Curbing Classroom Shenanigans

Gaining control of a classroom by rewards, punishment, and management before it is too late.

By Tom Duda

"I Will not misbehave" written on a chalkboard

When I first started teaching children, I was not only coming from another country, but for the most part, from a classroom full of adults who knew their learning objectives and actually wanted to learn. Therefore, when I stood in front of a room full of small children with my lesson plan in hand and lots of fun activities planned, I quickly realized that I was in a more foreign environment than I had anticipated. Paper planes and spitballs flew past my head as if I was some kind of convoluted air traffic control tower. Gaining control of a class was quite a challenge for me in my first couple weeks teaching children. I found myself constantly repeating instructions, asking certain students to be quiet, refereeing others who were poking each other with pencils, and/or simply trying to motivate unresponsive children.

Misbehavior shows itself in numerous ways and the resolution techniques to remedy misconduct are just as numerous. I will examine some of the signs of negative behavior and some ways I discovered for correcting this conduct.

Signs of Poor Behavior

Although this list is not comprehensive, it is a starting point regarding what an instructor might face. These actions, of course, range from naughty to completely unacceptable. One must keep in mind that in certain cultures, there may be a discrepancy as to what acceptable/unacceptable conduct means:

Not sitting still and/or straight
Laughing inappropriately
Rolling eyes, showing condescending, or bored expressions
Doodling during class activities
Impolite or disrespectful language
Practical jokes
Deliberately working slowly
Not doing homework
Making rude noises
Not listening
Not following instructions
Speaking when they should be quiet
Cheating
Vandalism
Fighting
Threatening

Managing Misbehavior

Promptly ameliorating misbehavior is important. Learners must know who is in charge and that their poor behavior will not be tolerated. A punishment, or at least correctional steps, can be used to restore order in the classroom and avoid future problems. Choosing the correct punishment to fit the misdeed is paramount. Children are very good at figuring out a way of retaliation if they feel they have been treated unfairly. Furthermore, the child may continue his antics if the correction is too weak. Essentially, there is a delicate balance. Here are some strategies that have worked for me:

Look at the student(s) disapprovingly
The “Hands up” instruction. When the teacher calls, "Hands up," all students will raise their hands and be silent
Count down from five, then have a pre-established consequence for those who have not self-corrected by the number one
Call out the name of the misbehaving pupil
Re-seat the misbehaving student
Disqualify the offender's team from a game
Eject him from the room if he continue to continues to act out. (First point to the door as a warning, which usually works)
Require that the offender do some writing/school work while the rest of the class plays a game
Discontinue the game and have the whole class do a written assignment
Talk to the student after class
Notify parents and or principal

Rewards Discourage Poor Behavior

Punishment can make students rebel if it is used too often and students always recognize unfairness. Rewarding good behavior has a way of preventing misbehavior. Some suggestions for rewarding good behavior are as follows:

Give extra points to teams that are behaving well
Have the same teams for several lessons and give a prize to the winning team
Put their pictures/names on the wall for good work
Smile or give a thumbs up for good behavior or work
Give a round of applause
Give badges for the best work
Reward the class by allowing them to play their favorite game
Give out small rewards (stickers, candy, etc.)
Send home a positive note or e-mail

Good Behavior Management

The most important tip I can give is consistency. Boundaries should always be clear and consistent. Once you lose control of a class, it's quite difficult to get it back. Here are some classroom management tips:

Be sure to let both the students and parents know what you consider good and bad behavior
Start from a blank slate once a student has already received correction
Be an example of what you expect students to do
Teach an entire lesson on politeness and good behavior
Have gestures, phrases, and buzzwords for things you want your pupils to do
Play actual games where politeness wins points
Find a way to bond with students by remembering birthdays, giving them nicknames and finding common interests
Be sure to stay abreast of problems at home, bullying and/or other social issues with peers

What Works for you?

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