Behaviour Problems: Students Not Bringing Equipment to Class

Here are some classroom management strategies to help deal with students who 'forget' to bring materials and equipment to class...

1. Offer to loan them some of your equipment in return for 'collateral' such as a shoe.

2. Give a brief period of time at the start of the lesson for pupils to borrow items from other members of the class

3. Reward those who bring required equipment

4. Focus on teaching right action and correcting behaviour of persistent offenders: Offer them support in the way of special reminders and inform parents that this key issue is causing concern; get the parents to follow up at home and issue reminders at home.

5. Be prepared - always have a complete box of materials and equipment on your desk. Cut out the tendency for students to keep/borrow/forget to give back/steal your materials by having them clearly and boldly marked. Pink nail varnish tends to be a good deterrent.

6. Keep a clear record as the the number of times this happens. It is beneficial to give students a clear picture of how significant a particular problem is. A chart provides a clear record for both teacher and student of how many times materials have been forgotten. It also gives a definite starting point from which to improve: "Nathan, you have forgotten your materials every day this week, let's see if we can get one positive mark on the chart tomorrow shall we?"

Behaviour Problems: Classroom management tool

An obvious fact that we're all aware of as teachers is that a student, when recognized for positive behavior, will feel less inclined to seek attention in inappropriate ways.
Conversely, when a pupil's efforts are ignored, the chances of them disrupting the lesson to gain some attention are greatly increased.

Young people need reassurance and encouragement if they are to continue to behave appropriately.

The problem we have, as teachers, is that we are told to give out praise as much as possible and that the solution to all our problems lies simply in repeatedly telling pupils how well they are doing.
We consequently find ourselves uttering the same tired, weak, comments such as 'well done', 'that's really good!' and 'I like that'.

But these comments are a waste of time in terms of encouraging pupils - they are just too wishy-washy.
Praise must be sincere otherwise it is just hollow, worthless and patronizing.

If we want to improve the behavior of pupils in our care we need to fully recognize their individual efforts.
Unless we praise effectively the associated benefits will be lost.

The following two tips will help you deliver praise more effectively and thereby reduce disruption in your classroom...

1) When you give verbal praise to a child - make them really feel it.

When you praise a child you make them feel your appreciation by telling them exactly WHAT they did and WHY it was good.

True praise comes from genuinely noticing when they put effort into something or have managed to complete something they wouldn't normally manage.
When you give thoughtful attention to a student's work like this work it demonstrates that you recognize their work or improved behavior.
Such deep appreciation builds self-esteem and encourages continued progress.

"Paul, stand back and look at what you've done... this is a fantastic portrait! What really impresses me is the way you've made that eye come to life by showing the light reflecting here.
That really makes it come alive!"

Now, doesn't that sound better than a wishy-washy statement such as "Very good Paul"?

Similarly, when a troublesome child is behaving appropriately, this must be acknowledged.

"John I'm so impressed.
You've sat quietly for the last 10 minutes and got on with your work.
That's great because I've been able to go and help other pupils and I haven't needed to shout at you.
Well done!"

2) Send letters home to praise your pupils effectively...

Don't underestimate the power of the letter home as a form of praise and effective behavior management tool.
This has such a positive impact on students - I only wish I'd started doing it earlier in my career.

Sending a nice letter home can transform a previously negative child - literally overnight - into one who is motivated and eager to please.
This is also one method that works well even with older pupils - right up to age 16 and beyond.
It is also very effective for pupils who don't accept public praise very well - a letter home means their mates will never find out!

Letters home can be 'quick-notes' or more formal, traditional letters on school headed paper.
You can send out simple postcards for odd pieces of particularly good work or award 'extra special' letters in response to sustained effort such as after a pupil has earned 5 stickers (younger pupils) or 5 merits (older pupils).

Generic letters are very insincere so the best way to organize your praise letters for speed and ease is to have two copies of your letter ready written in a file on your computer - one for girls and one for boys.
It's then just a matter of filling in the name, printing it out on headed paper and either giving it to the pupil to take home or posting it.

It is time consuming producing letters and copying them onto headed paper but it definitely has a tremendous impact on individuals as well as helping create a positive classroom atmosphere.

Behaviour Problems: Students who arrive late

Here are some classroom management strategies for dealing with students who are late for lessons:

1. Have clear rules on punctuality
Students need to know that there is a clear rule in place with regard to punctuality. They need to know what the consequence is for being late and they need to know that this will be consistently applied by staff.

2. Don't let a late arrival disrupt the flow of the lesson
When a student arrives late, direct them to their seat but don't address the fact they were late until after the lesson. A brief... "Everything OK? Sit their please, you can explain after the lesson why you were late." ...is better than getting drawn into an argument which other students may enjoy.

3. Always follow up lateness and ensure pupil makes up missed work
Students need to know that the consequence for being late will always be applied no matter what their excuse may be. Make sure you always spend a minute or two after the lesson finding out what the problem was and giving them the work they must catch up - either at home or in break.

4. Have a reward system which acknowledges those who come on time
Students like to do well. Good attendance is something that all students can achieve, regardless of ability and it should be acknowledged like any other social skill. Competition between groups is a good motivator.

5. Keep records.
Get pupils to fill in a form giving reason for late arrival and the time they arrived. Send copies home with notification of consequences if it continues.

Behaviour Problems: Dealing with a noisy class

Here are four useful strategies to help deal with the class that just won't settle:

1. Allow some cooling off time of a few minutes after transitions and breaks to allow them to settle.
Use this time to chat to individuals and small groups, settle them, deal with any problems and establish a calm, relaxed atmosphere.

2. Teach ROUTINES to the students
Routines are the perfect way to develop consistency in the classroom - they give your students a clear roadmap to follow and reduce confusion as well as excuses for misbehavior.

An example of a routine at the start of the lesson is the countdown technique. Mix this with with lots of proximity praise and there is a chance students will develop a habit of quietening down when you ask them... "5; OK it's time to stop and look this way. Excellent, very quick on that table. 4; pens should be down, books and mouths should be closed, very good you two, you're listening to me. 3; still too much noise over here, that side of the room are perfect. 2; Just waiting for the last few people now, all conversations should be stopped, hands on the desk in front of you. Well done, you've got it. 1; thank you.

3. Have a visual reminder of noise levels such as coloured cards/traffic lights or a 'noise level meter'.
When green is up the noise level in the room is fine. Orange - warning, level is too high and needs to drop immediately. If it doesn't drop after an agreed time, red card goes up. Red. Stop the activity, take a minute off break and insist on silent working for 5 minutes.

4. Take control at the door - don't let them in the room until they're quiet
The lesson actually starts outside the room - if students are uncontrollable outside the door there is no point in letting them in - the behavior standard has already been set.

Spend time speaking to students in the corridor in a friendly calm manner - set the tone for the lesson. Shouting and giving orders breeds a desire to retaliate. When you are ready, tell them to line up quietly, those that do so can go straight in the room and get on with a starter activity. The others either didn't hear you or are choosing not to. Either way, they need a little more calm persuasion. This is the time to iron out problems they may have, settle disagreements etc. - not inside the room.

Here are 5 useful things to remember to ensure a prompt, silent start to your lessons...

1. The first thing to remember is that you are the boss.

Self belief is incredibly important in this job.
You can't expect pupils to respond positively to you unless you believe, really believe, that you fully deserve their respect and compliance.
The thought that you are the leader in the classroom must be at the forefront of your mind.

If you give any sign at all that you are NOT in FULL CONTROL, children will sense this and exploit your weaknesses.
You MUST project strength and the impression that you will not tolerate any disobedience.

All too often a teacher will enter a lesson filled with dread and give out the signal that they are beaten before the lesson even starts.
Pupils sense this.
If you've been having a hard time with a particular group they will come to expect that you will be a walk-over and get into the habit of talking freely with total disregard for your threats.

2. Have definite rules on noise

Once you've decided on your rules (preferably with input from the pupils) you need to ensure the pupils are totally clear what those rules are.
There must be no ambiguity and therefore no room for argument.

We all know how important consistency is in terms of classroom management but unless you have a clear set of rules to work to in the first place, you can't consistently apply them.

So, what is your rule on noise?

Mine is simple: If I say there is to be no talking, then there is to be no talking.
I will not tolerate being interrupted without taking action.
I seldom enforce this rule for longer than a few minutes - just at those key times when I am either explaining something, starting a new task or taking a register etc.
- but if I tell a group that I want total silence, then I mean it.
And any pupil who ignores this is dealt with straight away.

For example, never let a pupil shout out without reminding them to put up their hand.
Never, allow pupils to continue talking at the start of a lesson when you've started explaining the objective.
Never, let pupils interrupt you without reminding them that it is unacceptable to do so.

If you let them get away with it once, you have effectively trained them to try and get away with it again.

3. Control entry to the classroom

The ideal place to establish control over your pupils is outside the door - before you even let them in the room.

You must start the lesson under your terms.
And the lesson starts before they enter the room with you having them line up outside the door in an orderly manner.

This is the perfect time to gauge the mood of the group and indeed the individuals in the group.
You can easily spot potential problems (unhappy pupils, cases of bullying, arguments etc.) and deal with them rather than letting them go unnoticed and having them escalate into serious disruptions during your lesson.

If the group won't stand still and quiet don't let them in the room.
They must do EXACTLY as you say before you let them through the door.
If they run to a chair bring them back again and make them walk.
If you let them get away with anything at this important stage, you will set the tone as being one where they can get away with things.
You don't want that.

4. Have 'settling work' ready for them when they enter the room

If you have a group who just won't settle try presenting them with some of the following 'settling work' as soon as they enter the room.
But... make sure you add this little twist to ensure the pupils get stuck into it straight away...

On your board have the following written up...

"Complete the work detailed below.
You have ten minutes.
If you don't finish it, you will return at break to complete it."

Obviously you need to adjust individual work targets for less able pupils to make it fair.
Once they've started you can go round the slow workers very quietly, out of earshot of the others, and tell them where to stop.
i.e. give them a work target which requires less writing than the others -

"James, you can stop when you get to the end of this sentence".
(And put a pencil mark where you want them to get up to.)
The great advantage of this strategy is that it gives you a few minutes to get your resources sorted out.
I do use this if I want to show a DVD clip and haven't had time to set the AV equipment up for example.

On each desk you could have a quick topic-related puzzle, a review quiz of last lesson's work, a cloze exercise or some text copying work.
Nothing too difficult - you don't want to confuse them because they'll spend ten minutes asking questions instead of settling down.
Choose something simple (and preferably light-hearted or fun) that requires no explanation or fuss.

As well as having the instructions written on the board, greet them at the door and say...

"Get started on the simple task on your desk - you have ten minutes to finish it."

Once they're in the room you can then add...

"Anyone not finishing this little task will finish it at break - there should be no talking.
If you talk you'll come back at break and do it in silence then."

If you want them to copy notes from the board (or a book) make sure there isn't a huge amount of text otherwise you will provoke complaints.
You can 'hide' extra work by having five or ten lines of text for them to copy and then a note at the end saying "Now answer question 2 on page 46" which could be another five or ten lines of notes.

Comments like...

"It is entirely your choice as to whether or not you get break.
If you want break, do the work.
If you don't want break, sit and chat."

...can be used if they don't settle straight away.

5. The Right Way To Ask For Silence

You may have been told that an alternative to shouting for silence is to simply wait for rowdy pupils to calm down.

And wait... And wait... And wait...

Teachers have mixed views as to the effectiveness of waiting for silence before continuing with the lesson because in many cases it just doesn't work.

Some classes will respond positively to this strategy almost straight away but a hard class will want to test you and try to push you way beyond 5 or 10 minutes.

They'll enjoy watching your expression turn to desperation and laugh at the fact that your plan isn't working.

At a time like this you need to bring in sanctions and make them see that their continuous disobedience will not be tolerated.

If you have a strong, commanding voice you can shout for quiet and explain what the sanctions will be if they continue talking.
If you can't be sure that your voice will cut through the noise sufficiently, you can communicate via the board by writing your instructions.
Write up your instructions in bold, capital letters.
You may need to give them slightly longer time to comply - allowing for the fact that they may not all read your instructions straight away.

This is what to say...

(You may think that these sanctions won't work with your toughest class but they are phrased in a very specific manner as you'll soon see.
If you rigorously and consistently apply them you will win.
Your class will settle.
I've never known it fail).

"If you wish to continue talking during my lesson I will have to take time off you at break.
By the time I've written the title on the board you need to be sitting in silence.
Anyone who is still talking after that will be kept behind for 5 minutes."

Phrasing your instructions in this way when you want a class to be quiet is very powerful and almost always guarantees success.

Let's examine why:
Firstly, you are being very fair and giving the pupils a warning...
"If you wish to continue talking during my lesson I will have to take time off you at break."
When teachers try to issue a punishment without a warning...
"Right you've just lost your break!"
...they are often met with a torrent of abuse...
"No way, that's not fair - we weren't doing anything!!!"

I always find that giving pupils a fair warning about an impending sanction takes the sting out of a confrontational situation.

Secondly, you are telling them exactly what they are doing wrong, and exactly how to put it right...
"...you need to be sitting in silence."

Thirdly, you are giving them a clear time by which you expect full compliance... "By the time I've written the title on the board you need to be sitting in silence."
Fourthly, and very importantly, you are telling them exactly what will happen to them if they don't do as you ask...
"Anyone who is still talking after that will be kept behind for 5 minutes."

These key features are important if you want pupils to follow your instructions because they leave no room for questions, debates, arguments or confusion.
The pupils know exactly what they're doing wrong, what will happen if they continue and how to correct their behavior so as to evade a sanction.

N.B.
I'm fully aware that timetable constraints do not allow teachers to keep pupils back after each and every lesson.
For that reason you need to think about the sanctions you will issue.
You could for example hit the class hard and tell them that any pupils still talking will receive a letter home but it may be better to start off with a small sanction (such as staying behind after school for 5 minutes) because you can then add to it if and when the behavior continues.

In my book

Magic Classroom Management

I've gone to great lengths to explain the correct use of sanctions as well as providing a handy list of suitable sanctions you can use.

Behaviour Problems: Classroom management plan - Routines

"Look to make your course regular, that men may know beforehand what they may expect."
Francis Bacon

The airline industry has spared no expense to ensure passenger safety and puts systems and routines in place to prevent, and respond to, virtually any emergency situation. Whenever a certain warning light flashes on his instrument panel the pilot responds with the relevant procedure in order to avert a potential disaster and the highly trained crew follow the routines to the letter.

For each and every situation there is a pre-planned, specific series of instructions for both the pilot and crew to turn to; potential problems are either swiftly de-escalated or avoided completely and the smooth running of the aircraft continues with the passengers' comfort and enjoyment barely being disturbed.

What would happen if the safety routines weren't present? What would commercial air travel be like if the pilot wasn't prepared, had no plans in place for averting problems and instead tried to sort them out after they had become firmly established? You guessed it...a very traumatic and messy affair for all concerned.

This is the way many teachers manage their classrooms.

Staffrooms and online teaching forums resonate with pleas of "What do I do with this student?" "How do I get them quiet?" "What do I do when they ignore me?" "How do I get them to sit properly?"

The reason so many teachers feel they have no control is because they are concerned with sorting problems out after the event has happened - they are operating from a 'reactive' point of view, effectively waiting for problems to occur and then reacting to them with the best course of action they can think of at that particular moment.

When thoughts and judgements are clouded with frustration and stress, our best course of action isn't always the best course of action - just like the out-of-control aircraft, things can become traumatic and messy.

When teachers focus on PREVENTING problems instead of reacting to them, school life becomes much easier. Routines are one of the best preventive tools you can use.

Routines hone down our broad rules into specific step-by-step plans and make them applicable to an almost unlimited range of activities and situations.
They make classrooms run smoothly, allow activities and tasks to be accomplished efficiently and eliminate the problems normally associated with transition times and other hotspots.

And pupils LIKE routines too - simply because they make it easy for them to succeed in school by showing them exactly how to do things right. The classroom will run smoothly and your job will be much easier when pupils know exactly what to do and how to do it.

"Give them a destination, a map and a clear set of directions and there is more chance of them getting where they are supposed to be".

Routines teach the behaviour we want to see in our pupils, it gives them tracks to walk in and a map to follow. And because this map is repeated over and over again and doesn't change, it creates total consistency for both teacher and pupil.
Routines are the most effective, time-saving device any teacher can use.

Routines automate classroom management and make rules easy to follow.

How do routines work?

Routines provide the link between the teacher's picture of good behaviour and the pupils' interpretation of that picture. They let the pupil know exactly what they have to do to succeed.

Let me show you what I mean with this simple example. Let's assume the end of a lesson is approaching.....

The teacher knows exactly what she wants the pupils to do - she wants them to get cleared away as quickly as possible. So she gives the instruction to do so.

Question: Which of these instructions is going to give her the greatest chance of success? a) "The bell is about to go put everything away and get ready to be dismissed." b) "The bell is going to go in 5 minutes, it's time to clear away. You know what to do. The teacher then points to a clearly displayed routine at the front of the room....

End of Lesson Routine
Put textbooks on the shelf and exercise books on my desk.
Put all equipment where you got it from
Clear your work area and sit silently facing the front.
After you get permission to leave, push in your chair and leave in silence.
If it is the last period of the day, stack the chairs by the back wall.

The answer is obvious. The first command is going to lead to chaos. Pupils hearing this type of vague instruction often don't give the teacher what she wants because they don't know what she wants - she hasn't given them a clear enough map. Some of the pupils will be mature enough to act appropriately and do their best to clear away and wait quietly to be dismissed. Others will take advantage and waste time, fool around or stand chatting.

The end result will see the teacher becoming increasingly frustrated as time ticks by and pupils don't do what she wants. She will find herself repeating instructions, shouting, yelling and having to deal with progressively more problems from pupils who are not engaged.

When our more energetic or challenging pupils aren't given specific instructions or tasks to do, they wander, play dumb and find something else to occupy them. This makes the simple task of 'clearing away' at the end of a lesson suddenly turn into the time-consuming and stressful task of dealing with multiple behaviour issues.

The second command works because this teacher has spent time teaching a routine for 'end of the lesson'. There is no need for confusion or wasted time. No need to repeat instructions, no need to check that everyone has understood and give extra prompts to those who haven't - everyone knows exactly what to do.

How do you set up routines?

The short answer is that you teach them one at a time until they become habitual and the key to their success lies in that last word. You have to spend time teaching routines - possibly a couple of weeks on each one depending on the class. And you have to continually re-visit them, practice them and reinforce them. A little two minute reminder on three or four of your routines is all that's needed at the start of a lesson but it still must be done to keep your routines fresh in their minds.

Yes, there is effort involved, but when you compare that with the alternative - spending every lesson getting stressed out continually having to tell pupils what to do - its time well spent. So, think of all the transitions and activities and hotspots which cause you problems throughout your teaching day, in fact, don't bother, we know what they are:

Entering classroom
Distributing materials
Clearing materials
Asking for help
Transition between activities or tasks
What to do when you've finished your task
What to do when you're late
Using certain equipment
Group work
Answering questions
Handing in work
Leaving classroom

How much easier would your teaching day be if you had routines in place for all those difficult times? How much smoother would the lesson be if pupils knew exactly what to do in each of those circumstances?

The key is to make LOTS of routines - as many as you need. Teach them, practice them, make them habitual and post them up on the walls as reminders so that next time a pupil isn't doing as he should you can calmly say..."What should you be doing?" and point at the routine.

Your classroom management is now automated.

Incidentally, I'll be sending a complete set of pre-written routines on PowerPoint to anyone who is signed up for my newsletter. If you don't get them just ask...

Behaviour Problems: Classroom management plan

Businesses depend on business plans, pilots rely on flight plans and generals need battle plans. If you want to win at the classroom behaviour war it makes good sense to have a Classroom Management Plan.

I'm a big believer in preventing problems whenever possible - as the saying goes, it's easier than trying to constantly find a cure. Together with positive teacher-pupil relationships, a classroom management plan prevents problems. It provides the structure and consistency needed to address everyday concerns which would otherwise open the door to confrontation, or cause the need for increased attention.

A classroom management plan will save you valuable time, reduce potential sources of stress and make your teaching job a whole lot easier. So let's get started by looking at one of the key elements - Rules...

NEEDS-FOCUSED PREVENTIVE STRATEGIES

RULES

ROUTINES

CONSEQUENCES AND RESPONSES

Rules

Rules make your expectations and principles clear. They stipulate the exact behaviour you expect to see in the classroom and give pupils the firm boundaries they need.Guidelines for

Creating Rules

Have a maximum of five or six positively-phrased rules.

Any more than that becomes confusing and intimidating - the more rules there are the more diluted their effect and the harder they become to uphold. To avoid sounding as if you are ordering them around, which most pupils rebel against, make sure you state what you need pupils to be doing, not what you want them to stop doing.

For example, a long negative list such as this...

No talking when the teacher is talking
No throwing items
No shouting across the room
No leaving your chair
No swinging on your chair
Don't chew in classrooms
Don't argue with the teacher
Don't run in corridors
Don't forget equipment
Don't interfere with other people's work

...while covering many of the behaviour problems we are likely to encounter, is authoritarian and 'prison-like'. We can address these same potential problems while providing boundaries which seem fair by taking a more fundamental and positive approach as will be shown in the five sample rules below.

Use specific wording.

Rules such as 'Sit properly', 'Talk quietly', 'Listen attentively' and 'Show respect' are vague and open to misinterpretation. What is 'quietly'? To some pupils it is a whisper, to others it is normal volume. Some kids come from homes where shouting is the norm so their interpretation of 'talking quietly' is a raised voice without the frown and gritted teeth. What is 'respect'? What does it mean, what does it look like? If you have no idea of this as a concept, how are you supposed to display it as behaviour?

We need to give pupils as much clear guidance as possible in terms of the behaviour we want to see; we need to be specific and tell them exactly what we expect them to do.

Here are five simple rules:

Always face the teacher when he or she is talking.
Follow instructions first time.
Take part in activities and complete set tasks
Use materials correctly and safely
Use polite language

Explanations to be given for each rule...

Pupils will always question rules and it is important to give them positive reasons for having the rules. Here are some examples of this style of response:

1. By facing the teacher you are showing respect - this skill is needed throughout life, regardless of who you are talking to. By listening you stand more chance of succeeding and gaining important information. You will need to know how to use equipment properly and safely, you will need to know about forthcoming trips, visits and deadlines and you will need to know how to do certain tasks. We want you to do well, so it makes sense to listen.

2. Life is full of rules which we have to follow in order for the world to operate smoothly. E.g. why do we have traffic lights? What would happen if we ignored the red light?
This approach eliminates the tendency to slip into power struggles and having to repeat instructions and commands over and over again. It also eliminates the need for lots of complex rules such as "No calling out" etc. because it can be re-stated in response to any infraction once an instruction has been given. Finally it allows pupils more responsibility to choose their behaviour and prevents them feeling they are in an overly restrictive environment.

3. I understand that some people work faster than others so I will give you a set task each lesson to be completed. The only way you will succeed in life is if you actually take part and by taking part in the lesson activities you have the best chance of completing your task.

4. We have this rule so that equipment does not get broken - nobody wants that, otherwise we can no longer do certain lesson activities that rely on the equipment. We also have this rule to stop anyone getting hurt.

5. Nobody likes being sworn at - we have this rule to stop people from being verbally abused. Also, it gives us chance to practice communicating in the correct manner - an essential skill as you go through life if you want people to take you seriously and view you favourably.

Introducing Rules to the Class

Despite the fact that young people need boundaries, they will tend to buck against anything they feel to be controlling. We've eliminated the chances of this to some extent by the way we've phrased our rules but the way we present these rules to the class is crucial if they are to be accepted without mass disagreement. To introduce your rules, this is what you could say...

"My job is to help you succeed every day - I am here to help you by giving each of you the best conditions and chances of doing well. For this to happen we will need to have a classroom where you can come without fear of being ridiculed, embarrassed or threatened; where equipment won't get trashed and where you can learn new things. For these reasons I have a set of rules which will help ensure that we have a safe, orderly and enjoyable class." So there we have it. We've created some rules and we've introduced them to the pupils. In order to teach those rules we need...... Routines.

Behaviour Problems: Quick strategies

1. Attention Seeking Behaviour

• Tactical ignoring (balanced out with lots of proximity praise)
• Get up close - move into their space and run the lesson from this position for a while
• Remain very calm and avoid getting wound up and rewarding the behaviour with negative attention
• Agree non-verbal cues in advance with known trouble-makers

2. Swearing/verbal abuse

• Have rules and routines in place and remind them of the consequences for bad language
• Consistent approach - ALL incidents of bad language need to be followed up so as not to allow excuses for 'accidental' swearing.
• Tape record outbursts of foul language and explain that it can be played back to parents
• Take out a note pad and say "I'm now recording what you're saying
• Have a meeting with the pupil/s involved and ask them to suggest alternative ways of expressing/dealing with anger or alternative words to use when they are angry.

3. Noisy class (start of lessons)

• Allow some cooling off time of a few minutes after transitions and breaks to allow them to settle.
• Use the countdown technique with lots of proximity praise... "5; OK it's time to stop and look this way. Excellent, very quick on that table. 4; pens should be down, books and mouths should be closed, very good you two, you're listening to me. 3; still too much noise over here, that side of the room are perfect. 2; Just waiting for the last few people now, all conversations should be stopped, hands on the desk in front of you. Well done, you've got it. 1; thank you.
• Have a visual reminder of noise levels such as coloured cards/traffic lights. When green is up the noise level in the room is fine. Orange - warning, level is too high and needs to drop immediately. If it doesn't drop after an agreed time, red card goes up. Red. Stop the activity, take a minute off break and insist on silent working for 5 minutes.
• Take control at the door - don't let them in the room until they're quiet

4. Confrontation

• Adopt non-threatening body language (body to side, open arms).
• Avoid threatening hand gestures (pointing), facial expressions and verbal language (shouting, accusing).
• Diffuse and de-escalate - use humour, change subject.
• Calmly offer support... ("How can I help?" "I'm listening.")

5. Disruption

• Remove the audience factor, try and talk to them quietly on a 1:1 basis where possible and remind them of past successes and capabilities - try to find something positive to say first.
• Give them a responsibility
• Language of Choice
  • • "Do you want to move closer to the board or remain where you are?"
    • "Do you need me to help you or can you get on with things on your own?"
    • "What are you supposed to be doing? What happens if you don't do it? Is that what you want? What are you going to choose?"
• Calmly warn them of consequences and follow up using the '3 requests'...
  • • "Jordan sit back down on your chair and finish the work please"
    • "Jordan, I'm asking you for the second time to sit down and get on with your work."
    • "Jordan this is the third and final time I'm going to ask you."
    • "Jordan you've chosen to ignore me. Go to Time Out."

6. Ignoring you

• Give very clear instructions so there is no room for confusion or argument.
• Try using humor to change their state from being angry or sullen
• Refuse to get drawn into confrontation - "I've told you what you need to do and you know what happens if you don't. It's your choice, I'll be available after school if you want to discuss it then."
• On a 1:1 basis with a pupil you normally get on well with try to find what is bothering them by calmly repeating statements such as "Tell me what's wrong so I can help you." "You talk, I'll listen." "tell me what's bothering you, I'll listen."

7. Lack of Equipment

• Offer to loan them some of your equipment in return for 'collateral' such as a shoe.
• Give a brief period of time at the start of the lesson for pupils to borrow items from other members of the class
• Reward those who bring required equipment
• Focus on teaching right action and correcting behaviour of persistent offenders: Offer them support in the way of special reminders and inform parents that this key issue is causing concern; get them to follow up at home and issue reminders at home.

8. Lack of motivation

• Set short term mini-targets. "By the end of the lesson you need to get down to here in your text book." "In the next ten minutes you need to complete numbers 1-4. I'll be back to check in ten minutes."
• Make lesson activities more active
• Include fun starters, video clips, educational games, energizers, magic tricks and brain teasers in your lessons from time to time to break up monotony.
• Use loads and loads of effective praise and encouragement.

9. Late

• Have clear rules on punctuality and consistently apply them
• Always follow up lateness and ensure pupil makes up missed work
• Have a reward system which acknowledges those who come on time
• Keep records. Get pupil to fill in a form giving reason for late arrival and the time they arrived. Send copies home with notification of consequences if it continues.

10. Off-Task (low level disruption)

• Use pre-agreed non-verbal signals
• Get close up - sit or stand close to them and say nothing, carry on with the lesson
• Use proximity and personal praise - Look for opportunities to catch them being good.
• Look for opportunities to offer help... Offer choices, adjust the work, adjust seating

11. Defiance

• Offer support - often pupils are defiant because they are afraid of failure - adjust the work, offer help, ask them what's bothering them.
• Remind them of past successes and capabilities
• Remind them that you are there to help them and ask them for help in how to bring that about. "I need your advice. I want to help you - what is going to make this easier for you?"
• Go through stepped sanctions as per school behaviour policy e.g.
  • • Give them a warning (verbal/name on board etc.) and remind them of consequences
    • Move them to an isolated seat
    • Take time off them at break/after school
    • Notify them of a letter/phone call home
    • "park' them in another class
    • Send them to senior staff

12. Shouting out

• Ignore those who shout out and reward/praise those that don't
• Play class team games/quizzes where answers will only be accepted by those who put their hands up. Penalize team-members who shout out by taking a point off the team.
• Have a clear policy on how questions are to be answered in class
• Keep those who shout in at break and explain that shouting won't be tolerated

13. Flatulence

• Ignore it. By reacting you give them exactly what they were trying to elicit.
• Explain that if they do it again they will have to stay in at break for a lesson on healthy diet and the effect certain foods have on digestion.
• Show great concern for their health and tell them it might be a good idea if you were to talk to their parents about it immediately by telephone if they are having trouble controlling it.
• Follow normal procedure for disruptive behaviour but be careful not to appear confrontational or you will get the classic response "That's not fair, I can't help it."

14. Failing to follow instructions

• Explain very clearly the consequence of not following instructions. Tell them you expect immediate compliance and then give them a few moments to save face by walking away.
• Record the details of the incident and follow up with senior staff.
• Warn them that you will be contacting parents. (Make sure you do so if the defiance continues).
• Have the pupil removed from the classroom