Behaviour Guidelines OUR LADY SACRED HEART THAMARRURR CATHOLIC COLLEGE

2013 2014

August 2013 John Young/Deirdre Noel

Purpose and Structure of the document ONE. Principles 1 TWO. Our Students THREE. Working with Assistant Teachers FOUR. Behaviour Management What does it look like? What does it sound like? What does it look like when it is absent? Time-out as a behaviour strategy How do we get there? Fixing the broken windows: the routine things we do on a daily basis that create a sense of order Praise FIVE. Relationships What does it look like? What does it look like in its absence? Its a balance The Golden Thirty SIX. OLSH Behaviour System SEVEN. The schools expectations of teachers regarding behaviour management EIGHT. Language and choices NINE. It is all about You TEN. It is not all about you and managing and deescalating serious incidents Serious Incidents ELEVEN. Collegial Support Unsupportive Cultures Supportive Culture The Emotional Bank Account Collective Wisdom i. Coping with the problem of discipline ii. Kevin Knight (New Zealand Graduate School of Education) Full Attention Full Attention Scale (Knight) Getting to Full Attention Moving from Full Attention to Working. The Working Phase (Knight) iii. Dr Bill Rogers iv. Annette Breaux and Todd Whitaker Appendix A Individual Behaviour Plans Appendix B Professional Standards Australian Teachers 12 12 15 15 15 16 16 16 17 17 21 23 10 6 6 6 7 8 4 1 3 3

Table of Contents

Purpose and Structure of the document

This document aims to give staff working at Our Lady of the Sacred Heart Thamarrurr Catholic College guidance in the area of behaviour management. It states the schools expectations about teacher behaviour. The Guidelines have been developed for teachers and other staff new to the school and also as a resource book for all staff working in classrooms to revisit on a regular basis. The document is more directed toward non-local staff. Behaviour Guidelines for local staff are under development. It is also the schools statement on teacher expectations for the Professional Standards for Teachers Standard Four: Create and maintain a supportive and safe learning environment Effective classroom management requires daily focus and regular reflection by teachers. We never master this vital element of teaching but need to work on these elements daily. The Guidelines begin with a statement on the seven core principles on which the document is based. OLSH is a Catholic School and is based on the values of the Gospels. The way we treat each other and our students is based on the belief that we are created in the image of God. We create authentic, respectful relationships with each other, our students and their families not just because this will lead to better learning but because this is what we are called to do. The statement on expectations is followed in Section Three with a discussion about our students. A behaviour management document can appear to be overly negative in discussing students. This section begins with the statement our students are friendly, vibrant and intelligent. They learn quickly when engaged and motivated. It is important we keep this in mind. However, it is also vital that we take account of the challenges our children face in terms of health, language, housing and other issues and how this contributes to challenges in terms of asking them to learn in what is still largely a western based, English language model of education. Partnership is a key element in successful teaching. Section Four focuses on the key relationship between Assistant Teachers and Teachers. Our understanding of Behaviour Management is outlined in Section Five. Positive relationships are important in all successful schools. In schools with high numbers of indigenous students relationships between teachers and children are the key element on which behaviour, attendance and learning depend it is what we live and die by as a school. Section Six provides guidance on the development of relationships. The Schools system of behaviour management is outlined in Section Seven. This is followed by our expectations for teachers in Section Eight.
2013 -2014 Behaviour Guidelines OLSH

A common approach to behaviour is based on the use of a common language. The use of the concept of good choices and other elements of language use is discussed in Section Nine. In Section Ten we stress the importance of the role of individual teachers with the title of Its All About You. This is followed by the section Its Not All About You which stresses the need on teacher objectivity in times of challenge. It also looks at de-escalating challenging behaviour and teacher safety. This section also looks at the importance of collegial support in achieving the best outcomes for students and staff. The final section of the document is titled Collective Wisdom and it includes writing and summaries of commentators, behaviour experts and former staff members that we think are particularly insightful. Michael Christies section was written over 30 years ago but still contains important messages that are relevant for teaching in Wadeye today. Kevin Knight has a very strong message about the importance of getting childrens attention before instruction begins. The school holds many of behaviour expert Bill Rogers books which we recommend for regular reading for all teachers. We have written a short summary of his work. Todd Whitakers writing on behaviour is currently very popular in education, especially in the US. In the passage we have included which he wrote with Annette Breauxt they explain the difference between rules and procedures. They stress the importance of practicing procedures (routines) with students. In 1986 I taught a

particularly challenging class of forty very active ten year olds. Luckily that year I also undertook John Churchs Behaviour Management Masters Paper at the University of Canterbury and his diagnostic checklist got me through that year and I have used it ever since. I have adapted it for Wadeye (JY).

health. Teachers need to use their red cats at all times. All curriculum and classroom procedures need to be supported by clear visual information. Overcrowding in houses leads to lack of sleep and many of our students come to school very tired. Furthermore, the lack of sleep is a major cause of the high levels of absenteeism. High levels of absenteeism mean that teachers have to be even more focused on establishing and maintaining routines. Tired students are often irritable and have difficulty concentrating. Indigenous child rearing practices give children more choices and autonomy at a younger age than is common in many other cultures. This means children are used to having more choices on how and where they spend their time than is the case for other Australian children. This also leads to less school attendance and less inclination to follow the guidance and direction of teachers or other adults in the school. Family structures, child rearing practices and attendance patterns in this community also provide challenges in terms of the range of consequences the school can use for inappropriate behaviour. We should be constantly working at building relationships with families that support learning. However, we should never assume that adult family members have any more control over children than the school has. Furthermore, in a community which struggles to maintain an average attendance level of anything over 60% suspension and exclusion of students in neither a logical, nor effective consequence for poor behaviour. This is not to say we do not use suspension or expulsion for serious offenses; we do but we do use them sparingly. In terms of family structures, in a very recent report on Wadeye Professor John Taylor and Dr Bill Ivory made the point that over the last twenty years there has been a large breakdown in authority structures in Wadeye. Many of the young parents of school age children had very low levels of school attendance themselves and often have major substance abuse problems. A lot of parents have a great deal of trouble exerting authority over children. As many older parents reported there is a power struggle between older people and youth and children and the younger group is winning. A lot of the parenting falls to maternal grandmothers with little support from the childrens actual parents. The way schools are organized in terms of being conducted indoors, in one place with desks and groups of 20 or so students listening to one or two adults and following a structured timetable is a very western model of learning and is very different from traditional indigenous education. For the school this means that, as stated above, we need to continually reflect and develop our practices to meet the needs of students in a culturally appropriate way and move toward authentic two-way education. However, the reality is that much of what we do will continue to be a Western model of education. It is therefore important that our delivery of this model of education takes place in the best way it can; well-developed relationships, excellent classroom routines, and appropriate curriculum delivery.
1

ONE. Principles
1. Creating the conditions of an orderly classroom environment where students can learn is the most important element of a teachers job. 2. Classroom management is not an end in itself but an extremely important part of the process to create the conditions for teaching and learning to happen. 3. Knowledge and practice of the skills of classroom management is not acquired and mastered in one-off sessions or courses, but needs daily application, on-going review and self-monitoring by teachers. 4. Establishing positive relationships between students and teachers is an essential element in successful learning. 5. Teachers need to plan for classroom management in the same way they plan for the implementation of the curriculum. 6. Schools need to aim for consistency in expectations of student behaviour and its management throughout the school. 7. Schools work best when teachers support each other in the area of behaviour management.

TWO. Our Students

Our students are friendly, vibrant and intelligent. They learn quickly when engaged and motivated. However, health and housing conditions present challenges in terms of how they behave and relate in classrooms. Furthermore, issues concerning language, western concepts of education, authority and family impact on how our students operate in the classroom. The school is in a continuous process of reflection and change to ensure our practices are appropriate to meet the needs of young learners in Wadeye. It is crucial we keep the above issues in mind and make it clear that there are major challenges that teachers, especially non-local teachers, need to be aware of when working with our students. Many of our students have major health issues especially with hearing; otitis media is a strong and pervading issue. This means that teachers need to be knowledgeable about the Breathe, Blow, Cough (BBC) procedures and use them daily. BBC is about learning and classroom management as well as
Behaviour Guidelines OLSH

2013 -2014

When discussing education in this area we need to take account of our students capacity in English and celebrate that, as opposed to other indigenous languages, Murrinhpatha is strong and not under threat. It is the language our students use at home, at play and in school. The only time our students use English is largely through interactions with non-local teachers and some watching of TV and listening to music. In terms of teaching this means having strong visual support for what we are trying to teach and the routines we want to establish. Teachers need to be mindful of the cognitive demands that learning in English places on our students. We need to be considerate of how tiring it is to listen to another language for long periods of time. When speaking to students teachers need to be clear and slow in their delivery and, as stated above, use a lot of visual support. Teachers also need to develop their understanding and practice of teaching English as an additional language. The students lack of capacity in English and the non-local teachers lack of Murrinhpatha also presents challenges in terms of behavior, in that many approaches and guidelines for dealing with difficult behaviour assume a well understood common language.

Wadeye is a complex community. There are over 20 clans residing in this town and attending our school. There are, and have been, tensions among different clans and families that go back many years. At times these tensions can create problems at school. School attendance at OLSH has been rising over the last few years. However, it is still below 60%. Attendance patterns are complex. There are some children who come every day and would be happy to come in the holidays. There is also a large group that attends 60% to 80% of the time. There are children who come from 20% to 60% of the time as well others with very low attendance and large breaks in schooling. Working with the last group is particularly challenging. It requires much work in teaching the routines and expectations of school. Teasing can be an issue with our students and is common in and out of school. It can be very subtle and hard for an outsider to detect. People in Wadeye have very sophisticated means of communication through body language. Talk with your assistant teacher and other local staff about this. Get both you and the assistant teacher to talk frequently to the students about the class and the school being a no-teasing place. Teachers from outside Wadeye need to take account of the challenges discussed above in all elements of their teaching. They also need to be aware that the school is most successful when there is a common vision and mutual support between local and non-local staff at the school. To quote Beadle and Murphy in their book Why are you shouting at us the dos and donts of behaviour management You will work with students whose lives set them challenges that they are barely able to face and these challenges will affect the way they behave in your lessons. The number of challenges listed above does not mean that developing the consistent behaviour that provides the conditions for learning to take place is impossible here. It means that as teachers we need to: Work daily on implementing these guidelines Work daily on building relationships with our students and their families Develop our knowledge of behaviour management Develop our knowledge of local culture and indigenous education Support each other Monitor our language, health and energy Maintain our sense of perspective

2013 -2014

Behaviour Guidelines OLSH

 Keep a sense of humour Document and track students with behaviour issues so we can establish patterns

FOUR. Behaviour Management

What does it look like? What does it sound like?
The teacher plans for behaviour in the same way they plan for teaching Classroom rules and consequences are displayed and clearly understood The routines and procedures we want to operate are practised regularly especially at the start of the year The teachers behaviour is consistent and predictable Children are on task meeting the requirements of the learning activity. Noise level is appropriate to the activity Children are in the correct place The classroom is an orderly place The teacher speaks to students in an appropriate volume. One of the crucial ways you convey confidence is your voice. A clear, calm and slow voice projects confidence. Rushed and loud voices send the message to students you may be nervous and not in control There is much praise affirmation from the teacher Where children are challenged regarding behaviour it takes place in a manner that focuses on the behaviour, not the child it also takes place, where possible, in private Teachers are constantly scanning the room to solve problems before they start or escalate Teachers dont personalise oppositional behaviour from children. That is, teachers live with the fact that there are a lot of reasons some children may challenge the rules of the classroom. Such behaviour is not a personal attack on the teacher The teacher works with the AT to get a comprehensive understanding of the students

THREE. Working with Assistant Teachers

Communication and partnership between assistant teachers and teachers is important for successful behaviour management. Assistant teachers can give nonlocal teachers valuable insight into individual students and the class in terms of behaviour and what is appropriate culturally. Having an adult in the classroom who speaks Murrinhpatha is of great value for both behaviour and learning. Teachers and ATs are given timetabled release time to meet weekly to discuss learning and behaviour. ATs are invaluable in assisting you with a seating plan in class. Always consult them when developing and changing seating arrangements; they will know who cannot sit together because of avoidance relationships. When Assistant Teachers are fully involved in the classroom program: planning, teaching and evaluation behaviour will improve. If they are just seen as people to do the menial work, translate when necessary and tell children off little progress will be made. However, it is important that teachers do not overestimate what ATs are capable of in terms of behaviour management. Being able to speak the language does not make a person an expert in behaviour management. The teacher is the one who has had the teacher training. Furthermore, ATs experience many of the challenges that were discussed in terms of our students; overcrowded houses leading to lack of sleep and health issues. Like the children these factors will affect energy levels and attendance. Their relationships with other adults and children in the school include complex family and clan relationships. To put it simply for non-local teachers clear, respectful communication and the development of strong partnerships with ATs will be of great assistance in classroom management but remember you are the teacher, the one who has been trained and is in charge.

Behaviour Guidelines OLSH

2013 -2014

What does it look like when it is absent?

Children are often out of the room High numbers of children sent from the room Both children and teacher are very loud The teacher talks about children in a negative manner The teacher gets into long debates with children in front of the class or lengthy and aggressive reprimands There is an absence of affirmation in class The teachers approach to children is inconsistent Lack of withitness. A lack of awareness of what is going on in the classroom that prevents teachers from dealing with issues before they escalate Teacher overly personalises childrens behaviour

Praise
In our context it is not always appropriate to praise students publically. A student singled out for individual praise may be subject to teasing from other students. Teachers should be working on their classroom culture to develop an atmosphere where praise to individuals is more accepted. Teachers need to be aware that any consequences for inappropriate behaviour should reflect our values. Such things as denying students food, making them sit in the sun for long periods and locking individuals out of classrooms are inappropriate.

FIVE. Relationships
Academic papers and other writing guiding non-indigenous teachers working with indigenous learners always stress that the quality of relationships is central to successful teaching. In a Catholic school classroom relationships should be a visible sign of a school based on Gospel values. Children do not come to our school as individuals but as members of families and clan groups. This means, particularly for non- indigenous teachers, they need to take every opportunity that presents itself to develop the relationships with their students parents and wider family.

Time-out as a behaviour strategy

At OLSH if a child has been through the classroom procedures in terms of specific warning and the behaviour has not improved it is appropriate to send him or her to your buddy class for 10 to 15 minutes while their behaviour improves. However, we do not send students out in the corridor or outside the classroom.

What does it look like?

Every interaction is based on building positive relationships The teacher has a high level of positive comments about their children When confronted by challenging and puzzling behaviour non-indigenous teachers try to understand before they react and judge Teachers value students experience and background The teacher has a special mission for the children with the biggest challenges The teacher is organised and has the time and patience to be available to talk and interact with children. The teacher tries to have many learning and social conversations with individual students during the day The teacher knows their children (what sports they play, interests and hobbies, who lives at home, likes, dislikes, indigenous name) There is a partnership between children and

How do we get there?

A strong start to the year - the establishment phase. Collegial support Planning and preparation. There is a very strong link between planning and preparation and behaviour management

Fixing the broken windows: the routine things we do on a daily basis that create a sense of order
Having the students line up Getting students to walk around the school in an orderly fashion Encouraging the wearing of correct uniform Keeping the classroom tidy and tidying as you go

2013 -2014

Behaviour Guidelines OLSH

teachers in talking and listening. There is a sense of working together to solve problems The teacher looks after their own emotional and physical health The teacher has strong self-monitoring even in challenging circumstances they do not get angry and lose it in front of students The teacher shares something of themselves: family, footy team etc. The teacher uses causal meetings with families at the store, at footy, church etc. to build stronger relationships Interactions and reports to parents and the wider family include good news, and reports of success. The teacher finds out which members of the students family are employed at school and develops a relationship with those people There is a bit of fun in the classroom games etc. The teacher uses yard duty to get to know their students better

The only time parents and other family members are communicated with is when there is a problem Cruel and degrading punishments are used There is an absence of partnership between parents and teachers A they and we mentality is present

Its a balance
According to Marzano pupils want teachers who are autocratic enough to enable good order to be established; that means the Goths and Vandals in the class are not left to run free, tease and bully you, steal your pens and pencils and damage your work. Yet they also want teachers who are democratic enough to allow pupils a sense of partnership and ownership of what goes on in the classroom.

The Golden Thirty

I always found the 30 minutes before school vital in establishing relationships with pupils. It was important to me that in the period between 8.30am and 9am I was in my classroom, had done most of my preparation (just the last light touches to do) the chairs were down and I was ready to greet and chat with kids. Greeting is vital: how was swimming, how is the new baby, did you win your league game on Saturday? It was a good time to find out more about their home who lives at their house, what sports they play, what are their interests - good teachers are nosey teachers. The kids knew I was there and available to them. If a child was having issues: bullying, problems with work, parents had a big fight and were breaking up they knew that was a good time for talking, for coming up and having a quiet chat. Later on when I became a principal I noticed a few teachers who would periodically complain about kids who came to school too early - teachers who would leave early arrivals out in the cold on a freezing winter morning in the South Island. Children who came to school very early in the schools I taught in usually came from families with both parents working, or single families who were finding life tough enough paying the rent or the mortgage and putting food on the table that they didnt have any left to pay for before school care. The caring teachers understood this and turned a blind eye to official school start times. I always thought the ones who complained about kids coming too early may have chosen the wrong career. John Young

What does it look like in its absence?

There can be good well organised teaching but with no emotional connection between teachers and pupils The teacher has minimal interaction with children. Children are in the classroom at breakfast time but the teacher does not interact with them The teacher makes more negative than positive comments The teacher frequently uses a loud aggressive tone with children There is public shaming and challenging of children The teacher has an aggressive confrontational manner with children There is a lack of ownership of the classroom by pupils The teacher has favourites The teacher has no sense of mission for the most challenging children. The teacher uses sarcasm

Behaviour Guidelines OLSH

2013 -2014

SIX. OLSH Behaviour System

Teachers will have a documented behaviour management system which outlines rules, procedures, consequences and rewards. When a students behaviour has reached the point where the process of warnings has not improved the behaviour, or the students actions are so serious then the teacher should either: A. Move the child to their buddy class B. Move the child to be with a leadership member However, teachers need to be aware that at this school behaviour often happens in waves. Problems in the community such as fighting or high levels of alcohol can lead to a lot of poor behaviour in classrooms. At the start of the school year we have very high numbers of students including many who have had very little experience of school. This means on the day you are having major behaviour problems it is very likely that your buddy class is also having a bad day. It can also mean the Head of Primary/Secondary already has a number of children to supervise and the visit there is not as adversative an event as behaviour textbooks would recommend. This is the reality is we try to work together to make the school work as best we can. For students with on-going serious behaviour problems an Individual Behaviour Plan Appendix A will be developed by the teacher and behaviour specialist teacher. The Head of Primary or Secondary will guide the teacher if an incident report is required. All teachers need to have a charged cell phone on them at all times. If there is a serious problem where students or adults safety is at risk they need to ring the Head of School, Principal (and keep ringing relevant people until they get someone who will come and help) and use the expression Code Red telling the person where in the school they are.

5. Have a lot of visual support for your teaching and routines. 6. Meet weekly with your AT and send a brief summary of the meeting to your team leader. 7. Be where you are supposed to be - at class before the bell, on duty. The bells are for the students not for the teachers. Excellent teachers leave the staff room five minutes before the end of a break and are there to welcome the students after each break and set the tone. 8. Have your class room environment attractive and tidy. 9. Have the students move around the school in an orderly fashion. 10. Support other staff. 11. Communicate with your supervisor, let them know if there is a problem. 12. Monitor your own moods, energy levels. Wadeye is a physically demanding place in which to teach. 13. Read this document frequently and other behaviour management guides. 14. Begin a journey of becoming more knowledgeable of local culture, indigenous education and behaviour management the school will support you in this but it also needs to be selfdirected. 15. Monitor your language.

EIGHT. Language and choices

It is important that when talking about behaviour in the school we use a common language from pre-school to Year 12. Choices and making good choices is a concept used by teachers throughout the school Choosing to listen to the teacher Choosing to stay at school all day Choosing to be nice and helpful to others Choosing to do their work Choosing not to fight or tease Choosing to respect the school property Non-locals need also to monitor the language we use when talking about our students and local people in general. During times of difficulty there can be a tendency to use a

SEVEN. The schools expectations of teachers regarding behaviour management

1. Be planned and prepared in fact be overly prepared. 2. Have a behaviour plan that another teacher can follow rules and routines. 3. Practice your routines daily. 4. Build up relationships as a daily part of your routines.
6

2013 -2014

Behaviour Guidelines OLSH

general they when we mean the few students and/or adults who are acting in challenging and anti-social ways. Staff need to monitor themselves and others in an appropriate manner in this area. It is our students, our school and we. If we mean the students we are having challenges with we need to be specific about who we are talking about and refrain from generalized divisive language. When we have challenges it is with specific children, at a specific time, with specific behaviour. Our language needs to reflect this.

after they have forgotten the consequence they earned as a result of their actions. Show students you have pride in them Students are proud of the fact that they are behaving and achieving at a high level and a different type of pride develops when students see themselves as being the worst they can be. As a classroom teacher, you need to recognise student successes; your goal is to help students take pride in their accomplishments and positive behaviours rather than in their negative behaviours. Strategies to develop positive classroom pride: Display student work Positively tell students that they have done well Show off and invite other teachers to look at the class achievements Speak to the progress the students have made Be sincere in your pride in your students Look for opportunities for students to be proud in all areas It is important that you are assertive in your role in the classroom. You and the other adults in the room are The Boss. This does not mean an authoritarian or aggressive stand but taking account of the fact that you set the rules and have the authority to set the tone in your classroom. Students want both warmth and security in an environment where they can make mistakes. When you are assertive in your role you are providing students with the sense that in this class they are protected from bullying and teasing. You convey assertion by the way your classroom management system is used. The way you demand their full attention by scanning the whole room and waiting for every students attention before you start to teach. The way you rove the classroom to feedback and feed forward to students about the work they are doing. By the tone of your voice; clear, calm and slow. We acknowledge that in our context, especially when you are new that this can be hard, our only advice here is to fake it until you make it. A teacher who is present in the classroom when they are supposed to be and are assertive and caring in their role lessens student bullying and increases student security. We need to think like the old western movies. We, the adults, are the good guys, the sheriff who comes into the town and brings fairness, justice and security to the townspeople. There is nothing bullies like more than the teacher who is late to class, leaves the room without supervision, or who is not assertive in their classroom management or in their role as the teacher. Without our assertive presence students lack security.
7

NINE. It is all about You

Based on Boynton and Boyntons Educators Guide to preventing and solving discipline problems As a classroom teacher, you are the most important element in the crucial area of student behaviour, relationships and learning. You may not be the only adult in the room but you are the one who has had the most training, the person that the school and community have made responsible for the behaviour and learning of this group of children. While you should expect support from your colleagues, the school leadership and the community it is how you operate that will determine how successful the class is. When students feel that you value and care for them as individuals, they are more willing to comply with your wishes. At this school in a positive structured environment with good relationships children will be more likely to show up. While teacherstudent relationships is very important for learning in all schools, in this context it is a huge factor in school attendance positive relationships are crucial children at Wadeye vote with their feet. There is a direct link between how much effort you put in and the behaviour and learning that takes place. If you are well prepared and your classroom is an orderly attractive environment you have more time to put into quality interactions in classrooms. Remember that when it comes to student behaviour it is your relationship with them that encourages students to follow the rules, not the rules themselves. Students will never trust you or open themselves up to hear what you have to say unless they sense that you value and respect them. As the teacher you have control on how you deal with problems. The goal in correcting students should be to have them reflect on what they did, be sorry for the choice they made, and make a better choice in the future. It should not be that they go away thinking, I hate my teacher. Im going to escape. The difference in student reactions to being disciplined is often related to the manner in which you correct them. If you allow students to keep their dignity, you increase the chance that they will reflect on their behaviour and choose their behaviours more wisely in the future.Students will recall how you made them feel long
Behaviour Guidelines OLSH

2013 -2014

Furthermore you have the power to monitor and adapt your responses to situations in your classroom. You cannot change the challenging situations that many of our students face, but you have the opportunity to make a difference to their life. You have the choice in how you interact and create relationships with your students. You have the training to identify what and how to teach to your students. You have control on how well prepared and planned you are. You also have a choice to support or ask your colleagues when you require help

Is this a one-off or irregular event or are situations with this student or this class common? Is there something in the classroom environment or my approach that may need to be adjusted to lower the number of incidents of this kind?

Serious Incidents
In all schools there are times when a students behaviour becomes so serious that it puts the safety of others and themselves at risk. In these situations the role of the teacher is to remove other students from the area of risk. It requires calm clear directions, sending a message to other adults for help. It often requires other adults to take over the handling of the student causing concern. It is important to deescalate the situation through a calm manner and confident talk. In talking about the management of conflict we are going to use the guidance of Beale and Murphys Why are you shouting at us? Do carry your charged mobile on your at all times. If you face a situation where the safety of other students and adults is put in danger immediately ring your Head of School or the Principal and tell them you need immediate support with the expression Code Red. If you are unable to obtain them keep ringing other staff until you get a response. The other reason we ask all teachers to carry a phone at all times is that there are times when people or groups of people who put the school at risk come on the property. In these circumstances we need information quickly in order to decide whether to put the school into lock down. Do locate the exit: It is better if it is behind you. If you are in a situation when it becomes impossible for either you or the young person to continue with the conversation there is an escape route. Do sit down: A chair is preferable; in doing this you are not taking up the role of the dominating authority figure but normalizing the situation someone having a chat. If all else fails you can use the chair as a barrier if the student seems to be considering kicking you. Do stand side on: If you are in a discussion that has been chiefly prompted by an issue of behaviour then standing in front of the child and you are in full on, face-to-face confrontation mode: two gunslingers ready to duel and draw. Stand side-on and you are just two humans having a perfectly reasonable chat about something. Do manage and control your breathing: This will help you stay calm and to move quickly if required Do maintain critical distance: Critical distance is two arms length away. You should keep this distance so you are not invading students personal space and so they cant

TEN. It is not all about you and managing and deescalating serious incidents
There are many reasons why students misbehave. At the start of this booklet we listed such things as health, lack of sleep, and the demands of learning in another language and with different cultural expectations. Often the student in question does not even know why they are angry, aggressive or non-compliant. When things go wrong successful teachers in successful schools do not take it personally. They do not feel that the child or childrens behaviour, disruption, refusal or rudeness is a personal attack on them when things go wrong they react in an objective manner. Nobody pretends this is easy. Teaching can be very challenging. When you have put many hours into preparation, when you really want to teach and make a difference challenging behaviour can be very frustrating. However, it is important to manage your frustrations in a professional and objective manner. To overact and personalize this behaviour can put your career at risk; it can also demean you in front of the students and their families. Furthermore, reacting the wrong way can, in less than a minute, destroy months of work you have put into building relationships. Situations like this require strong, focused self-monitoring and self-management. Teachers need to monitor their level of frustration and if they feel they are in danger of losing it they need to regain their focus, regulate their breathing and begin appropriate self-talk. This childs behaviour is very frustrating and I am feeling very challenged at the moment. There are many reasons why he is behaving like this and it is not a personal attack on me. I need to remain calm and manage this situation and my reaction as a calm competent professional. When the situation has passed then the teacher should either by themselves or with the help of a skilled colleague reflect on the situation?

2013 -2014

Behaviour Guidelines OLSH

Behaviour Guidelines OLSH

2013 -2014

kick you. Should any assault occur the feet are often the cause for concern. Do look away: Eyeballing students transmits a signal that they may interrupt as meaning they are under attack. It is preferable to look away at some imagined point in the near distance. This way, it is not about you and it is not about them; it is about something external to the person. At the same time, keep the student within your peripheral vision, so that you remain sensitive to the body language signals they are transmitting. Do face your palms down: This is about being calm yourself and trying to get the student to mirror your behaviour. Do be aware of objects: Objects can be thrown at you and others.

Catholics and people from other faith traditions, or none, working in a Catholic context Primary, secondary and early childhood teachers living together in close proximity in an isolated community with many social problems. Each group and each individual within the groups, have their own culture, world view, traditions, customs, life experiences, aspirations and family obligations. We all need to: Accept we live in a messy world Grow in mutual understanding Accept difference Show tolerance and patience Forgive each other for not being perfect Maintain a sense of humour

ELEVEN. Collegial Support

Successful school-wide behaviour management depends on high levels of collegial support. Creating an environment of collegial support is largely the responsibility of the school management. For teachers it is largely a basis of individual daily choices teachers make; collegial support can be encouraged; it cannot be mandated. Collegial support involves consistent and conscientious implementation of these guidelines. When we are all operating in the same manner, setting high but achievable expectations and communicating effectively the behaviour and learning of all students will improve and OLSH will be a more enjoyable place to work. It also takes an attitude of care and support toward the whole school not just your own class or section of the school. It requires teachers to be on not just in their classroom but during yard duty, before and after school and as they move about the school. The manner in which we treat each other on a day to day basis and when there are difficulties is the central core of collegial support. The remainder of this section deals with the interpersonal aspects of supporting colleagues. Wadeye is a complex place in which to teach and live. There are many positive elements about living and working here. It is important work; improving education outcomes in remote indigenous Australia is the biggest and most exciting challenge the country faces and you have the privilege of being at the forefront of this challenge. The school brings together: A number of different ceremonial groups Indigenous and non-indigenous Australians People from other countries

10

The section below is largely based on Bill Rogerss Colleague support: building a supportive ecology in schools in Teacher Leadership and Behaviour Management (2002 Rodgers B.Ed.)

Unsupportive Cultures
Professional isolation you are on your own dont come into my classroom Over concern about failure Judgmental comments rather than support for teachers having problems I have no problems with them Selective communications cliques Reactive ad-hoc problem solving

Supportive Culture
Valuing and respecting others Empathy Appropriately assertive private professional conversations when there are problems School wide focus and support A problem solving rather than a blaming approach All staff feel they have input into the major decisions on how the school operates

Important elements in developing colleague support Share- talking with colleagues sharing your time, resources, ideas and professional advice. Listen to your colleagues. The sharing of common concerns, needs and problems can help reframe, give assurance and reduce the stress of coping alone. Take time to listen to your colleagues, empathize and support them. Allow people a chance to vent but guide them back to a more positive outlook Avoid gossip and be loyal to those not in the room Seek to understand the others perspective Affirm each other and aim to maintain a non-competitive ethos Show each other mutual respect and be mindful with how we greet each other Forgive each other for not being perfect we all have bad days, forget things and make mistakes Keep the big picture in mind Accept difference in others Trust in and work within the school systems and if you have suggestions for improvements make them in a professional manner Monitor each others health and welfare and raise issues with management if you have concerns about your fellow workers This section concludes with the late Steven Coveys metaphor of the Emotional Account from his The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People

The Emotional Bank Account

We all know what a financial bank account is. We make deposits into it and build up a reserve from which we can make withdrawals when we need to. An Emotional Bank Account is a metaphor that describes the amount of trust thats been built up in a relationship. Its the feeling of safeness you have with another human being. If I make deposits into an Emotional Bank Account with you through courtesy, kindness, honesty and keeping commitments to you, I build a reserve. Your trust toward me becomes higher, and I can call upon that trust many times if I need to. I can even make mistakes and that trust level or emotional reserve, will compensate for it. My communication may not be clear, but youll get my meaning anyway. You wont make me an offender for a word. When the trust account is high communication is easy, instant and effective.
11

However if I have a habit of showing discourtesy, disrespect, cutting you off, overreacting, ignoring you, becoming arbitrary, betraying your trust, threatening you, or playing the little tin god in your life, eventually my Emotional Bank Accountant is overdrawn. The trust level gets very low.

Collective Wisdom
The following pages contain the collective thoughts on some of our favorite writers and practioners in the area of behaviour management.

The best way to do this is to maintain a positive and encouraging relationship with the class focussing on co-operation and productive behaviour, and defusing potentially explosive situations quickly and quietly. Look at the way Aboriginal teachers generally deal with discipline problems - what Steven Harris calls the Peace at all Costs approach. It doesnt matter whos right or whos wrong, the important thing is to alleviate the conflict situation as happily and quickly as possible. This will often hurt our sense of justice as well as our pride. But we are working at a happy solution to a social problem. We are not trying (or should not be trying) to teach balanda patterns of behaviour, obedience, respect, etc. no matter how noble we feel they are. Not I will teach this student to obey me come hell or high water, but rather, How can we relieve this conflict situation quickly and peacefully? There are several reasons why this approach is best. Firstly, it is the approach which Aboriginal parents most typically adopt in the home situation. It is the system of control which the children are used to and parents support, so it will work for them. Secondly, any attempt at attaining justice (the wrong punished, the right vindicated) would in this situation be imposing our balanda values at a really inappropriate situation. Thirdly experience shows that teachers who Stick to their guns and attempt high handed punishment type solutions often inadvertently stir up a storm in a teacup. Small conflict situations which are not dealt with gently very often flare up. Fourthly, the time to teach balanda values of impartial justice, and I agree there is a time for this, is not the conflict situation. Fifthly, experience

i. Coping with the problem of discipline Michael Christie

Arriving at Milingimbi from a city school in New Zealand I was not struck by how different the children were, but rather how similar. Children, I suppose are the same everywhere. On the whole, I think my Milingimbi class was easier to manage. The Aboriginal children didnt demand so much attention - but I had to learn that the patterns of discipline and obedience the children showed were subject to rather simple but noticeably un-balanda (white people) social behaviour patterns. For example, I soon realized that the teacher had no special role or status by virtue of his position. I couldnt impose my will on the children where and when I wanted to. They vehemently maintained their independence and I slowly learned to respect it. Aboriginal children didnt mind obeying provided it is not a humiliating sort of obedience. They like to be asked gently, and several times. They have no work for works sake ethic so their tasks need to be enjoyable and hopefully, meaningful. They like to do things slowly, and in consultation with others, so my efforts to speed things up had to be gentle and positive. Observing principles like this certainly made life go more smoothly. But the subject of this paper is what to do when things arent going smoothly. Every school in the world, I imagine, has problem children, and in a cross-cultural situation we can expect the number of problem children to be even higher. We cant expect to be able to solve these problems - the best we can do is to develop strategies to cope with them. These strategies must be culturally appropriate - that is acceptable to the Aboriginal teachers and parents as well as acceptable to the balanda teacher for whom the problem is perhaps worst. As European teachers in a European society, it is our right to be respected and obeyed. An old, perhaps ancient tradition has given teachers high status in our society. Like it, or not in Aboriginal society, respect and obedience are privileges awarded not on the basis of rank or role, but on the basis of merit. If you are obeyed and respected, it is not because of your role as a teacher, but children consider you worthy of respect. Status of this kind must be continually worked on. A teacher must always be exploring ways of positively fostering respect and co-operation.
12

2013 -2014

Behaviour Guidelines OLSH

will show that, in little interpersonal flare-ups there is always more to the problem than meets the eye. It is nearly always impossible to follow an argument back and find whose fault it is. As often as not the fight goes back to old interfamily difficulties that the children dont even appreciate themselves. Aboriginal society survives on goodwill to a much larger extent than balanda society. Co-operation is a higher value than obedience. So high-handedness in dealing with people almost never pays off. It rather hurts us as balanda teachers having to work for co-operation rather than being able to demand obedience. It means compromising a lot and swallowing a lot of pride. Sue Harris points out that aboriginal society provides much more scope for non-cooperation than does balanda society. This is a fact which blanda teachers simply have to face. We cant and shouldnt want to do anything about it. At a Yolju ceremony no one is forced to dance, and may decide not to. Similarly in the classroom, if all positive efforts to involve a child fail, negative efforts shouldnt be resorted to, unless of course the childs behaviour is seriously disruptive. But with all the goodwill in the world problems still arise. Some children, no matter how hard they try and you try, still get into trouble. In my experience these Yolju children fit into two groups. The first group is the largest, most frequent but most easily cured of headaches. They are the children who are basically well-adjusted but highspirited members of their own culture. When your energy is boundless, they are the most fun to have in the class but they have a habit of talking, fighting, singing and swinging when they are not supposed to. To make the misbehaviour of these children into a big issue is seldom a good idea. They will be the bane of your life, and much of your energy will be expanded in keeping them on the straight and narrow. But you cant extinguish their energy, and really do you want to. This is the child who keeps bouncing the ball when the whistle goes, or who carries on playing his tambourine when the song has finished. Try to ignore it. Quickly move on to the next activity before the child realizes how much fun it is to annoy you, and before you get yourself cross. Establish a routine to prevent this happening tambourines must be tucked under the arm at the end of every song to keep them warm. When I blow my whistle, sit on your ball so it wont roll away. At the same time, dont establish a routine if you know its not going to work. No child realizes hes thirsty until after the bell has gone so the few stragglers will be tolerated. This child usually gets the support of other children. He is not trying to annoy, hes just thoroughly enjoying himself. If he is not trying to annoy, dont punish him. Give him a cross word or two to let him know he is being a nuisance, but dont harp. Just reinforce his good behaviour and keep smiling as you surreptitiously try to squash his annoying habits. I have found the single most important factor in maintaining discipline is to keep the class-room
Behaviour Guidelines OLSH

atmosphere positive but controlled and to have the children occupied every moment of the day. The key to preventing discipline problems is to see them coming and to do everything to avoid them. The child in this group is occasionally led by his exuberance into a situation he cant handle. Everyone goes quiet and suddenly it dawns on you that a fight has started. What to do? If violence bursts forward, stones, chairs etc. quickly stop it. Disarm the aggressor and hold him still and firm. He will burst into tears so you can leave him to cry. I always found loud boohooing very irritating but attempts to quell it often increases it. Least said soonest mended. He may break away and march off towards home. If you know him well, and think he will respond to you, you could try and stop him, bring him back and settle him down. Otherwise just let him go. Settle the class down and tell someone in authority what has happened. Dont try to find out whose fault it was. Dont listen to the indignant pleadings of the wronged. Just reiterate to the class that all fighting justified or unjustified is clearly unacceptable in the classroom and try to carry on as normal. Resolve to speak to the children involved when they have calmed down. If the situation doesnt dissolve into violence but rather into tears or high-pitched swearing, your first aim should be to smooth over the situation. Do this with a word or two of reprimand and a new injection of life and validity into your teaching. And guess what else I have got to show you or what about the tin game? When it is blown over call the offending child or children individually to you and explain your disappointment in them in a firm but friendly manner. You can them make them feel contrite and understand they were wrong without making them angry or hurting their pride. We want to change their behaviour and yet keep them on side. You see, basically discipline in the classroom is a problem of getting everyone to get along with each other. Thats why an Im the boss approach is dangerous. It is also why its always best to sort out minor problems within the classroom and take only the gross infringements to the higher school authorities or into the community. The second group of difficult children is smaller but much more problematic. This child is a misfit in his own culture. Out of school he is often by himself or with younger brothers or sisters. The other children in the class dont like him very much and you dont like him much yourself. The other children do love teasing him, you admit, but he overreacts. He flings chairs across the classroom, or sits firm as a rock and bawls at the top of his voice for ten minutes. One day nothing will persuade him to do any work. The next day he is working like a Trojan demanding positive reinforcement after every move. He is blamed for everything; his outbursts are regular and very distressing. Apart from the approaches mentioned above I have found two other approaches work wonders for these children. The best is to concentrate on improving attitudes and
13

2013 -2014

behaviour of the children (and teachers) towards them. I am convinced that most of the problems with these children is caused by teasing and reinforced by adult attitudes both at home and school. All children love to tease, especially when spectacular reaction is in the offering. Aboriginal children are no exception. Its difficult to see this subtle teasing going on if you dont understand the language or the complexities of Aboriginal non-verbal communication. But watch for it. It is hopeless trying to get the set-upon child to ignore it, but is worthwhile trying to clamp down on the other children. Be as firm as you can about it without bringing too much attention on the mistreated child and without defending him too much. (This may cause more teasing.) Dont worry about her, just get on with your work, or Mind your business, Sammy bring your work to me. Unfortunately, this problem is just as much the fault of unsympathetic or vindictive teachers. If you can sympathise with a child like this, and cope with him, volunteer to have him put into your group. The advantage of this method is that it treats the cause rather than the symptoms. The second technique for these children is to concentrate on rewarding acceptable social behaviours and ignoring (rather than punishing) unacceptable behaviours. These children appear to thrive on attention, so most punishment like smacks or long lectures dont have much affect because they still provide the much-sought-after attention. But excluding a child from activity for a few minutes or making him sit outside for a couple of minutes seem to work well. And the amount of positive reinforcement these children can take is amazing. They love it, lay it on thick. With all aboriginal children the rewards and punishments should be immediate and short-lived. A single reward or punishment will not have any long term effect on behaviour but a consistent system of small punishments and rewards will develop behaviour patterns which are acceptable to everyone. Make sure the punishments are acceptable to everyone. Make sure the punishments are acceptable to the children. That may seem strange, but its important. Some children, for example, simply will not apologise. Some children will simply not sit outside the classroom. A black look will reduce some children to tears of penitence, while expulsion from school would seem not to affect others. As you get to know the children better, you will get to know what sort of punishments and rewards are needed and work best with each individual. With that knowledge comes increasing peace in the classroom. Everyone, including the teacher, knows what behaviours are acceptable, which behaviours are required and which are permitted. We dont all live happily ever after, but if we establish a consistent and positive discipline system, it will allow us to spend a greater portion of our time on educational areas of the school curriculum. Michael Christie 1979

Things that work at Our Lady of the Sacred Heart Thamarrurr Catholic College
Preparation and being on time (duty of care) Have extra work and back up material planned for quick finishers in your classroom Positive relationships with students and teachers. Mutual respect. Build strong relationships with your students families (visit them when the child is absent). Positive feedback for families Clean and tidy classrooms. Make classrooms inviting and welcoming. Have meaningful and useful displays Working closely with ATs. Planning and team teaching Relevant education Using different strategies Being consistent Effective teaching/quality learning Talking with students, not at them Emphasis on religious education within every lesson. Focus on the positive Individualize positive feedback and make it more immediate Be proactive, not reactive Raffle types of rewards Peer assessment. Sharing good practice. Peer appraisal Assistant teachers teaching, small groups, non discriminatory (dont only work with relatives) No child minding in the classroom. Ever

Each morning before we start teaching we need to explain to our children what our expectations are Tobias Nganbe Our Lady of Sacred Heart Thamarrurr Catholic College 1965- 2011 This school works best when our students have clear predictable routines Lizzy Hayes Head of Campus (2009 -2013)

14

2013 -2014

Behaviour Guidelines OLSH

ii. Kevin Knight (New Zealand Graduate School of Education) Full Attention
Knight believes that how successful the teacher is at getting students to full attention determines how successful all other aspects of classroom management are. The full attention phase is the period where the teacher stops the class to give directions or to undertake some whole class instructions. Knight also believes that most classrooms are too noisy for optimum learning to take place.

Full Attention Scale (Knight)

9 Riotous The lesson has been effectively aborted although there may be still some attempts by the teacher to keep it going. The teacher may be given cheek. Fights and abuse are common; things are thrown around the room. People move about at will, including out of the room. The teacher is continuing with the lesson, but very few students are engaged in it. Loud call outs occur frequently. Comments and advice may be made to the teacher. Some people may move out freely. Attempts at getting attention fail. The lesson continues but many students are not listening. Loud conversations compete with the teacher. Loud call outs are common. People may move around the room. The teacher may make frequent pleas for attention. Talking is common. Some of it may be quite loud. A core of students may be actively involved in other activities. Call outs may occur, directed at the teacher or across the room. Undercurrent talk is occurring around the room. The conversations tend to be a normal speaking volume, or else there is a substantial hum of quieter under current talk. There may be occasional call outs. Students are mostly well focused. There are some students who are less attentive and there is obvious restlessness and distracting sound. There is some undercurrent talk, but those who do talk make an effort to talk quietly. Almost all students are attending well. An occasional word or two of undercurrent talk may be spoken but this stops quickly. There is some restlessness distracting sound. The class is very quiet and still and there may be some slight distracting sound from pens and fidgeting. There is no talking. There is a strong sense that students are attending. The class is silent and motionless. There are no distracting sounds from furniture and stationery. The students give total attention.

Extremely Noisy Very Noisy

Noisy

5 4

Chatty Generally Listening

3 2 1

Attentive Very Attentive Intensely Focused

Behaviour Guidelines OLSH

2013 -2014

15

Getting to Full Attention

In order to be successful in getting all students to the full attention phase teachers need to: 8. Move to a position in the room where he or she can be seen easily and see all the students. 9. Scan the room to get a good feel on what is happening. 10. Give the Full Attention Cue. An example of a full attention cue: Put your pens and pencils down, fold your arms and look at me (said slowly, calmly and at normal volume). Some teachers use a bell or a chime; it doesnt matter what so long as it is applied consistently by that teacher in that room. 11. Praise the first one or two children who meet the instruction. 12. Give one or two a further prompt if needed Daniel put your pen down, Anthony put that away. 13. Praise a group that has met requirements. 14. Give clear and specific direction to anybody who has still not meet the expectations. 15. When and only when, all children are seated, looking at you with their arms folded start giving instructions. Remember there is an age appropriate limit to how long you can expect children to stay in the full attention phase.

Moving from Full Attention to Working.

If you have finished giving instructions and have given direction for children to begin some activity stay watching them until all have begun their correct activity... Use the techniques below to assist both in the working phase and getting to and maintaining the Full Attention Phase

The Working Phase (Knight)

The aim in the working phase is have students operating below the line Level 9 8 7 6 5 The Line 4 Category Riotous Extremely Noisy Very Noisy Noisy Busy Sound The Line Hum Noise level and movement Loud call outs, shouting, random movement, running, fighting throwing things Frequent loud call outs, children moving around Loud conversations compete with the teacher, some loud call outs Some louder voices or talking across the room Normal voice conversations The line Any talking is deliberately kept quiet, movement is to get materials 3 2 1
16

Quiet Very Quiet Exam-like

Occasional words spoken, movement to get materials as agreed by the routines of the class. No talking but perhaps some movement sound So quiet that a pin drop could be heard
2013 -2014 Behaviour Guidelines OLSH

Get noise level below The Line by: 1. Having high expectations from the Full Attention Phase. 2. When giving students work moving from full attention to working watch and guide them into it before starting work with a group. 3. Praise to named individuals and groups. 4. Specific prompts to named individuals. 5. Scan Scan Scan Scan. 6. If the noise level moves above The Line stop the children with a Full Attention and then start them working again. 7. Moderate your voice volume.

iv. Annette Breaux and Todd Whitaker 50 Ways to improve student behaviour simple solutions to complex challenges Rules and Procedures
Teachers with rules and procedures have far fewer discipline challenges than their counterparts who lack a clear system of rules and procedures. The best teachers have clear and consistent rules and procedures. We continue to find that many teachers do not know the difference between a rule and a procedure. A rule regulates a serious offence, and there must be a consequence every time it is broken A procedure is simply the way you want something to be done the same way, every time When a student does not follow a procedure, you simply practise the procedure with the student You will never want to have more than five rules You should have many procedures An example of a rule (remember that a rule is something to regulate a serious offence) is: We agree not to hit anyone. If the rule is broken, there is a definite consequence, and the students know this in advance Examples of procedures are how to walk in line, what to do when you have a question, what to do when you need a pencil sharpened, how to get in and out of groups, etc. Now the problem occurs when teachers confuse the two. On the Rules Chart, they put statements such as I will not talk out of turn. Well talking is not actually a serious offence. An aggravating offence? Yes. A serious offence? No. Therefore, it should fall into the category of procedure The procedure may state, We agree to raise our hands and be recognized before speaking. So what do you do if a student talks out of turn? You simply remind him of the procedure and practise again if necessary. So here it is, plainly and simply: You practise when they forget a procedure, and you punish if they break a rule. Thats it.

iii. Dr Bill Rogers

Dr Bill Rogers is an Australian education consultant. He is the author of a number of books and DVDs about behaviour management. Rogers main themes: 1. Plan for behaviour management in the same way you plan for teaching. 2. This plan should include a few clear rules about how students behave in class (such as how questions are answered). 3. Behaviour Management should be done in as calm, quick and as non-obtrusive a manner as possible. 4. Using a lot of body signals to maintain control: four on floor 5. See and be seen: Scan, Scan, Scan, Scan. 6. Dont get into long debates with children in front of the class or lengthy and aggressive reprimands. 7. Support each other and be consistent through the school. 8. Be confident and convey high expectations of behaviour. One of the crucial ways you convey confidence is your voice. A clear, calm and slow voice projects confidence. Rushed and loud voices send the message to students you may be nervous and not in control.

Rules
Decide what you consider to be serious offences in your classroom. We give you one example: We agree not to hit each other. Now notice two things: (1) Hitting someone is a serious offence. None of us want students displaying any acts of violence in our classrooms. (2) The rule is stated in a positive way. Again try and limit your rules
2013 -2014 17

Behaviour Guidelines OLSH

to no more than five. Now introduce your rules to your students, discuss why they are important, and explain the consequences of not following the rules. And then be consistent in enforcing them. Not mean but consistent.

Procedures
You will not want to establish all of your procedures at the one time. This is far too overwhelming for students. Instead, begin with the most important ones and then add a few at a time. In establishing any procedure, there are six simple steps. 1. State the procedure and discuss its importance 2. Model the procedure. Show your students exactly what it looks like. 3. Practise the procedure with your students. (Note that this is not something reserved for primary students. Professional football teams practise procedures every day!) 4. Praise them when they follow it and remind them of the procedure when they forget. 5. Continue to calmly practise the procedure with the students when they forget 6. Remain consistent with your procedures If you are going to try this, we suggest that you implement the most important procedure first. The most important procedure you must have is a consistent way of securing your students attention every time you need it. Contrary to the beliefs of far too many teachers, having a good discipline plan, including clear rules and procedures is not simply about being nice vs. mean: but rather it is about being consistent vs. inconsistent. You see if youre nice and inconsistent, your students will like you, but you will not be able to manage them, and therefore you wont be able to teach them. If youre mean and inconsistent youre doomed! If youre mean and consistent youre a little less doomed! But if you are both nice and consistent, youll have excellent classroom management. The fact is that without good management, you cannot teach. So get your rules and procedures straight, be consistent and dont negotiate, and good behaviour will surely await! 1. John Church, University of Canterbury. 2. The Diagnostic Checklist adapted from the original 1986 JRY 3. Do you know all the students names and can you pronounce them quickly and correctly? If not get a class list and work on this as soon as you can.

4. Are you consistently following the rules and systems you have set the students? If your system for answering questions is that students must put up their hands you must aim to operate like this 100% of the time. 5. Do you and the assistant teacher have a clear understanding of how you want to work together in the area of classroom management? Do you set some time each week to formally review how things are going? 6. Are you arriving at class on time or before the students? 7. Do you ensure students enter class in an orderly fashion? 8. Is the lesson starting when it should? 9. Are you giving your full attention to the management of students during transitions to different activities and at the end of the class? 10. Are you fully prepared - have all the work and activities you need for the lesson? 11. Do have a supply of pens, pencils, paper for students who do not have correct supplies? This makes sure lack of stationery does not distract the whole class and stops procrastinators from having an excuse not to get started (Bill Rogers). 12. Do you have visual prompts of what is going to happen and what the students will be doing? It is not enough to just tell students verbally - instructions and directions need to be supported by information on the board or poster etc. 13. Do you make sure your redcat is on at all times? 14. Does where you choose to give instructions from, the tone, pace and volume of you voice command attention? Stand where you can be seen by all class members. Speak in a calm, clear voice that can be heard by the whole class. Monitor your volume as your volume rises so will the class noise level. 15. Are you getting 90% to 100% of the students attention in the Full Attention Phase? That is all students looking at you, no writing, playing with pens etc. It is important you have a clear and consistent signal when you want childrens attention. It doesnt matter so much if this is a signal bell, clapping sequence, phrase put your pens down, fold your arms and look at me, or something physical hands on head, hand in the air what matters is you have high expectations (80-90%) and consistently apply it. How teachers operate in this phase of instruction affects everything else in what happens in the classroom. 16. Are you making sure you are not talking over students but insisting they are quiet before you begin talking?

18

2013 -2014

Behaviour Guidelines OLSH

Behaviour Guidelines OLSH

2013 -2014

19

17. If you are using technology are you fully familiar with its use? 18. Is the work that you are asking students to do, something that students can complete successfully? 19. When giving instructions are you very clear about what you expect the students to be doing? 20. When assigning seat work, group work etc. are you watching and prompting to see all children are on task before moving to your next activity. Are you particularly monitoring those students who present challenges in this time? 21. Are you showing you value students work by reading and marking it? 22. Have you made sure that the work is differentiated - at the appropriate level for each of the students in your class? 23. Are you paying more attention to appropriate behaviour than inappropriate behaviour? 24. Are the students experiencing more rewards and reinforcing behaviour than penalties and adverse consequences? More praise than negative comments. Is this the same for the low achieving students as well as the high achieving students? 25. Are you addressing all warnings to named individuals: you are all being too noisy does not work; Miriam stop talking and get on with your work does. 26. Are you scanning the students and monitoring their behaviour throughout the lesson? The most effective teachers are constantly scanning and reacting to problems before they escalate. 27. Are you constantly moving around the room? 28. Is there a large amount of praise given to named individuals and groups? 29. Is praise both: 30. high frequency, quick and non-verbal (getting to full attention) 31. specific and academically focused: I like the way you have thought about that first sentence to capture the authors attention. 32. Are you praising/reinforcing the behaviour you want? 33. Are you responding to the start of inappropriate behaviour with a warning to a named student or students which gives the student an opportunity to stop instead of being punished?

34. Are improvements in performance being marked and commented on? 35. Are instructional activities sequenced from least interesting to most interesting? Are high interest activities being used to reinforce consistent effort? If we work hard and complete this we will have a game? 36. Are classroom privileges being given out to those who show the most effort or improvement rather than those who have achieved the highest standard? 37. Are the consequences of appropriate behaviour sufficiently reinforcing to motivate each individual student; for some highly motivated students doing their best work is an intrinsic motivator in itself; for poorly motivated students frequent concrete rewards may be necessary. It is not wrong to reinforce different students in different ways. 38. Does inappropriate behaviour result in the application of some kind of penalty? 39. Are the consequences of inappropriate behaviour sufficiently adverse to deter students from engaging in such behaviour? Put more simply are the punishments being used working? 40. Are the students experiencing more success than failure? Is this true for low achieving students as well as the high-achieving students?

References
Beadle P and Murphy P (2013) Why are you Shouting at us? The dos and donts of Behaviour Management. Bloomsbury Education, U.K Marzano R.J (2003) Classroom Management that WorksResearch-Based Strategies for Every Teacher. Rogers B (2002) Teacher Leadership and Behaviour Management. Taylor J and Ivory W, (2013) Back on Track Whitaker T and Breauk A (2013) 50 Ways to Improve Student Behaviour.

Recommended Reading
The schools has a number of titles by Bill Rogers and these are recommended for teachers. We also recommend any books by Todd Whitaker. As well as writing on behavior Robert Marzno has published many clearly written summaries of education research on a wide range of topics

Appendix A INDIVIDUAL BEHAVIOUR PLAN

STUDENT YEAR LEVEL MEETING DATE DOB SCHOOL REVIEW DATE MAZE TEACHER

OVERALL AIM:

STRENGTHS & INTERESTS

BEHAVIOURS OF CONCERN

TARGET BEHAVIOURS FOR THIS PLAN

TRIGGERS (ANTECEDENTS)

MAJOR SUPPORTS

STRATEGY SHORT TERM & CLASSROOM STRATEGIES

LONG TERM & BROAD STRATEGIES

Behaviour Guidelines OLSH

2013 -2014

21

EMERGENCIES & CONTINGENCIES

COMMUNICATION & DISTRIBUTION PLAN

KEY STATKEHOLDERS
NAME POSITION SIGNATURE PRESENT AT IBP MEETING (yes/no)

22

2013 -2014

Behaviour Guidelines OLSH

Appendix B

Standard 4 Create and maintain supportive and safe learning environments Focus area 4.1 Support student participation Graduate Identify strategies to support inclusive student participation and engagement in classroom activities. Proficient Establish and implement inclusive and positive interactions to engage and support all students in classroom activities. Highly Accomplished Model effective practice and support colleagues to implement inclusive strategies that engage and support all students. Lead Demonstrate and lead by example the development of productive and inclusive learning environments across the school by reviewing inclusive strategies and exploring new approaches to engage and support all students. Initiate strategies and lead colleagues to implement effective classroom management and promote student responsibility for learning. Lead and implement behaviour management initiatives to assist colleagues to broaden their range of strategies.

4.2 Manage classroom activities

Demonstrate the capacity to organise classroom activities and provide clear directions.

Establish and maintain orderly and workable routines to create an environment where student time is spent on learning tasks.

Model and share with colleagues a flexible repertoire of strategies for classroom management to ensure all students are engaged in purposeful activities. Develop and share with colleagues a flexible repertoire of behaviour management strategies using expert knowledge and workplace experience.

4.3 Manage challenging behaviour

Demonstrate knowledge of practical approaches to manage challenging behaviour.

Manage challenging behaviour by establishing and negotiating clear expectations with students and address discipline issues promptly, fairly and respectfully.

Behaviour Guidelines OLSH

2013 -2014

23

Our Lady of the Sacred Heart (OLSH) Thamarrurr Catholic school

Phone: 08 89782 477 Fax: 08 8978 2300 admin.olshtcs@nt.catholic.edu.au www.olshtcs.ntcathed.catholic.edu.au

Behaviour Guidelines OLSH

2013 -2014