Teaching

[needsomehelpsometimes]

So, I am currently doing my PGCE. I am really struggling with my behaviour management within the classroom. This has never happened before!
Previously I have been a TA in different schools working with children with challenging behaviours.
However, I seem to be really struggling. At the school I'm at currently I feel really uncomfortable. I've been made to feel like an impostor and that the class I am with isn't mine.
I struggle with my confidence and mental health but always have felt comfortable before with managing all sorts of behaviour!
I hope all this makes sense and I am really hoping to have some advice. I am only at this placement until Christmas but there is a chance I could be going back later on in the year. I have requested not to go back to this school at all! But for the mean time I am really struggling to the point where I am crying every night because I am stressed.

Also focus on positive ways to manage behaviour. Praise children who are listening. Have your own reward system if you’re allowed e.g punch cards or a pompom jar.

As they’re in Year 3 they should like the novelty of something and someone different so try to think of something fun.

Set them a secret mission. Give them 5 cubes and tell them their mission is to keep them. Remove cubes when they show the behaviour you don't want. Removal of all cubes results in sanctions eg moving zones. Lots of praise when you catch them doing the tiniest positive thing.

Gah to the death of the TES forums They were fab!

I would honestly say that one of the best ways to deal with this kind of character in the primary class room is to move around and stand next to them as you deliver your input/instructions.

If there are several, drift between them and pause at each one. A child who has the cojones to continue with low level disruption whilst their teacher is standing next to them is an impressive one!

How long have you been with the class? How long is your placement at this school? You mention ‘they don’t feel like your class yet’….. my student has only been with me three weeks so I wouldn’t expect them to feel that way. While my student is taking while lessons the pupils are still fully aware that I’m there and look to me for clarification. They won’t feel like your students until they are actually your class for the year!

What is the schools behaviour policy?

Teacher training is brutal and, yes, there is that element of it not really being your class and the kids know it, so they play up sometimes.

It's a bit of a case of 'fake it til you make it'. Kids are, and I say this with tongue in cheek (although it's true!) like dogs - they can smell the fear!!

Best advice I could give is to use the school behavioural policy effectively, only say things if you're prepared to see it through and, most importantly, try to show them you care about them.

Try a bit of praise. Do a quiz with some stupid questions in and throw some sweets around the room. Hand out lots of rewards.

It sounds like you're in a really negative space and it will feed into every lesson.

YOU are the weather in the classroom. If you enter with a frown, you're going to have to brave a storm.

Find the tiniest thing to praise the disruptive ones with. And praise as soon as they enter. Get them hungry for more. Praise the sensible ones. Try a day with no 'telling off' if you can, try a week (assuming not violence or hurting others). Involve the children in the behavior management. I'd also try stuff like no hands up day- introduce it to the kids as something new and fun. Get them to create the rules- so how will we make sure we don't all talk over each other? Encourage more group work even if using big paper and post it notes rather than just talking

And get rid of behaviours charts!

Agree wait for silence, but you have to do it actively. Walk around the space to the noisy ones and do something subtle to let them know you're right there and aware of them, like put your pen or post its down next to them or a little tap on the table beside them. Own the space! Fake it til you make it springs to mind. Praise those making good choices. Give them a countdown and tell them what you expect "I'm going to count down from 5 and I want you to be ready to listen when I get to zero. 5, 4, your pen/pencil should be down now....3, you should be sitting on your bottom...2...your lips should be still now....1, eyes looking this way now thank you, 0 we're ready." Challenge them to be quicker next time and ready before you get to 0. Be OTT with praise: public praise! Move them up the zones publicly tell the whole class why little Johnny is moving up (something you want others to do too), and make sure any warnings and moving down a zone is done privately/quietly as possible and only with the child in question. Move them back up a zone publicly as soon as you can.
Be a broken record for consistency.

Behaviour management as a PGCE/NQT/ECT is HARD. Observe as many colleagues as you can and ask your mentor for help/guidance - they should definitely be stepping in here.

Also, if you can take the learning outside. If you want a behaviour strategy then a group marble jar would be better as the good ones will help to build it up then when the disruptive things do something positive (even if just handing out exercise books that you ask them to) you award them a marble. What schemes are you using for maths/English?

How's your voice projection? I think a lot of early career teachers struggle to be heard above the rabble of a class. Have a look at some voice strengthening techniques. On the subject of voice, make sure you're varying your tone. I play around with mine a lot, really exaggerated and aninated at times but effective as it keeps them listening.
I point out negatives straight away and praise when they correct their behaviour. For example, if we're having a discussion in class and a child is giving their answer but someone else talks/shouts out....
'Oooo sorry x, pause there a second as y is talking.' (They usually stop straight away at this point 😅)
'Sorry x, carry on....'
This is good for giving child y a moment to acknowledge their behavior.
I have a similar approach to shouting out without putting their hand up too. Without looking at the child I say no thank you, we're not shouting out and brush quickly onto a child that has out their hand up. First thing out of my mouth to the child with their hand up is 'thank you for putting your hand up z...'
The child shouting out usually immediately puts their hand up instead of shouting out 😅 its all mind games but it's effective!
I think the key is to not stop your teaching to look at them and address the behaviour if it's low level stuff like shouting out. Your responses are important and facial expressions are also invaluable.