This evening I attended a Kip McGrath behaviour management seminar in Southsea. I missed the very first few minutes of the opening address but it ended with the first key message. Behaviour management is a skill that can be learnt.
The session began with a demonstration of an overt ‘loud’ and destructive class management style followed by a brief exploration of how long a class takes to makes it mind up about the teachers effectiveness, in case you wondered 30 secs. It was certainly loud.
Next the first practical and simple behaviour technique.
Standing patiently signifies an expectation for the students attention.
Certainly silience and patience are powerful tools. Add standing front-middle of the class, then standing the students up, then standing them outside the class backed up with the slow walk. A slow tall walk to be precise.
Next recommendation, use a seating plan, although data is important, alphabetical seems to work just fine. Really? I tend to base my seating plan on the information I have about the students. Alphabetical if I need a quick answer, possibly.
Now onto appearance. Added to this theme was the way you wear you hair, the colour of suit and the inappropriateness of jeans. Also
included was your self presentation and that includes how you walk between lessons. All valid contributions.
The next significant moment was demonstrating the pointlessness of the ‘constant shouting,’ technique. Not sure I have ever taught a student ‘how not’ to do something with such vigor? This model didn’t fit with my personal training, coaching philosophies. I rarely reflect positively on my ability as a former PE teacher to shout very loudly. I do not have any feedback from the other teachers in attendance.
Things to try
Towards the end, a flurry of techniques;
The laser look or hard look.
Use of a lower tone, to add ‘gravitas.’
Stand, then sit.
Repeated question or broken record (best technique yet, naturally employed, though passed over at this point but reinforced later)
Now where were we?
Back to techniques after a short detour.
Next suggestion to manage a challenging student, is to bring the student forward for a quiet private and personal conversation. Next step, defer the conversation to the end of the lesson. In this situation, seated, furniture between parties, a structured conversation encouraging students to recognise a situation as ‘tiny’ made significant by their actions, this now rated ‘major.’
Interesting, we have now come back to the broken record technique. Followed up with the key question, ‘Are you refusing to follow a (reasonable and direct) instruction.’ (The language here is my own). If student refuses, write it down. Writing it down ‘is powerful.’
54321 used with a significant wait, and with decreasingly volume.
If the setting is quiet but your expecting a ‘distracting’ question, get closer, kneel, whisper communication, deal or defer the response.
Now I applaud the fact that the session was available, thank you and our lead had significant professional experience. The session certainly covered a lot of ground, though somewhat haphazardly and anecdotally. Take what works for you and your style, your school and the organisations policies and systems. Without the later you might find yourself raising your voice in frustration.
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