When I first began teaching at the primary school level I
certainly felt like a fish out of water when it came to managing their
behavior. Through a lot of trial and error and lots of assistant in the form of
reading up on the topic, I've come to a point in which I feel confident in my
abilities to establish clear rules and expectations and set up a positive environment conducive to
learning. That's not to say that problems don't arise, but I know that I can
deal with these problems swiftly without disrupting the flow of the lesson or
losing my cool. Here's a list of tips to keep in mind when dealing with your
own classroom:
+Non-stop nitpicking or negative comments is doomed to failure
+Notice the positive rather than the negative
+Never criticize the person, only the behavior
+Make sure the class and all activities have clear expectations
+Look authoritative by standing in a central location
+Give lots of eye contact and scan the classroom often
+Treat students fairly and make them feel valued and respected
+Encourage a calm and quiet atmosphere
+Use negotiation rather than authoritarian
+Praise both the class and individuals for good behavior
+Always wait for silence before speaking
+Give feedback about behavior
+Always prepare students for change
+Keep unstructured time to a minimum as it leads to inattentiveness and other problems
+Use pictures and diagrams or other visual aids to help maintain attention
+Walk around the classroom while students are working and regularly encourage them to do more
+Be confident in any disciplinary action you take
+Always appear calm and in charge even if you don't feel it
+Once the interaction is done, don't refer to it again
+Teach students how to deal with anger
+When faced with cheekiness the important point is not to engage in a discussion
+Remember, if you shout, they talk louder
+Rewards are the most successful way to ensure good behavior
+Never invade personal space, keep a reasonable distance away. No face-to-face confrontation.
