I have also seen many teachers ignore the behaviour policy with many teachers doing exactly what the policy tells them not to do. The procedure I refer to here is one in which no pupil should be sent out of the classroom as it only moves the disruption to another place where other teachers, pupils and therefore whole lessons may be affected. Instead they should either send a pupil to the Head of Department or, like another school, adopt a ‘buddy system’ where the misbehaving pupil is sent with a well behaved pupil to a pre-designated teacher who will keep the misbehaved pupil in their class until the end of the lesson. The main problem with both of these procedures is that when you send the pupil to other teachers they themselves maybe teaching. You will then be disrupting their class as well as your own. Also it may take some time to locate a certain teacher if they are not in their classroom and so you will start to waste time locating them, further disrupting your lesson. I have witnessed this numerous amounts of times and so in this one context we have seen that the behaviour policy sometimes may do more harm than good. There must be an effective procedure in place if other teachers need to be found to help with disruptive behaviour. The teacher or member of staff must be pre-designated for them to be always available and easy to find (Rogers, 2004). After witnessing pupils being sent out of the classroom many times I asked teachers in the science department at a secondary school why they go against the procedure set out in their schools’ policy. The answer was always the same ‘sending a pupil out of the class is sometimes the best and easiest way to diffuse bad behaviour in the classroom.’ Rogers (2004) agrees as he states that ‘time-out’ should be an essential feature in the whole-school discipline policy. It is an essential feature that enables the child to cool down after a significantly disruptive incident and regain some self-control. It disengages them from the rest of the class who may be rallying them on. It also gives them time to reflect on what they have done wrong in a calmer environment. The teacher then sets a task for the class to complete and then they have a chance to have a private discussion on what the implications are of their bad behaviour and what sanctions may take place if they continue. This happens in an environment in which the pupil can ‘open up’ as they do not feel pressured by their peers in the classroom. I feel teachers use this procedure as a step before implementing the procedures set out in the policy as it can work very effectively. The teacher may then start implementing the policy set by the school when this procedure fails. However, the main problem I have witnessed with this is that the teacher may use this sanction too frequently and so the severity of the punishment becomes less and less the more frequent it is used. It could also be used against the teacher by the pupil. If the pupil wishes to be sent out of the classroom then through behaving badly they can. This is the principle of escape conditioning where if the child wishes to be sent out they know, from past experience, how to behave to be sent out and thus not be part of the class (Obenchain et al 2005). In my own teaching I will try and establish a consistent process of handing out rewards and sanctions. In my own practice if a student becomes persistently disruptive I may resort to sending them temporarily out of the room. I could then regain a positive learning environment and deal with the disruptive student afterwards. If the student persisted further I would send a pupil to find the year guidance manager who will come to the class and take the student out of the classroom. I would also seek advice from members of staff on the effectiveness of certain areas of the policy with the classes I will teach. I feel it mostly will depend on the individual if certain rewards and sanctions will work.
All of the behaviour policies I have come across within schools have included rewards and sanctions. This can be linked to Skinner’s behaviourist theory where it states these as positive and negative reinforcements. The theory states that certain behaviours can be encouraged or discouraged depending on the use of negative or positive reinforcement. Most teachers reward pupils when they conform to school expectations and punish them when they do not. If a pupil is well behaved or does a task well positive reinforcement is provided to encourage favourable behaviour in the future (Skinner, 1985). Rewards such as giving words of praise, house points and prizes are examples of positive reinforcers that are used in behaviour policies. Negative reinforcement is similarly used by teachers to discourage inappropriate behaviour. Punishments such as detentions and exclusions work as negative reinforcers. Moore (2000) identifies many practices that sit comfortably with the Skinnerean theory. These include common practices such as establishing ground rules for behaviour, setting targets, providing meaningful rewards, being clear and open with students about what is unacceptable behaviour and what rewards will consistently follow good behaviour. The avoidance of unhelpfully vague diagnostic phrases such as ‘disruptive’ or ‘disturbed’ may all be seen as complying with the theory. In my placement school I have observed a reward system being used to good effect. The science teacher observed uses the same reward system for all the classes she teaches. If a pupil is well behaved or produces a good standard of work based on their ability then she will give the pupil a stamp, which is identifiable as it is unique to her. When the pupil accumulates up to three stamps they get a reward, which in this case would be a chocolate bar. This system seems to work quite well as you do not get a reward instantly instead you have to present good work or behaviour a number of times before you can ‘cash’ them in for a prize. The problems that become present here is that pupils may become too reliant on rewards to motivate them to do their work or repeat good behaviour. It is a short term solution to a problem. Though it lets them know when they have done well they may well only be doing it for the reward and not for their own personal satisfaction and pride. So when rewards are stopped or are inconsistently given between teachers then the motivation to be well behaved or produce good work may diminish. Moore (2000) describes the problem with the Skinner theory and states that if students work to externally-conferred ‘rewards’, rather than becoming independent learners who see learning itself as intrinsically rewarding, they may lose the motivation to learn once the source of the rewards is no longer there. Rewards would maybe then not be enough in motivating pupils to produce good behaviour or work in the long-term. However, Starko (2009) suggests devising rewards that point out the inherent value and interest of the task itself. For example, students who write an excellent story may be rewarded with the opportunity to spend extra time in writing. They could even have the story they have written bound and put on display. Outstanding art projects may be rewarded with the opportunity to create a personal gallery or compile a special portfolio. Those who devise a particularly original experiment may be allowed to earn more time in the science laboratories or be involved in exciting practicals or demonstrations out of class time. These strategies send the message that creative activities are interesting and valuable, and that participating in them is reward in itself. They would help to promote intrinsic motivation in a much more effective way than just giving out prizes as it gives the reward an emotional appeal. I feel that from evidence I have read, for example Rogers (2011) proclaiming that encouragement and giving supportive and descriptive feedback should be essential in our teaching practice, and the observations I have made I would, in my own practice, set up a reward system that is unique to me. If I can get pupils motivated to produce good work and behaviour through promoting self-control and independence and encouraging them with rewards, like as stated in Q31, then I see that as an effective way in promoting a positive learning environment. I would try out a reward system based on the one described previously as it is a progressive reward system and because I have seen it work. The pupils would have to consistently produce good work or behaviour to be rewarded with a prize and not just be rewarded for a one off occasion. I would also try to set up an after school or lunchtime club. This would facilitate pupils who have been especially well behaved or have produced especially outstanding work in their science classes. Exciting and interactive practicals or demonstrations would be carried out in these sessions. I would hope that this would get pupils more engaged and excited about science without relying entirely on prizes.
A problem I have also observed within schools is the lack of consistency when giving out sanctions. The behaviour policy I have read from one school points out most of the reward systems it has in place and when they can be used. However, the only sanctions for bad behaviour are detentions and exclusions. For everything else it merely states that any sanctions threatened must be fair, reasonable and enforceable and should ‘suit the crime’. Once again this does not encourage consistency from teacher to teacher as they must use their judgment without the use of any guidelines. This could cause problems where a pupil may receive punishments, ranging in severity, by two teachers for two similar incidences. Inconsistency like this may provoke further disruption as the pupil may feel like they have been treated unfairly. In my placement school there are procedures in the behaviour policy and there seems to be a lot less disruption as the pupils know that if they behave badly then there will be further steps, implemented by every teacher, to discourage the repetition of that behaviour. For example, my placement school has a behaviour improvement programme (B.I.P.). If a pupil misbehaves they are issued a three day exclusion into the B.I.P. where they work solitarily with a member of staff. If they persist then the exclusion increases until further intervention is required. The one problem faced with this procedure is with the pupils who prefer to work on their own and may misbehave to achieve it. However, teachers have reported that the operation of a common system removed from them much of the hassle involved in managing pupils’ behaviour and allowed the class to work more efficiently (Wilson, 2004). Evidencing Q standard 3(b) it is therefore the responsibility of the school to make teachers aware of policies and practices and of individual teachers to be aware of and implementing these policies to ensure that consistency is applied throughout the school and that they are implemented in the correct manner. At my placement school all the policies are given out at the beginning of the year and updated when needed. All the teaching staff have a good understanding of the procedures put in place for sanctioning bad behaviour. Due to this, consistency in dealing with bad behaviour is observed in all classrooms and disruption is minimised. In my own practice to meet the requirements stated in Q31 to manage learners’ behaviour constructively I will establish a clear framework of procedures to promote classroom discipline. I would work in conjunction with the schools’ policy in handling poor behaviour. Depending on the severity of the behaviour, I would simply try to cut out the behaviour by talking calmly to the student and give them a warning before then either moving them to another location in the classroom or sending them out of the class. Past these stages I would stick to the policy rigidly and hand out detentions or send for the year guidance manager to take the pupil permanently out of the lesson. This would also involve becoming familiar with the schools policies and procedures.
Communication in school is paramount. Having teachers that communicate well with each other and other colleagues is essential in ensuring that a positive learning environment is acquired. During my time working as a learning support assistant I witnessed a bottom set, year nine class become out of control. This happened repeatedly to a mathematics teacher every time they had that certain class. Support was only given when the teacher, after weeks of struggling, broke down at the end of a school day in which the last lesson with the hard to manage bottom set. Obviously this teacher did not know how to manage the behaviour of that particular class effectively. However, no additional help or advice was given by fellow staff members and the teacher had to ‘fend for themselves’. Steps in the behaviour policy were adhered to and yet they did not work for this teacher with this class. This is where colleague support is vital in creating a positive learning environment when faced with a hard to manage class. Like the situation described previously school teachers that are working in less consciously supportive schools can go for weeks struggling with a hard to manage class and only get the support they need when they finally break down. Roger (2006) has devised approaches in his own practice to support colleagues who have found themselves in this type of problem. One way is by identifying which staff need support and then to issue them with a mentor from within the school. The mentor can then team teach specific classes and offer advice and support on how to promote a positive learning environment for certain hard to manage classes. However one must be careful in not tarnishing the teachers’ self-esteem and many struggling teachers may not ask for support in the premise that it may make them look like an ineffective or incompetent teacher. NASUWT (2009) examined the experiences of new and recently qualified teachers. It found that many teachers were being left to their own devices in respect to behaviour. The only time senior management came in was to critique and monitor the teachers practice in the classroom and not necessarily to offer support or guidance on how to approach the behaviour differently. The main thing to be addressed here then is communication between staff. If teachers share experiences and offer guidance and display Q4 where you should be able to communicate effectively with colleagues, then hard to manage classes become a collective problem in which it is the responsibility of all staff to contribute in helping to manage the hard to manage class and promote a positive learning environment without necessarily adhering strictly to the behaviour policy. I think that it is imperative that members of staff communicate effectively and openly either as a whole school or departmentally to support those who find it a struggle to manage certain classes. I will in my own practice not only give support but also make sure that I ask for support to make sure that as a whole I can create a positive learning environment not just in my classroom but for other staff also.
Some teachers can over-rely on behaviour policies. This can have both negative and positive outcomes depending on the type of teacher you are and the class that you are teaching. I was fortunate enough to observe the same class behaving very differently with two different teachers. With one teacher they would misbehave from the start. The teacher would then give out sanctions and give them merits on any good work they had done. However, the merit system did not work as they were given out too easily, sometimes given just to stop bad behaviour. The teacher then sent the misbehaving pupils to another member of staff with most of the other students seeing it as a sort of game so they to tried to be sent out as well. Here the use of the behaviour policy did not work as the relationship between the teacher and the pupils was not a good one. The pupils soon learned what they could get away with and realised that the teacher, at the worst, could send them out or keep them in for detention. However when I observed them in another classroom they were completely different and well behaved. The teacher still used the procedures set out in the behaviour policy, for example making them line up outside before lesson, and yet had no trouble. If he had to pick up on pupils’ bad behaviour they would respect what he had to say and did what they were told. He had high expectations and they knew exactly what he wanted from them. This teacher evidenced the qualities that are illustrated in Q1 by having high expectations of the pupils. He encouraged and motivated the pupils to achieve what they were more than capable of achieving. Also by expecting good quality work and the passion for his subject the pupils always worked hard and produced a high standard of work. Also by establishing fair, respectful and trusting relationships with the pupils in and out of the classroom a positive learning environment was evident in all the classes I observed. The relationship between teacher and pupils, as discussed, is of fundamental importance to effective teaching. Kyriacou (1997) argues that a sound relationship between teacher and pupils needs to be based on two qualities. The first is the acceptance of the teacher’s authority by the pupils. The second quality that Kyriacou states is the mutual respect and rapport between the teacher and pupils. This quality, which involves teacher and pupil recognising one another as individuals, holding each other in esteem rings true to Rogers (2011) stating that the most powerful and influential aspects of a teacher’s relationship with individuals and groups of students is the willingness to empathise. In my own teaching I will try and establish good relationships with the pupils by engaging in extra-curricular activities and school trips where and when I can. I would also take advice from Rogers (2011) and empathise with students this could be done in and out of the classroom. To meet the standards required in Q4 in which you should be able to communicate effectively with children and young people I would speak to the students in an informal way out of class, such as talking about football or areas in which they are interested in. In times where a pupil maybe distressed, badly behaved or overjoyed I would empathise with them to create a positive relationship. Taking on roles of further pupil responsibility such as taking on a form tutor role will also help in building positive relationships with pupils that will lead to a positive learning environment in the classroom.
I feel that behaviour policies are set up by schools to be used as a foundation on which to build your own set of rules and values within the classroom. Obviously one must uphold the values and rules set by the school but rigidly adhering to the procedures may do more harm than good. Managing behaviour is much more than a list of rules, rewards and sanctions. It relies on many factors that can only be experienced by the teacher in the classroom. Factors such as, teacher-pupil relationships, communication, different teaching styles and how you integrate the behaviour policy within your class are only some of the things to be considered. I feel that there should be consistency with how teachers respond to behaviour to reduce conflict and maintain control. Even if they feel that the policy may not be the first step in which they would like to go they must make it very clear to their pupils the procedures that will take place if somebody misbehaves in their class. If you wish to heavily rely on the behaviour policy then you must have a good relationship with the students. They need to respect the sanctions that you give them and want the rewards as well. If this does not happen and the policy fails then you need to adapt and adopt different measures and methods of teaching to be able to regain a positive learning environment. To achieve this it is vitally important that teachers work closely with each other. In doing this they will be attaining the qualities that are recognized in Q4, communicating effectively with colleagues. This will ensure that teachers will be able to improve in dealing with behaviour and where necessary seek help. It will also make for a more comprehensive policy in which the views are shared with teaching staff and senior management.
Word Count = 4499
Reference List
Cowley, S. (2003a) Getting the Buggers to Behave 2, London, Continuum.
Cowley, S. (2003b) Guerilla Guide to Teaching, London, Continuum International.
Evertson (2006) Handbook of classroom management: research, practice, and contemporary issues, New Jersey, Lawrence Erlbaum Associates.
House of Commons: Education Committee (2011) Behaviour and Discipline in Schools, London, The Stationary Office.
Kyriacou, C. (1997) Effective teaching in schools: theory and practice, Cheltenham, Nelson Thornes.
Moore, A. (2000) Teaching and learning: pedagogy, curriculum and culture, London, RoutledgeFalmer.
NASUWT (2009) NASUWT, Sink or Swim? Learning lessons from Newly Qualified and Recently Qualified Teachers, Birmingham, Clarkeprint.
Obenchain, K. and Taylor, S. 2005. Behavior Management: Making It Work in Middle and Secondary Schools. The Clearing House, 79(1):7-11.
Overall, L and Sangster, M. (2003) Secondary Teacher’s Handbook, 2nd ed. London, Continuum International.
Rogers, B. (2007) Behaviour Management: A Whole-School Approach, London, Paul Chapman Publishing.
Rogers, B. (2011) Classroom Behaviour: A Practical Guide to Effective Teaching, Behaviour Management and Colleague Support, London, SAGE Publications.
Rogers, B. (2006) Cracking the Hard Class, London, Paul Chapman Publishing.
Rogers, B. (2004) How to Manage Children’s Challenging Behaviour, London, Paul Chapman Publishing.
Skinner, B.F. (1985). Cognitive science and behaviourism. British Journal of Psychology, 76(3):291-301.
Starko, A. (2010) Creativity in the Classroom: Schools of Curious Delight, New York, Routledge.
Wilson, D. (2004) Supporting teachers, supporting pupils: the emotions of teaching and learning, London, RoutledgeFarmer.