Managing the learning environment

Managing the learning environment Mia Simionato, CeletsePietsch, Laura Kaeding, Jon Sharp, Lochy Allison and Luke Ames

Behaviour Management First and for most: It is NOT possible to control student behaviour in the classroom (Hook & Vass, pg. 5) http://www.myspace.com/video/vid/21868468

Introduction The idea of ‘managing’ a middle school student’s behaviour could imply control and authority (Pendergast & Bahr pg. 270). Through out this session well aim to provide many examples of behaviour management that are inclusive of different practices that can aid in the develop discipline with in the classroom.

Behaviour by Definition • 1. Manner of behaving or conducting oneself • 2. On one's best behaviour behaving with careful good manners • Distracting classroom behaviours visiting with friends interrupting throwing things teasing Oppositional behaviours refusing to stay in seats vulgar language harassment Good behaviours would be-staying on task raising hand to answer question kind to other students

The ABC’s of behaviour management • A) Antecedents • This refers to the context in which the behaviour has occurred or what us happening in the environment at the time the behaviour occurs. • Examples of this: • Home circumstances • Food consumption • What happened during Recess/Lunch

The ABC’s of behaviour management • B) Behaviour • This refers to the actual behaviour of the student (or teacher) exhibits. It is the choice of the teacher what is and what is not a behaviour that is appropriate and inappropriate • Examples of behaviours that maybe seen as both bad and good: • Talking to the person sitting adjacent • Walking around the room • Having a joke with the teacher or other students

The ABC’s of behaviour management • C) Consequence This refers to those things that happen after the student has displayed the behaviour. Consequences can be both positive and negative reinforcement. In other words, they are those actions or events that either encourage the behaviours to be repeated or are likely to deter the behaviour in the future

Group Activity • As a group come up with you own behaviour management plan. • You have now been appointed the new teacher of a year 6 class at Apple Institute of Advance Learning. You now need a behaviour management plan that can be seen and used by the students. • An example of a behaviour plan follows.

Always remember Good behaviour • Positive behaviour in the classroom can make all the difference between an enjoyable teaching experience, and a teacher suffering from work related stress. Having effective classroom management strategies really is that important. • So how exactly do you promote positive behaviour in the classroom? Below are three effective classroom management strategies that will reduce negative student behaviour fast.

Be positive If you’re negative, then the students that you teach will also be negative. And negative students are not well behaved students. If you remain positive in the classroom, no matter how tired and stressed you feel, then you will have a better chance of promoting positive behaviour in the pupils that you teach. Highlight good behaviour How can students demonstrate positive behaviour in the classroom, if they don’t know what it is? Find excellent examples of student behaviour and then highlight it to the class. Highlight this good behaviour, and explain why its good. This can be as simple as praising a group doing excellent quiet work, or a student who demonstrates constructive behaviour with his peers. Highlight good behaviour and the behaviour of the students you teach will increase. Model good behaviour If students see you as moody, temperamental aggressive or worse, then you are not demonstrating the correct ways to behave in a classroom environment. Show the students how to behave well through your own actions, and your classroom will become a more peaceful place.

Misbehaviour Misbehaviour is considered to be context-specific and thus behaviour that is deemed inappropriate according to the situation in which it occurs(Charles 2008). Misbehaviour can be broken into 4 broad categories. Category A: Generally appropriate behaviour Category B: Occasionally distracted and distracting behaviour Category C: Occasionally challenging behaviour Category D: Repeat challenging behaviour

Common causes of Misbehaviour • Inappropriate behaviour and/or a lack of interest and attention may be caused by: • Insufficient equipment for group size • Limited supervision and lack of interest shown by the teacher Activities which are slow to start, • due to too much talking by the teacher Activities that run for too long Activities that are boring and not challenging enough • Unclear rules and expectation

What is Punishment? Punishment refers to adding something aversive in order to decrease a behaviour. The most common example of this is disciplining (e.g. spanking) a child for misbehaving. The reason we do this is because the child begins to associate being punished with the negative behaviour. The punishment is not liked and therefore to avoid it, he or she will stop behaving in that manner

So if we can’t use punishment, what is best? • Positive discipline is different from punishment because it enables students to learn from their behavioural choices rather than making them suffer for them. In fact, imposing suffering actually shifts the focus from the lesson that needs to be learned to who is in control; a power struggle. • As a result, punishment focuses on the teacher being responsible for controlling a student’s behaviour, rather than the student regulating their own behaviour, which is the focus of positive discipline.

Negative Reinforcements • Think of negative reinforcement as taking something negative away in order to increase a response. Imagine a teenager who is nagged by his mother to take out the garbage week after week. After complaining to his friends about the nagging, he finally one day performs the task and to his amazement, the nagging stops. The elimination of this negative stimulus is reinforcing and will likely increase the chances that he will take out the garbage next week.

Positive Reinforcements • Positive Reinforcement.Thinkof it as adding something in order to increase a response. For example, adding a treat will increase the response of sitting; adding praise will increase the chances of your child cleaning his or her room. The most common types of positive reinforcement or praise and rewards, and most of us have experienced this as both the giver and receiver.

Question: What is the difference between negative reinforcement and Punishment • Negative Reinforcement is often confused with Punishment. They are very different, however. Negative Reinforcement strengthens a behaviour because a negative condition is stopped or avoided as a consequence of the behaviour. Punishment, on the other hand, weakens a behaviour because a negative condition is introduced or experienced as a consequence of the behaviour

What is the goal of behaviour management? • Creates a safe learning environment for all, • Encourages learning by eliminating distractions, • Is respectful to other students and staff, • Facilitates the organization of the classroom so learning time is efficient, and • Increases time available to interact with academic subjects.

Managing the learning environment