Manage Challenging Behaviour

1. Discuss 3 Strategies that you could adopt to help manage challenging behaviour. Adopting strategies to manage behaviour within a school largely depends on the whole school policy for behaviour management. An appropriate response to challenging behaviour depends on the type of behaviour being exhibited by a child. Any response to challenging behaviour should be consistent, fair and necessary to manage the behaviour. A considered proactive response is likely to be more effective than one which is merely reactive and which may be influenced by an emotional response to the incident. A whole class behaviour chart works well in some classes. The children start off in one position and move if their behaviour is inappropriate. E.g. Traffic light system- all children start the day on the green light. Inappropriate behaviour moves them to the amber light with a warning. If another incident occurs they move to the red light and a predetermined sanction is put in place. This could be losing golden time, being sent to a link class or similar.

Another response to repetitive low level disruption is to quite simply ignore it. This could be effective in dealing with annoying behaviour such as whining, pouting, screaming or tantrums. By ignoring the behaviour the child will learn that it is not effective and doesn’t get them any attention. This is especially successful when children are seeking negative attention. Sometimes when there is an incident of misbehaviour a strategy used is time out. This may be seating them at a table alone, or moving them to another link class. The time out should be away from the other children, but in the view of the teacher. An appropriate amount of time for time out is the child’s age plus 2 minutes.

Children will test the limits initially with this procedure, but when followed through repeatedly it is a successful behaviour management technique. Exiting a child from the classroom may be necessary where the classroom is disrupted. It is the most intrusive action that the teacher can take and should, therefore be a planned intervention. It should always include steps to be tried prior to exiting, where the child will be taken to and how they will be supervised. This procedure will be part of the whole school behaviour policy. It is important when the child comes back into the class that they re-establish a working relationship with the teacher and the class. Particularly bad persistent behaviour will warrant an I.E.P.

2. Design a reward chart system for primary aged pupils.

Explaining the reward chart

This type of reward chart was designed for a child with EBD issues. Each day the child would start at the bottom of the ladder. Each time they were seen to be displaying good behaviour, they would move a step up the ladder. If a child reaches the top of the ladder they will receive a reward e.g a sticker, golden time. The chart is very visual and easy for the child to understand. The reward can be decided together at the start of the day. The child would take ownership of moving the fireman up the ladder each time they were good.

3. Analyse the effectiveness of detentions as a sanction for secondary aged pupils. You should conduct wider research for this question. Do you think detentions are an effective sanction?

As this question largely depends on opinion and the justification for the detention, I think it depends on the purpose of the detention. Detentions serve a variety of purposes: A punishment to deter a pupil from receiving a more severe sanction. A punishment to deter pupils from behaving in a similar fashion. An opportunity to discuss behaviour and progress with a child away from their usual peer group. To provide a safe and stimulating environment for children to complete work that they haven’t completed during school time. A punishment when others do not seem effective.

In general detentions deter well behaved pupils from behaving inappropriately in the future. For persistent offenders they are less successful. In terms of providing an opportunity for teachers to discuss 1:1 with children their behaviour, detentions can be a rewarding time. It gives the children a chance to explain their actions and disclose any information about what may be having an impact on their behaviour. As a teacher you should be mindful of the home setting and how a detention may affect their immediate future.

I carried out a questionnaire with 30 parents with children in years 7-11 asking the following 3 questions anonymously:
1. Has your child ever had a detention?
2. Do you think detentions should be allowed at secondary school?
3. Do you think their behaviour deserved to warrant a detention?
4. Do you think it was effective?

The results from the questionnaire were as follows:
1. 55% of the parents had children that had had a detention
2. 60% of parents said no. Some of the reasons for this were; They should deal with behaviour during school time.
In the winter it’s too dark when the children come home.
They don’t change their behaviour.
3. 30% of parents said that the behaviour did warrant a detention. 70% said it didn’t. 4. 100% of those parents whose children had had a detention said it was not effective.

Taking all this into account I would say that for most pupils’ detentions is not always the best sanction to give a child. Detentions deter some pupils and ensure a level of respect is maintained. Detentions teach the children that the adult is in charge and if their time is wasted the teacher will take back time belonging to the child. For on the whole well behaved children, they are extremely effective and the child will not repeat the behaviour again. For repeatedly disruptive behaviour and those children that do not respect the system, I think there are better methods.