by Liz Marsden
Oh dear, what a harsh heading to this article. But the fact is that if children are behaving badly and your techniques aren't changing things then you're doing the wrong things. Children's behaviour should be an issue for all the school, but even in separate classrooms, if you want things to improve then you have to use effective behaviour management techniques - if you aren't then you won't get the results you want. But, there is good news. With little extra effort you can learn the skills you need to change children's behaviour and have them behaving the way you want.
If you want to master any skill the process is the same. Find out what you have to do, practise the techniques to become proficient and then go on with the skills to become increasingly confident and a better practitioner. My skills have grown over years - Behaviour Bible tells you about my first days managing children's very challenging behaviour. Well, managing is the wrong word - it was a disaster! I hadn't a clue what I was doing and the kids knew it ... it was awful... I see so many people in that situation in schools I visit.
I had no choice but to develop management techniques that would give me the results I needed to manage these very challenging children. But, there were no courses - I was on my own and I had to learn quickly. I use my very successful behaviour management strategies in my classroom every day and I pass on my knowledge and experience to teachers, parents, ancillary workers and dinner staff so they can become confident too. And believe me, you can see positive results in just a few minutes. Manage behaviour in the right way and you get a completely different response from the children - they just know and sense the difference in you..
In the intervening years the situation in mainstream schools has worsened. Bad behaviour is now so commonplace there's a danger that it's being considered normal by some people. There doesn't seem to be a great deal of shock that some children behave in a totally appalling way. In some schools I sense an acceptance that this is to be expected and there's a learned helplessness amongst the adults - a raising of the eyebrows in a 'well what can we do about it?', sort of way.
Where do you start? Well, you have to decide whether what you're doing is giving you the results that you want. Usually when I ask someone this question the answer is, 'No'. In that case I'm afraid that you have to accept that you have to make some changes in your approach to behaviour management. Believe me, when you do this, your life in the classroom becomes massively easier - reduced stress, better results. You can't lose!
You can get all you need to know about successfully managing children's behaviour in Behaviour Bible. A successful and productive classroom is within your grasp. Read about the techniques, practise them and use them consistently.
About the Author:
Liz Marsden is a highly respected behaviour management specialist who manages challenging behaviour believed unmanageable by other teachers and professionals. Liz's influential book Behaviour Bible offers essential advice and instruction to help you manage your classroom effectively. You can also gain an insight into Liz's work and her daily classroom experiences.
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