Behaviour Management For Beginners

I travail to locomote out along my posts totally maths-focused, but I've been doing a lot of thinking virtually behavior administration this calendar week therefore I reckon it mightiness hold upwards helpful to portion my ideas. I'm the beginner here.

In June I moved from a girls' grammer schoolhouse to a boys' comprehensive. I'd been at the grammer schoolhouse for 5 years (I became a instructor inward my belatedly 20s in addition to it was my offset teaching job). With the exception of the fourth dimension I spent at a 'difficult' schoolhouse inward Croydon during my PGCE, I'd never done whatsoever proper behavior administration before. My students almost ever followed instructions. Sometimes they were chatty, in addition to they were forever rolling upwards their skirts, but it was all really low-level. In fact ane of the challenges of working at a grammer schoolhouse was planning plenty cloth for lessons because most students were therefore focussed that they worked incredibly quickly.

When I said I was moving to a comprehensive school, I was met amongst looks of horror from around colleagues - "you do realise that's going to hold upwards actually hard, don't you?", they'd say. Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 friend suggested that I read Tom Bennett's first-class bulk The Behaviour Guru to laid upwards myself. I was a flake dismissive of all this because my novel schoolhouse has a reputation for adept behaviour, in addition to when I had a tour of the schoolhouse I saw naught but first-class acquit inward lessons.

A bad start
When I started my novel chore inward June I constitute things a lot harder than I'd expected. I had ii Key Stage iii classes that I felt I had no command over. It's hard taking over classes during the summertime term in addition to it was made worse yesteryear my failure to laid out my expectations from the start - I hadn't realised how of import this is. Now I know better.

I was taken aback yesteryear the agency the boys argued amongst me - if I told them to halt doing something, they'd either fence dorsum or they'd whine. I kept nagging them to acquire on amongst their work. They did airheaded things that drove me crazy. I constitute myself shouting similar a madwoman at times, but fifty-fifty in addition to therefore they weren't listening. I felt similar I was barely teaching whatsoever maths in addition to that made me both sorry in addition to embarrassed.

I was also taken aback yesteryear how much I warmed to these students - around of them were testing me in addition to nosotros all knew it, but the vast bulk were total of personality in addition to really likeable.

A fresh start
I'm determined to hold upwards amend at this inward September. I've settled inward now, therefore I won't hold upwards 'the novel teacher' whatsoever more. Having my ain classes correct from the start of the twelvemonth volition piece of work wonders. Here's 5 things I demand to remember:

1. Consistency. I direct maintain a terrible habit of threatening to give punishments in addition to and therefore non next through. This totally undermines my position. Consistency is vital.

2. Structures. My schoolhouse has adept behavior administration structures inward place. I mustn't hold upwards afraid to locomote these back upwards mechanisms, such equally having a pupil removed from a lesson when they are disrupting learning.

3. Expectations. I shouldn't just assume that students know the rules. Every instructor is different. I will state the rules at the start of the twelvemonth in addition to remind the shape equally oft equally is necessary. I constitute Tom Bennett's video on Classroom Rules helpful here.

4. Parents. I've solely phoned a bring upwards ane time inward 5 years of teaching! I demand to do this to a greater extent than - both to give adept feedback in addition to to hash out behaviour. It's taken me a spell to appreciate the extent to which most children tending virtually what y'all tell their parents. I innovation to do a half-termly newsletter (inspired yesteryear this great post from @MathedUp) to portion my students' successes.

5. Don't travail to hold upwards liked. Another bad habit of mine is caring likewise much virtually what people intend of me. It actually doesn't affair if I'm non my students' 'favourite teacher'. The of import thing is that I learn maths well.

It's actually of import that I acquire behavior administration correct because (as I've experienced) if I brand a mess of it in addition to therefore I won't direct maintain the chance to learn maths, which is a disaster for all involved. I really much concord amongst what David Perks says inward his article Pupils Behaving Badly, "And herein lies the challenge for teachers: they direct maintain to believe that what they are teaching is the most of import thing inward the footing for their pupils to learn. This is the origin of their authorisation inward the classroom. It is what gives them the correct to stand upwards inward front end of pupils in addition to demand their attention".

Resources
I've made a few bits in addition to pieces to acquire me started. They may hold upwards gimmicky, but making them has given me the chance to intend virtually how I desire things to work, therefore it's been a worthwhile exercise.

Inspired yesteryear @theshauncarter's post Classroom rules 2015, I'll hold upwards bespeak students to stick this laid of rules onto the within encompass of their practise books.

And inspired by @mathycathy's post service First Day Favorites, I've made ii videos for my offset lessons. This is for my Year 11s - it's a modest shape currently working at GCSE flat E/F:



And this one, amongst dissimilar messages, is for my high attaining Year 10s:



These were made amongst a seven Day Free Trial of VideoScribe. I mightiness brand ane for Year 12 likewise because these are actually fun to make.

I was going to purchase these Sparky VIP Rewards to encourage positive behavior but I intend they'd piece of work best at Key Stage 2 or iii in addition to I'll solely hold upwards teaching Key Stage iv in addition to 5. Lovely reckon though.

Thanks to everyone who has offered me behavior administration advice over the yesteryear few months - specially Samantha Rhodes (@rhodes_math) who sent me lots of helpful advice when I was finding things hard. Thanks also to everyone on Twitter who has given me tips on how to motivate boys.

Here's hoping I boom this inward September - wishing me luck!