'Behaviour and Routines'

The keys to effective classroom management

In July 2021, I spent four days at my future school as part of my Teach First summer training. During the week, I observed classroom rules, high expectations and routines. There was a strong emphasis on 'behaviour and routines', and the importance of getting them nailed from day one was reinforced to me. 

There was a no-shouting rule for teachers, and the pupils seemed compliant and obedient. Teachers all used the same silent signals, which indicated when pupils should stop working, stand up, sit down or transition to another location (for example, lining up at the door for assembly). In key stage 1, there was a lot of movement between the carpet and tables, and the signals allowed for controlled and orderly transitions. Transitions were always done in silence, and pupils had to maintain eye contact with the teacher during certain signals.

Pupils who were quick to respond to the signals were publicly praised, which reinforced the expected behaviour. Publicly praising pupils for doing the right thing was a behaviour management strategy that was used throughout the school. As well as rewarding positive behaviour, it effectively altered any negative behaviour. Praise is a quick and effective behaviour management strategy to encourage positive behaviour and build confidence in pupils. Alongside praise, many teachers also use other external rewards to reinforce positive behaviour.  

My school had individual rewards and whole-class rewards. Pupils were given gold coins for showing positive behaviour, and the whole class would be awarded marbles for good behaviour. The class with the most marbles at the end of each week was given an extra 10 minutes of playtime. Allocating table names and rewarding tables or carpet rows is also a good strategy to encourage positive behaviour. In Key Stage 1, schools can have a lot of fun with themed table names.

All schools have different behaviour policies and different approaches to managing behaviour. In my school, pupils were given two warnings for poor behaviour before they were sent to a reflection area. If they continued to make negative choices, they were sent to another classroom to work. Restorative conversations with pupils were really important to ensure that they were aware of the behaviour that resulted in their sanction. The conversations also allowed pupils to reflect on their behaviour and to think about their future choices.

During my summer training, I was taught to observe situations through a trauma-informed lens. I learned that isolation could potentially be damaging or triggering for pupils, and I knew that I would have to put children in a reflection area. This did initially concern me, but after seeing the reflection area, which was within the classroom, I felt better about it. I always ensured that I had positive conversations with pupils following their time in reflection to maintain a good relationship with them.

A school's behaviour policy, school values and class rules are key to supporting good classroom management. On my first day of school (in September), the class rules were agreed upon as a class, and the school values and behaviour policy were discussed and reinforced. They were printed off and placed around the classroom so they were visible to everyone. A quick point to class rule 2 was a quick way for me to adjust any negative behaviour.

Classrooms are busy working environments, and allocating specific jobs to pupils can be an effective classroom management strategy. Whether it's book monitors to distribute certain textbooks and workbooks or a register monitor. Classrooms ultimately need to be safe places for staff and pupils, and taking control of behaviour and routines will allow for effective teaching and learning.