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Case Studies

HELP FILE

Failed Strategies

"I am currently a student teacher on a year 3/4 class on my internship.

I am currently having difficulties in behaviour management with about 5 students and the strategies I am using are ineffective. Some of these students are constantly out of their seat, back-chatting and talking in class time. Currently I have a positive reward system including free time if the whole class is working. The negative consequences are as follows:

  1. Warning.

  2. See me at lunch where we discuss the inappropriate behaviour and how it can be fixed.

  3. See me at lunch plus detention second half lunch.

Currently this behaviour management strategy is not working. Students are finding it funny to get into trouble and are not respecting me as a teacher. Could you please suggest some other strategies that I may use?"

Jenny Replied

Thankyou for writing to us and my apologies for the delay in replying and I realise I may be a little late but it will help for the future. I travel a lot and get many enquiries.

I feel for you as some classes can be very difficult. The first and most important thing is to set a few ground rules. You do not say what age these students are but I would think upper primary into high school.

  1. Before you try to teach ... set the ground rules ... to start is a good idea and to ask them what they think is important for everyone to work together in class ... write them all up ... yes the silly responses too ... then ask them to cross out the ones that won't work ... and finally get it all down. Then ask them if these get broken ... what should happen ... they set the consequences with your guidance. Write them up and work from here.

  2. Next ..."catch them doing it right" ... focus on when these boys get it right not wrong. I suggest you try and get "maintaining sanity in the classroom" by Rudolf Dreikurs, it will give you much insight and understanding about managing behaviour.

  3. Try and realise they are young ... it is not discipline but cooperation and enjoyment that you want to develop in the classroom but they must toe the line but to get that you have to acquire many skills.

  4. The other book I would recommend is How to teach so children can learn by Adele Faber and Elaine Mazlish.

Jenny Mackay

 

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