At Youth Untroubled, our ISTAC therapists work closely with schools and colleges and a big part of our role is helping teaching staff to manage disruptive and oppositional behaviour. Enforcing consequences for undesirable behaviour is always challenging and when managing a class of up to 30, it can often feel like a minefield! We’ve captured the most common pitfalls for you to avoid when enforcing consequences in your classroom:
1. Showing disdain
Yes, easier said than done, we know! But if there’s one way to guarantee an escalation in behaviour it’s a negative or rejecting facial expression! At best, you’ll be giving a master button pusher the satisfaction of knowing just what buttons to push! At worst, you’ll damage your relationship and be highly unlikely to gain the trust necessary for change. Let your boundaries do the talking & keep the nonverbal communication positive:)
2. Waiting for a response to your consequence/ sanction
Waiting for a response gives the impression that you’re making a request as opposed to making a statement or giving an instruction. The young person is then likely to meet you with an unfavourable response to save face, particularly if their peers are watching! Better to communicate the sanction and move on with the lesson, making it clear that it is non-negotiable.
3. Over-talking, lecturing, repeating
Anyone who has attempted these strategies will know they don’t work! Not least because disruptive behaviour can often be a result of poor concentration or processing skills, in which case lots of talking will only serve to exacerbate the problem. Instead, opt for a clear reward and sanction system which reduces the need to repeat yourself, and in turn reduces the stress levels!
4. Inconsistency, or ‘choosing your battles’
‘Choosing your battles’ tends to be pitched as a positive and proportionate tactic…However! it is at odds with the consistent approach necessary for effective behaviour management and can be confusing for your classroom cherubs, who get away with being the class clown one day, & reprimanded for it the next. Try to have a crystal clear response for the low-level behaviours, and you’ll be less likely to be met with the more challenging ones.
5. Ineffective use of consequences
Consequences should always be meaningful, directly related to the undesirable behaviour, and an opportunity for the young person to learn something. They should not be pointlessly punitive or reinforcing. Sometimes it feels necessary to remove a disruptive young person from the group to ensure other learners are not impacted, but this can be counterproductive if the young person is falling behind already, or actively trying to avoid the classroom.
6. A one-size-fits-all all approach
The above is also why a ‘one size fits all’ approach isn’t effective: Jack might be mortified at being sent out of class for disruptive behaviour, and will do everything in his power to ensure that it never happens again; Jill on the other hand might be acting out because she knows she’ll get to avoid the lesson/ be sent home, and thus by using this particular consequence you be sure to see more of the undesirable behaviour! Choose wisely 😉
7. Humiliating or punitive strategies
Where possible, don’t single out students to communicate consequences or to reprimand for functional behaviour such as drawing attention to themselves or avoiding classwork. Instead, try the opposite: use a chart on the board; when students answer questions, make an effort to engage or cooperate, give them a tally. Aim to give every child at least one tally, clearly demonstrating that attention will only be given for positive effort, not disruption.
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