This article will attempt to explain why “just doing it” is more complicated than it may seem and how we can help children learn to “do it.” 1. Remember that discipline means to teach not to punish.
2. Pay attention to the kind of behaviour you want to continue.
3. Ignore any behaviour which is not destructive, dangerous or harmful to others.
4. Find something legitimately reinforcing and encouraging saying to each child everyday. This may be much harder to do with some children, but it is important.
5. Be consistent no matter what! (Major earthquakes or similar events might be a reason not to be consistent.)
6. Let the children know what the class behavioural expectations are and make sure that they understand them.
7. Be careful about what you promise or threaten because you have to carry through even if it punishes you.
8. If a child doesn’t respond to your instructions after the second time you have talked to him, get up and move toward him. Most of the time, you will quickly get the expected response.
9. Avoid sarcasm, negativity.
10. If a child gives a wrong or inappropriate answer reinforce the effort i.e. that was a good try, but….
2. Pay attention to the kind of behaviour you want to continue.
3. Ignore any behaviour which is not destructive, dangerous or harmful to others.
4. Find something legitimately reinforcing and encouraging saying to each child everyday. This may be much harder to do with some children, but it is important.
5. Be consistent no matter what! (Major earthquakes or similar events might be a reason not to be consistent.)
6. Let the children know what the class behavioural expectations are and make sure that they understand them.
7. Be careful about what you promise or threaten because you have to carry through even if it punishes you.
8. If a child doesn’t respond to your instructions after the second time you have talked to him, get up and move toward him. Most of the time, you will quickly get the expected response.
9. Avoid sarcasm, negativity.
10. If a child gives a wrong or inappropriate answer reinforce the effort i.e. that was a good try, but….
11. Be neutral emotionally when dealing with inappropriate behaviour. If you get upset and angry, you are no longer in control.12. Don’t ask why you did that, you will probably get a shrug and “I don’t know”. Instead ask, “what do you think you should have done or how could you do that better?”.
13. Separate the behaviour from the child. “I like you, but not the way you behave.”
14. Consequences should be as natural as possible. “I see you have not finished your work, so you need to finish it before you go out to play.” “I see you can’t sit properly in your chair, so I will take it away until you feel that you can sit in it properly.”
15. Be fair, firm, friendly.
16. Prepare warm up exercises to keep the class quiet and busy when you have to take the roll, collect money etc.
17. Greeting each child with a positive remark as he or she enters the classroom each morning is a good way to start the day and helps to avoid attention getting behaviour later on.
18. With the class, develop 5 or less classroom behavioural expectations and post them on the board. Review them frequently.
19. Reward and remark about good behaviour frequently. “I like the way you are sitting quietly and working so hard.”
20. Establish a routine for your class – and post this on the board. If it is necessary to change the routine – tell the class as far ahead of time as possible and explain the reason for change.
21. Be a good model. They will do what you do a lot faster than what you tell them to do.
22. Keep on your feet and circulating the room when the class is working independently. Use this time to reinforce good work and behaviour.
23. If you have to reprimand a child about anything, it is important to use the next possible time to give him some kind of positive reinforcement.
24. Yelling a lot in class is ineffective if you do this on a regular basis. If it is necessary to reprimand a child, walk over to him and speak to him personally in a normal, but firm tone of voice.
25. Avoid down time in the class. Have plans and materials organised so that children don’t have time and opportunity to get off task for lengthy periods of time.
26. Teach listening skills and make it part of your daily routine i.e.
(i) Knees pointing toward the speaker.
(ii) Hands and feet and mouth still.
(iii) Look at the speaker’s face.
27. Respond immediately to behaviours whether they are good or bad.
28. Whenever possible, give children choices. You choose two things which are appropriate and let them decide between them.
29. The children should know and understand consequences for good or inappropriate behaviour.
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