Behaviour Management Checklist
Use this checklist to develop or refine your Behaviour Management Plan
Focus
1. Review behaviour management theory and your school's philosophy.
2. Get to know your students before the school term
3. Organise your classroom
4. Prepare for the 'Establishment Phase' - Day 1 and Week 1.
5. Decide on the morning routine
6. Motivation and Encouragement
7. The Discipline Plan
8. Build Relationships
1. Review behaviour management theory and your school's philosophy.
2. Get to know your students before the school term
3. Organise your classroom
4. Prepare for the 'Establishment Phase' - Day 1 and Week 1.
5. Decide on the morning routine
6. Motivation and Encouragement
7. The Discipline Plan
8. Build Relationships
Actions
Identify the strategies you feel comfortable with e.g. Dreikurs - Logical Consequences, Glasser - Reality Therapy/Choice Theory, Gordon - Preventive Strategies and use of 'I' statements, Applied Behavioural Analysis (ABC) and Functional Behaviour Analysis for difficult behaviour management issues, Bill Roger's - Classroom Meetings.
Understand the schools approach to behaviour management and how it will impact on your classroom behaviour management plan. Does the school have a 'Whole School Approach' that you need to consider?, e.g. Restorative Practices.
Read students' school profiles, any learning style profiles, past reports, any IEP's and identify the students who require support or have special needs.
De-clutter, clean and organise classroom seating, resources, work spaces and overall layout. Arrange the desks for ease of access by students and teacher.
Display posters and other useful tools for students.
Prepare main walkways and access points to ensure they are free from clutter and that all students can see and be seen from the main instructional areas.
Ensure the classroom is a welcoming, bright, and safe environment for all.
Decide your classroom rules and behaviour expectations.
Identify the positively stated rules that tell students what they will be doing.
Decide how you will 'negotiate' these rules with the students as a group, e.g. use of 'Y' diagram on day one.
Ensure that your classroom rules 'fit' within the school's motto, school rules and behaviour expectations.
Decide on classroom rules and procedures when students are sitting at desks and during floor or mat time, and rules for classroom discussion, e.g. 'listening when others are speaking', 'raise your hand to ask a question or share'.
How will students enter and exit the class, e.g.'please calm down and walk into the classroom quietly'.
What simple cues will you use to gain student attention, e.g. stand in the 'anchoring' position, (Rogers 2006), raise a hand and call '1,2,3 - eyes to me'.
Establish acceptable levels of noise for classroom individual work, group work, walking to the library and outside play.
Establish other basic classroom agreements for learning, being fair and respectful to one another.
Welcome students with a smile and say 'hello'. Remind students to walk and speak quietly in the classroom (Prevention).
Offer students fruit if they have not eaten breakfast.
Ask about special events/activities (birthdays) or share information - build relationships.
Remind students to prepare for the day, sharpen their pencils, organise their belongings.
Remind students to read or play quietly until the bell goes.
Once the bell goes, give clear directions. 'The bell has gone - take your seats thanks', 'Sitting at desks - it's learning time'.
Decide upon a range of strategies for motivating and rewarding students.
Use encouragement and positive feedback for individuals, and establish 'class meetings' or 'circle time' to share the good achievements of each student.
Find time to spend one-on-one with each student, e.g. during Running Records, and look for opportunities to encourage. Reward personal achievements with special prizes like stickers, pencils and other stationery.
The overall goal of a behaviour management plan is to elicit cooperation of the students and minimize misconduct. This will help ensure that worthwhile academic activities are occuring more or less continuously and that students are actively engaged in their learning.
Discipline based on Prevention rather than Reaction.
Include a list of consequences that proceed from mild penalties (time-out) to removal from the room.
Use of 'I' statements for addressing inappropriate behaviour, e.g. 'If you throw pencils around the room you might hurt someone in our class, which worries me as I need to look after all of the students in the classroom'.
Focus, comment on and praise positive behaviour; ignore inapproprate behaviour where it's safe and appropriate to do so. i.e. 'catch students being good!'
When students are misbehaving - give clear directions, for example,'open your writing book and begin your journal writing', or ask 'What should you be doing now?' (If they don't know, quietly explain and re-focus the student).
Remain calm and matter-of-fact when dealing with inappropriate behaviour and focus on the 'behaviour' not the 'person'.
Remind students of their choices in each situation and the logical consequences that will follow, e.g. 'If you choose not to complete your work during class time then you will have to stay in at lunchtime to complete it'. Ensure you follow through.
Hold daily class discussions during which students can be recognised for their work or for demonstrating the classroom rules or codes of conduct, e.g. being courteous.
Find opportuntiies to praise and reward all students. Incorporate a reward program, like 'Student Passports' or 'Buzz Awards' where all students can receive special stamps for achievement of personal learning goals.
Treat students fairly and equitably and apply rules and consequences consistently.
In situations where a student does require special treatment or allowances to be made, e.g. in the case of a disability, communicate this to all students to aid understanding and acceptance. For example, a child with Aspergers may be allowed to leave the class to go to a 'cool off' zone as needed, when all other students are expected to ask permission and go in pairs when they leave the class.
Manage behaviour via effective teaching
Be organised and well prepared (in advance) for each lesson.
Ensure resources are readily accessible so that lessons flow smoothly.
Avoid unnecessary interuptions and minimise disruptions by students e.g. 'hands down unless it is urgent'.
Allow sufficient time for students to complete tasks - avoid cramming too much information into each session.
Make lessons relevant, purposeful and engaging by using a variety of instructional methods and group organisation.
Ensure students with special needs are catered to - use visual information and reminders for all classroom rules, routines and timetables.
Ensure students with special needs have been identified and that proper procedures have been initiated to provide necessary support, e.g. IEP's, ESL.
Actively engage students in each lesson through the use of questioning techniques, varied activities, brainstorming, group-work, pair-work, and continuous discussion and feedback.
Overall aim is to create a feeling of safety and belonging
Get to know students on a personal level by engaging in conversation about their interests outside of school. Share something about yourself that students can relate to.
Speak politely and calmly - model language and behaviour in the classroom that you would like students to follow.
Encourage parents and caregivers to assist in the classroom or visit - be welcoming.
Engage in conversation with all parents to build an understanding of each student, their family background, personal circumstances, culture, religious beliefs etc.
Create opportunities for students to showcase their classroom work and be proud, e.g. a class concert, art display, play, poetry reading, journal display etc.
Keep parents informed of their childs progress and any disciplinary issues that arise.
Encourage healthy eating and diet, and be a source of information for interested parents.
Identify the strategies you feel comfortable with e.g. Dreikurs - Logical Consequences, Glasser - Reality Therapy/Choice Theory, Gordon - Preventive Strategies and use of 'I' statements, Applied Behavioural Analysis (ABC) and Functional Behaviour Analysis for difficult behaviour management issues, Bill Roger's - Classroom Meetings.
Understand the schools approach to behaviour management and how it will impact on your classroom behaviour management plan. Does the school have a 'Whole School Approach' that you need to consider?, e.g. Restorative Practices.
Read students' school profiles, any learning style profiles, past reports, any IEP's and identify the students who require support or have special needs.
De-clutter, clean and organise classroom seating, resources, work spaces and overall layout. Arrange the desks for ease of access by students and teacher.
Display posters and other useful tools for students.
Prepare main walkways and access points to ensure they are free from clutter and that all students can see and be seen from the main instructional areas.
Ensure the classroom is a welcoming, bright, and safe environment for all.
Decide your classroom rules and behaviour expectations.
Identify the positively stated rules that tell students what they will be doing.
Decide how you will 'negotiate' these rules with the students as a group, e.g. use of 'Y' diagram on day one.
Ensure that your classroom rules 'fit' within the school's motto, school rules and behaviour expectations.
Decide on classroom rules and procedures when students are sitting at desks and during floor or mat time, and rules for classroom discussion, e.g. 'listening when others are speaking', 'raise your hand to ask a question or share'.
How will students enter and exit the class, e.g.'please calm down and walk into the classroom quietly'.
What simple cues will you use to gain student attention, e.g. stand in the 'anchoring' position, (Rogers 2006), raise a hand and call '1,2,3 - eyes to me'.
Establish acceptable levels of noise for classroom individual work, group work, walking to the library and outside play.
Establish other basic classroom agreements for learning, being fair and respectful to one another.
Welcome students with a smile and say 'hello'. Remind students to walk and speak quietly in the classroom (Prevention).
Offer students fruit if they have not eaten breakfast.
Ask about special events/activities (birthdays) or share information - build relationships.
Remind students to prepare for the day, sharpen their pencils, organise their belongings.
Remind students to read or play quietly until the bell goes.
Once the bell goes, give clear directions. 'The bell has gone - take your seats thanks', 'Sitting at desks - it's learning time'.
Decide upon a range of strategies for motivating and rewarding students.
Use encouragement and positive feedback for individuals, and establish 'class meetings' or 'circle time' to share the good achievements of each student.
Find time to spend one-on-one with each student, e.g. during Running Records, and look for opportunities to encourage. Reward personal achievements with special prizes like stickers, pencils and other stationery.
The overall goal of a behaviour management plan is to elicit cooperation of the students and minimize misconduct. This will help ensure that worthwhile academic activities are occuring more or less continuously and that students are actively engaged in their learning.
Discipline based on Prevention rather than Reaction.
Include a list of consequences that proceed from mild penalties (time-out) to removal from the room.
Use of 'I' statements for addressing inappropriate behaviour, e.g. 'If you throw pencils around the room you might hurt someone in our class, which worries me as I need to look after all of the students in the classroom'.
Focus, comment on and praise positive behaviour; ignore inapproprate behaviour where it's safe and appropriate to do so. i.e. 'catch students being good!'
When students are misbehaving - give clear directions, for example,'open your writing book and begin your journal writing', or ask 'What should you be doing now?' (If they don't know, quietly explain and re-focus the student).
Remain calm and matter-of-fact when dealing with inappropriate behaviour and focus on the 'behaviour' not the 'person'.
Remind students of their choices in each situation and the logical consequences that will follow, e.g. 'If you choose not to complete your work during class time then you will have to stay in at lunchtime to complete it'. Ensure you follow through.
Hold daily class discussions during which students can be recognised for their work or for demonstrating the classroom rules or codes of conduct, e.g. being courteous.
Find opportuntiies to praise and reward all students. Incorporate a reward program, like 'Student Passports' or 'Buzz Awards' where all students can receive special stamps for achievement of personal learning goals.
Treat students fairly and equitably and apply rules and consequences consistently.
In situations where a student does require special treatment or allowances to be made, e.g. in the case of a disability, communicate this to all students to aid understanding and acceptance. For example, a child with Aspergers may be allowed to leave the class to go to a 'cool off' zone as needed, when all other students are expected to ask permission and go in pairs when they leave the class.
Manage behaviour via effective teaching
Be organised and well prepared (in advance) for each lesson.
Ensure resources are readily accessible so that lessons flow smoothly.
Avoid unnecessary interuptions and minimise disruptions by students e.g. 'hands down unless it is urgent'.
Allow sufficient time for students to complete tasks - avoid cramming too much information into each session.
Make lessons relevant, purposeful and engaging by using a variety of instructional methods and group organisation.
Ensure students with special needs are catered to - use visual information and reminders for all classroom rules, routines and timetables.
Ensure students with special needs have been identified and that proper procedures have been initiated to provide necessary support, e.g. IEP's, ESL.
Actively engage students in each lesson through the use of questioning techniques, varied activities, brainstorming, group-work, pair-work, and continuous discussion and feedback.
Overall aim is to create a feeling of safety and belonging
Get to know students on a personal level by engaging in conversation about their interests outside of school. Share something about yourself that students can relate to.
Speak politely and calmly - model language and behaviour in the classroom that you would like students to follow.
Encourage parents and caregivers to assist in the classroom or visit - be welcoming.
Engage in conversation with all parents to build an understanding of each student, their family background, personal circumstances, culture, religious beliefs etc.
Create opportunities for students to showcase their classroom work and be proud, e.g. a class concert, art display, play, poetry reading, journal display etc.
Keep parents informed of their childs progress and any disciplinary issues that arise.
Encourage healthy eating and diet, and be a source of information for interested parents.
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