Hi again
Teachers in classes are waiting far too long before they take any action when children start to behave badly. They complain that behaviour is bad but fail to see their part in the deterioration in the behaviour standards…
So, to setting boundaries…
Think about it logically. Where you take action is the point where your standards of expected behaviour are set. It’s that simple.
So much advice given to schools is so damaging – teachers are still being told to ignore low level problem behaviours…. This is SO WRONG!!!
Why? Well, lets go back to a favourite analogy of mine – driving your car. If you’re driving along quite happily and then you’re faced with a situation where you have to take action to avoid a collision then you don’t wait for the problem to get worse before you do something – do you?? Of course you don’t…
Let’s consider what you do when constructing a physical boundary – a fence, say… Where do you build your fence? A pretty obvious answer, eh? At the place where you want the boundary to be, of course… You’re not going to build it half way across your neighbour’s garden are you? No, of course not… Ten out of ten for stating the obvious, Liz…
Well you wouldn’t think it’s that obvious when you see how teachers and adults in general behave when they’re setting boundaries. If you want your standards and limits on behaviour to be set at point A, then act when the behaviour is reaching point A. Don’t wait until the kid has upped the behaviour to point C!
If you wait until point C before you act to set limits and boundaries on children’s behaviour then they will naturally think that that’s the point where the behaviour has become unacceptable. As a teacher/adult you are left with a ‘grey area’ between points A and C where behaviour is unacceptable but you haven’t let them know. But it’s a problem you’ve created by not acting at the right time….
It’s a problem that’s pretty easy to avoid… You have to decide where your limits and boundaries on behaviour should be. Tell the children. To reinforce your limits and boundaries you have to take appropriate action with checks and if necessary, consequences. Be totally consistent – don’t act one way on Monday and another way on Wednesday… It’s confusing for you and the children. It’s also unfair – the children won’t know where they are. They need to know that the expectations are consistent.
At first you may find that you seem to be checking low level behaviours often but don’t see this as a waste of time – it’s actually a vital investment of time! It’s not difficult to do. Behaviour Bible gives you the low down on effective behaviour management, including setting boundaries and consequences – all in an easy to follow, down to earth way…
Cheers for now, Liz Marsden @ Behaviour Bible.