What Do You Do When Whole Class Student Behaviour Is Disruptive?
It is one thing to have teaching strategies to positively manage student behaviour in your classroom, and that is what successful and highly effective teachers do! However, when there are considerable students who are being disruptive in your class, and it feels like things are getting ‘out of hand’, other strategies are needed.
This is a series where I guide you through practical teaching strategies I do, I advise teachers to do, and that work, to positively manage disruptive behaviour in the class when it feels like it’s the whole class taking part! These strategies are applicable for Kindergarten right through to Year 12.
It can affect student learning and the harmony in your classroom environment when a group of students are causing havoc. Leaving this to continue will also add to burnout over time. Follow these practical steps to get back on track.
1. Whole Class Student Expectations
In this video you will learn the value of revisiting your class rules or expectations, of going back to the drawing board and having a fresh start with your class.
It doesn’t matter how long you have had the class, it is always useful to do a reset when student behaviour has deteriorated. Taking a reset can give you some breathing space, improve relationships with the students because you are giving them a voice and help you and your class to solve some issues that may have been brewing.
2. Building A Relationship With The Leader
When the whole class of students is being disruptive, maybe you just hope and pray that you can get through the day or the lesson and wish for better in the future. The challenge with student behaviour in the classroom is real and can take its toll on you.
Challenges can also help you grow and learn more effective ways to deal with disruptive student behaviour. In this video you will learn the importance of building relationships with your tricky students and some effective ways you can implement into your day to day practice.
3. How To Debrief With The Whole Class (after an incident)
In this video you will learn how to use circle time to debrief with students and to problem solve following a behaviour incident. You may have situations in your class when a student has a meltdown and may yell or scream, upend furniture or be physically aggressive with students or adults. What you do during these incidents is to focus on keeping everyone safe either by removing the student to a safe space, evacuating the class or a combination of both.
What you do following these events can help students to process what has happened and help to reduce anxiety and stress around the behaviour. In this way you can make the situation a learning opportunity for all students and an exercise in acceptance and understanding of diversity and how schools provide for the needs of a variety of students.
4. Don’t Underestimate Explicit Teaching!
This is part of a series dedicated to managing disruptive behaivour across the class either with a group or most students in the classroom . In this video you will learn the benefits of explicitly teaching the behaivour you want to see and effective ways that you can help your students learn how to behave in your class. You will learn how and why teaching behaviour is no different than teaching a maths or a science concept.
5. Positive Reinforcement – A Game Changer
It is really easy to positively reinforce a negative behaviour.
In this video you will learn how to use rewards and positive reinforcers to help students be more successful in your classroom. You will learn how to use rewards in effective ways that will improve your relationship with them, increase the likelihood that students will follow your expectations and minimise off-task and disruptive student behaviour.
Other Teaching Resources Series
SERIES: Effective Use of Reward Systems in The Classroom
Teachers Beginning Of The School Year: Series
How To Deal With Disruptive Student Behaviour In The Classroom – Kindergarten – 3