The New Teacher´s Guide to Success

Matthew Haldeman
Chapter 4: Behavior Management

Ask any teacher what the most important part of teaching is
and the answer will almost always be classroom management or
behavior management. There is a crucial difference between
managing a classroom and disciplining a classroom. Managing
a classroom means creating a consistent structure for students;
this allows them to be productive and feel safe in their learning
environment. Discipline alone implies punishment and
control. Developing a management system that includes rules,
consequences, and rewards means that positive reinforcement
encourages good behavior, and negative behavior is a result of
students’ choices and is therefore treated with the appropriate
(and agreed-upon) consequences.
Rules
The first rule of rule-setting is this: Rules are not mean. They
are necessary.
Rules are necessary because they set boundaries. Your students
need to know what behavior is acceptable in your class and what
is not. More importantly, rules help other students in the class
feel safe and protected.
Classroom rules should be:
• short
• few in number
• in language students understand
• positive
• posted in your classroom
• distributed to students
• communicated to parents

Problematic Rules
• Try your best! (this is a motto)
• Raise your hand to use the bathroom! (this is a procedure)
• Don’t run! (negative)
• Listen! (too vague)
You can help your students view their actions as choices. If
students violate a rule, they have made a choice—they have
chosen to break a rule.
Some teachers like to have their students help them make up
the rules. They believe that this helps students take ownership
of the rules. If you choose to involve your students in developing
a set of classroom rules, it is usually a good idea to know ahead
of time what rules you are looking for. Then, you can help
guide your students’ thinking toward those rules while you are
brainstorming.
Either way, your students must agree that the rules are fair.
If they view the rules as fair, they will be more likely to follow
them.
My Classroom Rules
1.____________________________________________________
2.____________________________________________________
3.____________________________________________________
4.____________________________________________________
5.____________________________________________________

Possible Rules
• Always listen and talk respectfully to others.
• Keep your hands to yourself.
• Follow directions the first time they are given.
• Treat others as you would like to be treated.
Things to Consider
Where will you post your rules? ___________________________
Will you write them or will your students write them?
_____________________________________________________
How will you ensure that your students will follow the rules?
_____________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________
Can you think of any negative behaviors not covered by your
rules? What will you do if a student displays this type of
behavior?
_____________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________
Does your school have its own set of rules? How can you ensure
that your rules are not in conflict with the school rules?
_____________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________

Do your rules apply to behavior on the playground, in the
cafeteria, and in the hallway, or are they only for the classroom?
_____________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________
Will other teachers who teach your class have a different set of
rules? How will you help your students distinguish between the
two?
This is something you might want to discuss with the other
teachers ahead of time. Often, teachers who have the same class
get together and adopt a universal set of rules.
_____________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________
Are your rules:
• short? _______________
• few in number?_______________
• easy for students to understand? _______________
• positive? _______________
• posted in your classroom? _______________

“The standards in any classroom are
defined by whatever the student can get
away with.”
—Fred Jones

Consequences
When a student breaks a rule, there must be a consequence
for that action. If there is a posted consequence and the teacher
is consistent in following through, then the student who breaks a
rule has no reason to be angry with the teacher. He or she has
chosen to break a rule and must accept the consequences.
Students will only accept your system of consequences if they
are consistent and logical. If you do not apply your consequences
to every student in every situation, you will be accused of
favoritism. If your consequences are not logical, students will
also not accept them.
Most consequences are for the individual student, but some
involve the entire class. For instance, some teachers tell their
students that if they cannot walk down the hallway without
talking, they will go back and do it again. In this case, if one
student misbehaves, the whole class accepts the consequence.
This method allows you to use the influence of students’ peers to
obtain a positive result.
As you write your consequences, make sure they are things
you are willing to carry out every day, or even several times a day
if necessary. You may also want to enlist your students’ help in
coming up with consequences.
First-year teachers may be tempted to ease up on consequences
because they want to be liked by their students. In reality, failure
to deliver on your consequences will more often make you
look lenient and incompetent. It is important to establish and
maintain a relationship of mutual respect between you and your
students; this is largely accomplished by following through with
consequences.

My Consequences

1._______________________
2._______________________
3._______________________
4._______________________
5._______________________
6.______________________
7.______________________
8.______________________
9.______________________
10.______________________
Possible Consequences
time-out be the last to leave warning
write a note of
apology loss of recess clean the room
after-school detention suspension redo the task
in-class detention expulsion note home
a phone call home loss of reward
principal’s office redo the assignment
Things to Consider
How can you convince your students that your system of
consequences is logical?
Whether they come up with the consequences themselves or you
simply explain it to them, your students need to believe in your
system.
_____________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________

How can you administer your consequences without breaking the
flow of your lesson?
It is important that you can deal with minor problems while
still teaching. Some teachers place checks by students’ names
or move cards with their names on them. Just be sure you have
already established what the consequences are. These methods
have the same end result: the student is disciplined with minimal
disruption to the class.
_____________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________
How can you ensure that you have the support of the
administration?
_____________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________
How can you ensure you have parental support?
Consider sending home a letter outlining your classroom rules and
consequences to enlist support from parents. Be sure to include a
space for both the parent and the student to sign, signifying that
they have read and understand all the rules. You might also have
students create their own list of the class rules. This way, they
can keep it with them as a reminder of the behavior that will help
them succeed. You can also make phone calls to parents in place
of a letter.
_____________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________

What will you do if your system of consequences is not working
for the class?
_____________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________
What will you do if your system of consequences is not working
for one student?
Some students may not care about any of your consequences or
may decide that the thrill they get from breaking your rules is
worth the consequences. Some teachers create individualized
action plans for those students who are immune to the classroom
consequences. These plans are a personalized system of rewards
and consequences for the individual. Individual action plans
can include any number of the following: independent work in
lieu of group work, a letter home, a student progress form, work/
behavior contract, or notice of missing/overdue work. Be sure to
include a space for parent signatures when appropriate.
_____________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________

Rewards

Almost all teachers have some system of consequences in their
classrooms. Also consider a reward system. Students respond
favorably to rewards for good behavior. When you recognize good
behavior and point it out, you encourage more good behavior.
Some teachers believe that the only rewards a student should
strive for are good grades and a pat on the back. They insist that
by offering incentives such as stickers, food, free time, trips, and
parties, we are simply bribing our students to do well.
However, other teachers use systems of rewards very effectively.
They believe that if they are going to have a system of consequences
when students behave poorly, they also need to have a system of
rewards when students behave well. Furthermore, these teachers
often find creative ways to offer rewards without spending very
much time or money.
My Rewards
Individual
1.____________________________________________________
2.____________________________________________________
3.____________________________________________________
4.____________________________________________________
Classroom
1.____________________________________________________
2.____________________________________________________
3.____________________________________________________
4.____________________________________________________

One of the simplest and most effective ways to reward students
is with positive reinforcement, or verbal praise. The following
are examples of different ways to use verbal praise with your
students:

• I like the way you handled that.
• I’m glad you enjoy learning.
• I’m glad you are pleased with this.
• It looks as if you enjoyed doing this.
• Wow! Your effort really shows here.
• I have confidence in you.
• Thanks, you helped a lot.
• It was thoughtful of you to…
• Thanks, you just made my job a lot easier.
• You have a knack for…
• You do a good job of…
• I really enjoyed working with you. Thanks!
• You have really improved in…
• Keep up the good work.
You can also give praise in the form of certificates, awards,
and tickets. These may include paper bookmarks, certificates of
appreciation or completed work, and complimentary tickets that
can later be exchanged for small prizes.
Things to Consider
Do you plan to have a system of rewards? Why or why not?
_____________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________

How will you make sure you don’t break the bank?
An easy way to avoid spending a lot of money is to give out tickets
for a drawing so you only have to buy one prize. Think creatively
about awards you can give out that cost little to no money.
_____________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________
How will you make sure you don’t spend too much time on
rewards?
Again, be creative. Often, younger students enjoy doing tasks
such as sorting papers, cleaning your room, or taking notes down
to the office. If this is the case, your rewards system can actually
help save you time.
_____________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________
Will you use individual rewards, group rewards, or both?
One added advantage of group awards is positive peer influence.
Students will work hard to keep their classmates on track.
_____________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________

How will you inform parents that their child has received an
award?
Try to let parents know when their child has done something
positive. If they hear about the positive things, they will be more
receptive to listening when you call about poor behavior. You
might consider sending certificates home to inform parents of
goals reached and/or good behavior.
_____________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________
Will rewards be given out for specific actions, or just randomly?
Some teachers simply give out rewards at random. Other
teachers outline very specifically what students need to do in
order to earn a reward. Refer to the Rewards section (pages
49–51) for examples.
_____________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________

Coming soon: Chapter 5: Time Management

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