How do you handle behavior problems at school? A kid who doesn’t listen, who yells out and who can’t seem to follow the rules?
Behaviors are on the rise. Teachers are having difficulty enforcing classroom rules. Their previous effective classroom management techniques are not working. Teachers are having a hard time consistently operating in a well-managed classroom.
I see it everywhere!
As a school based occupational therapist, I attend many meetings for students with behavior challenges. Team members in an elementary school meet, gather data, and work together to develop positive behavioral interventions.
Personally, I tend to enjoy the more challenging students with behavioral problems. I like helping the team find out why they’re acting the way they are. It’s rewarding connecting with these students and watching their behavior slowly change throughout the school year.
My role in the school systems has changed recently. In addition to being a team member enforcing a behavior management plan for individual students, I’m also now helping teachers with their WHOLE class.
It’s kind of crazy to think that an occupational therapist is now supporting more regular education teachers and students. However, I love it! Throughout my career, I’ve always enjoyed supporting school administrators and all teachers in order to improve overall student learning.
Teachers are needing new behavior management strategies for their students using occupational therapy techniques. I’m now helping with positive behaviors for the entire class for improved student achievement.
Why Is Behavior Management in the Classroom Becoming More Challenging?
Historically, typical classroom management strategies were effective in keeping children’s behaviors in check. Teachers made clear expectations and set classroom rules at the beginning of the year. The students in every grade level followed the rules and classroom expectations.
Occasionally, there were individual students who required a specific behavior management plan. But there was a designated special education teacher and team to support that student.
Now, behaviors seem to be spiraling out of control in every elementary school. With many regular education students.
Why is this?
From my perspective as an OT, I see so many changes in society that impact behavior.
Children don’t get enough physical activity, they aren’t interacting with the natural world enough, life is constantly handed to them, and they spend WAY TOO MUCH time on screens.
Baby carriers and containers limit movement in our youngest children. Taking away movement in the earlier years interferes with sensory processing skills and motor skill development.
When young children don’t have movement opportunities, the sensory systems do not develop to give the brain proper nourishment and regulation.
This impacts behavior.
Additionally, with decreased physical input, children’s primitive reflexes do not disappear as they should. This significantly impacts motor development, body control, learning, attention, and behavior.
Many toys are very techy and limit problem solving and executive function skills. We are surrounded by a world with instant results and satisfaction. Kids are given what they want. Right now!
This impacts behavior.
And then there are the screens. Parents are handing screens to babies, toddlers, and preschoolers. All throughout the day!!
The screens become a crutch, instant gratification, and impact all areas of development in children. Social, emotional, physical, sensory, communication. This list goes on.
It pains me to watch this.
This. This significantly impacts behavior and makes classroom management difficult for teachers.
The best way to address this pandemic in every grade level:
- Extra Outdoor Recess Opportunities (with Planned Indoor Recess Activities when the weather does not cooperate)
- Screen Alternatives (and Parent Education)
- Routine Movement Activities
- Classroom Exercise Programs
What Does Behavior Typically Indicate?
Behavior is a form of communication. Children are not always the best communicators, so their feelings are displayed through actions.
Their brains are maturing and they’re learning to control themselves.
Most often, children act (or react) in a certain way to say:
- “This is hard.”
- “I can’t handle this.”
- “My brain can’t focus!”
- “I’m overwhelmed.”
- “I hurt.”
- “I’m sad.”
- “I’m having some trouble.”
- “My body needs to move!”
- “I didn’t sleep at all last night.”
- “I’m having a bad day.”
My experiences working in the homes has opened my eyes to many situations. I completely understand why some kids struggle to behave well each day.
Some live in survival mode. Others aren’t treated well.
Some experience pain or emptiness which is confusing for them.
And now, (as discussed in the previous section) the majority are not moving and using their senses and bodies as much as they need to.
Whether you are working on effective classroom management or you are working with a small group, you are going to run into student behavior problems.
Unwanted behaviors can be big, and they can be small! But they’re always going to be there.
The following 10 tips and strategies are proactive classroom management techniques. They are intended to empower and guide YOU as the adult.
We face many challenges now. So we have to do our part to create a positive learning environment in order to help keep our kids on track.
Behavior Management in the Classroom: 10 Tips and Strategies for Teachers
Use these proactive tips and behavior management strategies to help create your classroom rules.
Share clear expectations at the beginning of the year regarding how you will all work together to form positive relationships in your classroom community.
1. Start with Kindness and Compassion
Letting kids know that you care about them is a very effective way in improving behavior. When kids feel valued and important, they’re more likely to behave better.
A warm smile and kind words can go a long way.
Kids who tend to act out need to know that someone is on their side. They need to know that the world is not against them and that they matter.
2. Find Out What A Child Likes & Make a Connection with Them
Building positive relationships with the entire class creates a comfortable and connected learning environment.
Kids love talking about their interests. You can use what they love to motivate them.
Maybe you also like lizards. Or you’ve watched the same movie they love.
Or, you share the same obsession with hot sauce on popcorn!
Building relationships with each student is important in creating a positive classroom culture. It shows that every person in the room can connect on some level.
There are millions of ways to connect with every child! Just make sure you’re being genuine. Kids can sniff out phoniness!
3. Role Model Desired Behavior
As the adult, you can set the tone for what positive behaviors you desire with your classroom expectations.
Raising your voice, yelling and becoming upset can only further increase the stress in the student(s) exhibiting negative behaviors.
It causes them to react defensively almost immediately. This increases the chance that the behavior will continue to happen.
They’ll put the defense shield up and the boxing gloves on. They’ll think that they need to battle you each time.
So, don’t let your emotions transfer to your students.
Try to remain as calm as possible. Be patient. Listen intently. And let them feel respected as you listen to them.
(Do as I say, AND as I do!)
4. Speak to the Child in Private Regarding Their Inappropriate Behavior
Try not to discipline a child publicly. I know this is hard! But it can be so embarrassing to the child. Especially if they simply lost control for a second.
Instead, pull them aside to discuss their unacceptable or disruptive behavior.
Listen to what they have to say regarding the situation. Acknowledge that it may be hard to control behavior and emotions all of the time.
Most kids have limited impulse control. Their brains can’t respond in a mature way when stressed or upset!
Some children’s nervous systems react with a fight or flight response. (Or sometimes a fright or freeze response.)
Empathize with them. No one is perfect.
We all have moments and make mistakes. But we can learn from our mistakes.
Be sure to talk about other choices they could have made that might have been better. Give them a chance to self-reflect and grow from the moment.
5. Avoid Shaming, Listen Respectfully
Avoid shaming a student for their disruptive behavior at school. Instead of “I can’t believe you said that to him!” or “That’s terrible of you” try “Let’s talk about what happened?”
Take the time to fully listen to a child’s explanation for their inappropriate behavior.
The reason might not be directly related to the moment the behavior happened. There may have been a series of challenges the student was experiencing leading up to that moment.
Allow them to express their emotions and how they feel. Acknowledge their emotions with a neutral tone. “So you’re angry because ____.”
Learning to identify, express, and manage emotions is important for kids. It takes time and practice for some.
6. Avoid Labels
If a student keeps hearing that they’re bad and they’re a behavior problem, chances are, they’re going to continue filling that role.
This starts when kids are very little. She’s shy. He’s a picky eater. She’s a wild child! He’s mean.
When they continue to hear adults label them, they start to think that’s who they truly are. They begin to act this way more frequently. It becomes a self-fulfilling prophesy.
Teachers and parents often warn each other, “Good luck with that one!” or “You’ll have your hands full with her.” or “His older brother was so disrespectful.”
This sets the kiddo up for failure. It denies them of having a fresh start, or an unbiased opinion.
7. Catch Children Being Good
Instead of pointing out the negative behaviors or disruptive behavior, catch kids being good! Point out the positive things.
Make them feel involved and included.
Give positive feedback to students and emphasize the behaviors you want repeated.
- “Megan, I like how you ___. Thank you.”
- “Johnny, that was great when you ____. High 5!”
Make sure the positive behaviors are being communicated to parents, friends, family members, and the child!
Instead of giving another classroom teacher warnings regarding a students’ behavior, try to highlight the positive behaviors. Focus on strengths and share positive attributes.
8. Assess the Environment Where You See the Problem Behavior
Step back and look at the overall environment surrounding the kid.
Are they overstimulated with sensory input? Do they need a movement break or a brain break with proprioceptive input?
Or, are they being stimulated enough? I’ve watched kids who are bored act out frequently.
On the other hand, kids who are being challenged too much also act out. Are the demands too high? Could they be nervous? Do they need a calming deep pressure brain break? Or maybe they need to laugh to relieve stress.
I’ve had many kids whom I worked with look at me with such great relief when I ask, “This is pretty tricky for you, isn’t it?” (They were used to hearing “We went over this yesterday.”)
I had a student nearly tackle me with a hug during an evaluation when I acknowledged how hard he was working to write a sentence. Finally, someone saw his struggle.
A positive classroom environment that also ensures students are being challenged appropriately, has a great impact on academic success.
9. Assess Your Own Mood
As adults, we misbehave if WE are having a bad day! The stressors upon us are endless. Some days are worse than others.
I’m guilty of this one as a mom!
I’ve told my kids to “stop being so loud” many times when they’re just being kids (laughing and being silly) and not doing anything wrong. What has been wrong in the moment is that I’m stressed and want the room to be quiet!
Make sure that you’re not habitually getting frustrated with specific students’ behavior. The actions might just annoy you, and not necessarily be a disruptive behavior to the rest of the room.
And as stated previously, don’t let your emotions transfer to the kids.
There are several ways to say the same thing. Tone is very powerful. It’s important in building positive relationships with your students.
10. Be Sensitive to Student Struggles, Inside or Outside of School
Behavior is a form of communication.
Try to understand where their behavior is coming from with an unbiased, nonjudgmental perspective. One perspective that I’ve gained from working in homes is seeing every walk of life.
It doesn’t matter how big or small or clean a home is, there are many differences in how kids are treated. I’ve been in small homes that some people would consider gross and dirty. But they were full of love and compassion.
I’ve been in large homes full of beauty, luxury, and every toy and game imaginable. But they were cold and empty feeling.
And I’ve been around kids who are the happiest and sweetest; you’d never know they’ve come from so much trauma.
No matter a child’s situation, there are difficulties, pains, and struggles everywhere.
Kids who try to make others feel bad, often don’t feel that great inside. When we parent and work with kids, it’s important to acknowledge that every difficulty is real to them. Some problems are big and others are very small. But they’re all real to the person experiencing them.
Be aware that the child’s behavior is an attempt to communicate something. Maybe it’s not your job to find out exactly the reason. But you have the ability to let them know that you truly care about them.
All kids are special in their own unique way- it’s why we work with them! 🙂
Using the Behavior Management Strategies in the Classroom
Use these proactive tips as an effective way to support your classroom management system. Create your classroom rules at the beginning of the year. Focus on your positive relationships and desirable behaviors in your classroom.
Revisit these concepts throughout the school year for students. Also, use them as a reminder for yourself when you get into a rut when dealing with difficult situations. We all have dips in the road and need to step back and self-evaluate!
For more information and support with behavior management Develop Learn Grow offers products and courses.
Behavior Strategies for the Classroom
This product shares behavior strategies for the classroom with 12 preventative tips, 18 PDFs of strategies and additional tips for teachers. Forward the product link to parents and other professionals.
Classroom Exercise Program
This 8 week brain break program offers classroom exercises or exercises for small groups of students. It focuses on using sensory input to increase attention, as well as other motor skills needed for school.
Sensory Systems and Learning: Brain Boosting Sensory Activities for All Children
This 2 hour online course offers a certificate upon completion (and Act 48 Hours for Pennsylvania educators.) It discusses the 8 sensory systems in detail and their impact on development and learning.
The course shares 460+ sensory activities and 114 sensory strategies. In more detail, it offers:
- 140+ Sensory Activities for School Age Children, 22 Calming Activities, 22 Alerting Activities, 16 Environmental Strategies, and Screen Alternatives
- 133 Sensory Activities for Preschoolers, 24 Calming and Alerting Strategies, and Screen Alternatives
- 101 Sensory Activities for Toddlers, plus 27 Calming and Alerting Tricks
- 88 Sensory Activities for Babies, plus 25 Calming and Alerting Strategies
- Educator Resources for the Classroom
- Home Activities
Many children’s bodies lack movement input that stimulates and processes information in the sensory systems. This greatly impacts learning, attending, and behaving. This course has received great feedback from participants.
