anti-bullying
  • restraint
  • confidentiality
  • fire drill
  • staff absence
  • collection of pupils by parents/others
  • approaching visitors.

Do I know the names of the following people?

  • Fire Officer
  • Cook Supervisor
  • Emergency Response SENCO
  • Child Protection Officer
  • First Aider at work
  • Head of Years / Key Stage Coordinators
  • Union Representative
  • Office employee who deals with Midday staff
  • Teacher who liases with Midday staff

What other information do I need?

Are there further training opportunities that I need to explore?

Suggested training areas for supervisors

  • Behaviour Management
  • Child Protection procedures
  • First Aid
  • Fire Alarm procedures
  • Emergency procedures for gaining assistance
  • Dealing with pupils with Special Needs
  • Organising play activities (for Primary teams)
  • Managing a team (for Senior Supervisors)

Suggested lunchtime activities for Primary pupils

  • Comic/book area
  • Dressing up area
  • Races
  • Basketball competitions
  • Penalty shoot-out (Teams / individuals)
  • Skipping challenge
  • Aerobics
  • Disco
  • Daisy chain making competition (if any grass)
  • I-SPY challenge
  • Quiet corner
  • Dance Challenge
  • Play creation and rehearsal
  • Traditional games
  • Daily Challenge
  • Joke telling
  • Story telling
  • Number games
  • Maths Challenge