As educators we spend the majority of our time interacting with children in our class and there will be children that receive no individual attention in a given day. We must make sure that each child has been given some attention. After all in some circumstances the child may not get any attention at home either. There are key motivators that promote misbehaviour in the classroom ranging from boredom, prolonged mental effort, and inability to do the work to low self- esteem. There are various strategies for promoting positive behaviour and discouraging undesired behaviour. It is impossible to know all the strategies that are available and how they work, as one type of strategy may work for one individual but then fail to have an impact on another. Our job as educators is to assess and evaluate the mis – behaviour and tailor a solution. This was evident in the classroom where I saw a pupil muttering, it was evident that he was causing a distraction to the rest of the class. The teacher noted mentally that the boy was talking and proceeded to make direct eye contact to the pupil. This had the desired effect and the pupil went back on task, however this strategy did not have the same impact on a different pupil later on in the day, this was escalated where the pupil was sent out of the class to explain his misconduct to the head. It is crucial to have a thorough understanding of what makes your children tick and adapt the strategies accordingly. It is also vital to point out that as the children mature, their knowledge bank will increase and different strategies will need to be adopted. The learning environment reflects the personality of the teacher and the climate will depend on the relationship that you have with the children. I have observed in my classroom practise that the classes that where learning, flourished where mutual respect and rapport was evident.
A report commissioned by the UK government in 1989 into behaviour management in our classrooms had a huge impact and has very much started to shape how the classroom is now run. The Elton report addresses the issue of behaviour management in the classroom and although they were only guidelines the LEA and schools have used this to create their own behaviour and code of conduct policy. There were 3 main issues that Elton highlighted. He looked at the whole school approach where the school managed inappropriate behaviour by creating an orderly and purposeful atmosphere. He goes on to say that the teacher should have a consistent approach in their teaching methods and ensure fairness. He looks at the school policy and identifies that schools should adopt a good behaviour policy rather than a disciplinary policy and that staff, children and parents have full buy in to the policy and are made fully aware of the boundary’s and possible consequences of inappropriate behaviour. He draws a clear distinction in the classroom about rewarding good behaviour and not punishing bad behaviour. Although this was published over 19 years ago, when in school I have observed the points above have been adopted by the schools and are still going strong.
There are various issues that influence the learning environment which we have already discussed from the pupil and teacher relationship to essential planning and preparation of lessons. Skinners theory has had an effect on many teachers strategies giving rewards on a daily bases hoping that the desired good behaviour will be repeated. Skinners work was based on the Thorndike’s law of effect. He believed that behaviours are shaped by external stimulus. He placed a rat in a box with a lever which when pressed released food pellets into the box. Once the rat has realised that when the lever is pressed he will get food, it associated this action with reward. Having transferred Skinners strategy into the classroom I can see that when the student is asked a question their hand is raised waiting on a positive response, rather than being ignored if they have shouted out. By praising the child for their hand up reinforces that behaviour and encourages the child to continue with this conditioning.
However this theory casts the rat in a passive role as behaviour management is being done to it. There have also been criticisms that such extrinsic motivation systems have a lack of long term effect and we need to encourage intrinsic much more. Dreikurs (1972) says rewards are no use as children learn that nothing is worth doing if you do not receive a reward for it. As educational practitioners we need to stop and analyze the root cause of the behaviour and establish a positive solution to managing it. Skinners approach on this perspective is on the individual’s observable and measurable behaviour. He claims that the behaviour is the result of their past and present learning experiences and the focus would be on the individual’s current environmental events. This approach adopts a scientific methodology. (Ayres et al 2005). Skinner looks at the ABC (Antecedents, Behaviour, and Consequences) theory
This approach is based on the premise that by focusing purely on the behaviour you are unlikely to alter or reduce its frequency. Having observed this method being used in the classroom I could quickly identify the possible triggers to the child’s behaviour for example the lack of differentiation in the lesson and the different delivery styles were all contributing factors. B was referring to the behaviour itself and what was the reason for it and trying to understand what the end goal is for the individual. C referred to the consequence of that behaviour the child understood quite clearly that if the inappropriate behaviour continued then sanctions or consequence would be applied. Applied behaviour analysis (ABA) focuses on behaviour rather than feelings. As Louise Porter (2004) points out that behaviourist believe that they cannot change a students thinking, instead they can change the conditions that surround behaviour, so that the desired behaviour is strengthened by receiving a favourable response from others. Behaviour appropriate or otherwise is more likely to reoccur when it receives a positive response. Using this approach in the classroom I have seen that the class teacher rather than giving the behaviour a positive response looked on the infringement negatively. It is essential that the teacher keeps control of the classroom and when necessary releases some control to the students. The more involved the students become the less likelihood of misbehaviour occurring. Behaviour is strengthened by the delivery of a consequence that the behaver value however it is important to remember that many people confuse negative reinforcement with punishment. Porter goes on to say that negative enforcement increases a desirable behaviour by removing something negative; punishment decreases an undesirable behaviour. So how do we model positive behaviour in class? By making sure that the tasks your class are completing are relevant. Fontana (1985). In another experiment
J.D Watson investigated responses of fear with loud noises as a method of conditioning. He used a small child by the name of Albert and a rat. Initially Albert was not frightened of the rat but every time that he went to touch the rat, Watson created a sudden loud noise. As Albert was frightened of the loud noise each time he tried to touch the rat, he quickly learned not to like the rat for fear of the loud noise. This conditioning also transferred to other small animals too. He then went on to suppress Albert’s fear of the rat by presenting it without the loud noise. Watson’s research is certainly questionable today but it showed the role of conditioning in the development of emotional stimuli. On the other hand the humanistic approach to discipline arises from the progressive education. Gartrell (1998). The fundamental belief of humanism is that age is no barrier to human rights. Humanists believe that children are unique beings with the right to respect and to the freedom to evaluate and make decisions about their own experiences. There has been an increasing awareness over the years to ensure that teacher’s foster a child’s self-esteem. Maslow (1997), Rogers and Freiberg (1994) both argued that education must place an emphasis on the whole person, on the idea of personal growth, on how the person sees themselves and the world. Maslow developed a motivation theory based on the hierarchy of needs and was represented by a pyramid. There are seven levels to this hierarchy from physiological to self actualisation. In order for children to become effective learners they need to pass through three previous levels including self- esteem. His work is regarded as basic to motivational analysis and is often quoted as it explains a lot about human behaviour. Humanists see individuals as being able to reflect on thoughts and feelings in response to experience. It’s this ability that allows them to have choice about actions rather than responding automatically and rigidly to certain stimuli. The writings of Carl Rogers on how a humanistic classroom climate can facilitate learning. He goes on to say that the humanistic approach can be summarised in four main principles. That there is an emphasis on the whole person, an emphasis on personal growth, an emphasis on awareness and finally an emphasis on personal agency which is the power of choice and agency. Kyraicou (1996). A humanistic classroom climate will be measure based on the teacher displaying a positive regard for their students and giving them control over their own learning through active learning.
It is important to promote desired behaviour in the classroom. In practice all children are treated the same in class, this is more effective with the younger ones. In my last practise I observed the teacher using different types of rein forcers. She used them in a particular order from the least intrusive to the most. She used other strategies such as praise, immediate feedback I have also seen in school where she has appointed a child of the day which gave the child a level of responsibility. This is particularly effective for children that may have social or emotional problems. She also used token rein forcers, when a child displayed positive behaviour a token was given out at the end of the week the child would then substitute them for a certificate of merit. When using rein forcers it is important that it is consistent it can be further enhanced if the whole school policy is being followed.
It is essential that teachers encourage positive behaviour at all times in the classroom, and it is important for the teacher to understand what type of classroom environment they want to achieve, getting this right at the outset will ensure that active learning is encouraged. As we all know too well badly planned lessons and bored students will lead to chaos in the classroom and contributes to a negative learning environment. Effective classroom environments have a great deal of common features: they empower, stimulate children and motivate them to learn effectively. They support the children in taking responsibility for their own learning and finally the classroom should be workable and realistic given the resources available to you not being afraid to have a move around if things are not working as they should be.
In summary in completing this assignment I have learned to be very much open minded in my approach when looking at behaviour management in the classroom. This has given me invaluable knowledge that I will now use in future school placements and indeed in my first teaching post. It has made me aware of the different strategies that can be used and importantly the reasons why I would use those strategies, after all not all of them would be appropriate in all circumstances. I have greater understanding of how to make my classroom a stimulating, empowering and motivational place to learn. Teaching is not just about today but as teachers we are the springboard for our children’s future and it is essential to get this right first time. After being in school based learning and now completing this assignment I can see what makes a positive learning environment and what clearly doesn’t. I am now able to analyze the schools and classes that I have been to and identify which of the teaching practitioners I would like to emulate based on the strategies that they used. I have also learned that is essential to constantly review my own practise that I will use in class and identify all my strengths and weaknesses.
References
Ayers. H et al. (2005) Perspectives on Behaviour. David Fulton Publishers. London.
Curry, N.E & Johnson, C.N (1990). Beyond self-esteem: Developing a genuine sense of human value. Washington, DC: National Association for the Education of Young Children.
Dreikurs, R (1972) Coping with Children’s Misbehaviour New York: Hawthorne
Fontana, D. (1985) Classroom control. British Psychological Society & Methuen. London
Gartrell, D. (1998) A guidance approach for the encouraging classroom. 2nd Ed. Delmar, Albany. New York
Kyraicou, C. (1996) Effective Teaching in Schools. Theory and Practice. Nelson Thornes
Rodd, J. (1996). Understanding young children’s behaviour. Sydney: Allen and Unwin.
Porter, L. (2004) Behaviour in School. Theory and Practise for Teachers. Open University Press. Oxford.