Tips for successful management of student behavior

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Before the beginning of the school year, carefully consider the guidelines needed to promote positive student behaviors
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Establish three to five overarching rules by which students can be guided to develop positive behaviors
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Discuss, teach and reinforce the rules until students regularly demonstrate the expected behaviors
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Review the rules when necessary over the course of the school year or when individual students are disruptive
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Modify rules that are not working
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Organize daily routines that enable school-related activities to proceed safely, smoothly and effectively
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Include students in the performance of daily routines by giving them tasks and responsibilities
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Praise students for abiding by the rules and procedures
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Provide corrective feedback to students who do not follow the rules and procedures
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Document behavior problems and record actions taken to use for discussion with school administrators, parents or other school staff
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Model the behaviors expected from students

Preventing problem behavior during instruction

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Reinforce classroom expectations and rules
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Frequently acknowledge cooperative students
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Assign consequences for students who do not comply with rules
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Secure all students’ attention before beginning explanations
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Keep initial explanations brief
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Catch problems early
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Use direct speech
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Avoid dead time
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Use appropriate materials and activities
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Create a learning-friendly classroom environment
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Settle students down near the end of each activity
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Plan for difficult transitions

Behavior management techniques to be avoided

The following behavior management techniques usually have the opposite of the
intended effect. They can alienate students, make communication more difficult or
escalate problem behavior.

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Forcing a student to do something he or she does not want to do
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Ridiculing or making fun of a student
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Forcing a student to admit to having lied, especially in front of others
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Demanding a confession from a student
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Asking students why they act out (when you know they do not understand their own behavior)
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Punishing students (not to be confused with assigning consequences)
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Making disapproving comments
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Comparing one student’s antisocial behavior with another student’s behavior
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Aggressively confronting a student in public or in private
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Yelling at a student
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Engaging in verbal battles with a student
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Making unrealistic threats