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Behaviour management charts in primary school

113 replies

foggyoutside · 07/02/2023 08:52

My child's school uses behaviour management charts (a rainbow, sun, cloud type system or traffic lights with kids moving up and down throughout the day depending on behaviour) and the more I read about them the more I would like the system to change.. I wondered if anyone's school has moved away from them and what they do instead? I want to talk to school about it but be able to suggest alternatives and not just articulate why I think the chart is wrong!

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Margo34 · 07/02/2023 18:53

@noblegiraffe Suggesting that any teacher might just sit there while a kid smashed windows is even more batshit which is why I was surprised you gave that impression of yourself. As I said, I was worried for a moment.

noblegiraffe · 07/02/2023 18:59

OP, those articles are, from what I can see, just a bunch of biased 'I don't like them' opinion pieces, some about pre-school kids, rather than anything constructive.

Interested in this thread?

Then you might like threads about this subject:

anya21 · 07/02/2023 19:11

Margo34 · 07/02/2023 17:27

In response to a behaviour that might be managed on an 'up and down' behaviour chart, as this thread is reflecting on, then yes. It's pretty standard. Extreme behaviours such as in the example I gave, are not always standard and would still need to be managed in an appropriate way alongside the other children, not forgetting the rest of the class. It sounds almost like you yourself would not manage this extreme behaviour or the other children in this situation? Hopefully you wouldn't ignore it.

You sound like you're exhausted of the profession (if indeed you're still active in it) like many teachers currently are. Like I said before, happy to continue the discussion with you but let's not digress. Otherwise, enjoy your evening.

I am sorry Margo, but you are so full of bullshit! A child is throwing tables and you are telling us te rest of the class sat quietly working!
For one thing they were in imminent danger of flying tables and broken glass everywhere, let alone how terrified they would be . The classroom needed evacuating by the other adults and the child restrained for his(or her) own safety. If this is even half true , you are utterly bonkers and have too little common sense to be in charge of childen. I would 1000x rather have NobleGiraffe teaching any child i may have, than you

Margo34 · 07/02/2023 19:35

anya21 · 07/02/2023 19:11

I am sorry Margo, but you are so full of bullshit! A child is throwing tables and you are telling us te rest of the class sat quietly working!
For one thing they were in imminent danger of flying tables and broken glass everywhere, let alone how terrified they would be . The classroom needed evacuating by the other adults and the child restrained for his(or her) own safety. If this is even half true , you are utterly bonkers and have too little common sense to be in charge of childen. I would 1000x rather have NobleGiraffe teaching any child i may have, than you

Don't put words in my mouth, I didn't expand on what actions I took. I never said broken glass was everywhere, or that the class were sat quietly learning either. That wouldn't be managing anyone's safety/behaviour/learning then, would it? 😂 For what it's worth as an aside, classroom windows are safety reinforced. Even in older school buildings, as one of the many risk assessments. Obviously that doesn't excuse any child's extreme behaviour or make it acceptable, before anyone else comes along like yourself or Noblegiraffe and sticks extra words in again, that's when batshit sets in.

anya21 · 07/02/2023 19:40

Margo34 · 07/02/2023 19:35

Don't put words in my mouth, I didn't expand on what actions I took. I never said broken glass was everywhere, or that the class were sat quietly learning either. That wouldn't be managing anyone's safety/behaviour/learning then, would it? 😂 For what it's worth as an aside, classroom windows are safety reinforced. Even in older school buildings, as one of the many risk assessments. Obviously that doesn't excuse any child's extreme behaviour or make it acceptable, before anyone else comes along like yourself or Noblegiraffe and sticks extra words in again, that's when batshit sets in.

You said , 'I'm one of those primary colleagues who has had windows smashed by 5yos throwing a table through the window yet still managed to facilitate learning'

Margo34 · 07/02/2023 19:49

@anya21 correct. You'll also note I didn't expand on it - other posters have.

EdithGrantham · 08/02/2023 07:37

DH is a prison officer, they are not allowed to use a board on display to keep track of which prisoners they are giving a warning to because it is shame based punishment which is not allowed. Why are we treating prisoners with more respect than children?

itsgettingweird · 08/02/2023 07:47

My sons school used this. He's now 18!

Hated it then and hated it now.

Mainly hated it because you could go up from the sun to rainbow.
You could go down to cloud, grey cloud and then black cloud.

I don't disagree with charts and visuals at all. They are very helpful in motivating and reminding children to adhere to expectations.

But imo they should be balanced. You shouldn't be able to keep doing wrong without the opportunity to equally keep getting it right.

However it maybe how the year R teacher used it. She would move children up very infrequently and wouldn't move them at all for behaving. She would however move just turned 4 yo down for doing things a 4yo would be expected to do without any sort of chance to improve.

One example being the HT asked pupils in assembly what the picture she has was of. Stood right in front of my ds (4yrs and 3 weeks old) he assumed she was asking him directly and answered her without putting his hand up.
He went down to cloud when back in class.
Then it was wet play and because he was in trouble spent the whole break tidying up the bookshelf instead of playing to try and go back to the sun.
When teacher returned to class she told them tidy up time. He went to tell her and got moved down to the grey cloud because he went to talk to her instead of tidying up (the toys he hadn't played with).

As you can tell it bothers me over 14 years later and sadly it shaped his first year of school and by Christmas was asking me why he was such a bad boy. Sad

I'm a strict parent! I expect children to behave. But you have to balance out expectations with the praise and reward and time to listen to encourage the behaviours you want to see.

A solely punitive approach doesn't work.

fUNNYfACE36 · 08/02/2023 11:20

One example being the HT asked pupils in assembly what the picture she has was of. Stood right in front of my ds (4yrs and 3 weeks old) he assumed she was asking him directly and answered her without putting his hand up.
He went down to cloud when back in class.
Then it was wet play and because he was in trouble spent the whole break tidying up the bookshelf instead of playing to try and go back to the sun.
When teacher returned to class she told them tidy up time. He went to tell her and got moved down to the grey cloud because he went to talk to her instead of tidying up (the toys he hadn't played with)*
Well that was his narrative!

CharmedUndead · 08/02/2023 13:42

Why is @Margo34 such an ineffective teacher that someone smashed a window in her class? I hope she didn't pause teaching phonics as she sorted that out. Unacceptable.

foggyoutside · 08/02/2023 13:47

So I emailed the school. Head called me 5 mins later and said the charts are already in process of being gotten rid of, he dislikes them also. They are just writing new policies and he told me they are already following therapeutic approach. Great!

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fuckaroo · 08/02/2023 13:59

My dc school uses something like this but good at top, silver, green, orange, red. At end of week if they have remained on gold or silver they get a prize (usually a little pack of haribo or moam )

And if they're on red for 2 consistent days they have a chat with the parents.

At registration they ask each child how they are feeling if the response is "sad, angry, upset" the child gets the opportunity to speak to another teacher outside the class away from all to tell them the reason and the teacher resolves it as best as they can which I think is a nice idea

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