Teaching Tip # 8 Deal With Low Level Behaviours Before They Get Big…

                       Top Ten Tips #6

                          

    Deal with low level behaviours before they get big…

Low level, or minor, behaviour infringements will escalate if they are not dealt with quickly and consistently. A pupil’s behaviour is reinforced when he gets attention for it, but don’t be tempted to ignore it. Find acalm and quiet way to let the child know that you see exactly what he isdoing and that there is a consequence, without making a fuss, gettingupset or sounding annoyed.

 Give your instructions once only. If the pupil continues to misbehave, instead of repeating your original instruction, try one or more of these actions

-       point to a place (eg on the board, on a post-it in the pupil’s book, a note on your desk) where you wrote down the original instruction at the time you 

      first gave it

-       use a description of reality, ‘Johnny, you are tapping your ruler.’

-       stop everything and look at the pupil pointedly  and wait    

      for them to figure out why

-       descriptively praise those who are behaving 
    appropriately, praise the target pupil  as soon 
     as he complies

-       ask other pupils what is needed  (the squirm factor)

Always follow through, even on minor infractions, so 

that pupils know there is no point in testing. They should know 

what will happen. Only give second chances after a period of good behaviour.

 University of British Columbia