How does everyone feel about traffic light behaviour management?

[themightyfandango]

My DCs school uses this system. Up until this year it was just flash cards but now they have charts on the wall with every childs photo, if they manage to stay in green for a period of time they get a reward.

I have a child with SN (ASD) who is regularly in and out of amber and the occasional red and I have found since this new less discreet system has been introduced it seems to have made his behaviour more of an issue amongst his peers and other parents (evidence is on the wall for everyone to see).

Whilst I'm not suggesting my DC should be allowed to do as he pleases, the old system worked well and didn't make a massive deal out of it.

IMO children will do well and behave well if they are able, if they don't it is usually because of a barrier- special needs, family problems etc... for a lot of the children staying on green will be as natural as breathing. For the most part it will be the same kids negatively highlighted for their behaviour week after week.

I doubt my DC will ever be able to sustain appropriate behaviour for long enough to be rewarded in fact his behaviour seems to be worse since they introduced this.

I feel that for some kids using this as a one size fits all approach is probably a breach of the DDA.

I am interested in opinions as I am going to discuss this with the senco at our next meeting.

I am just wondeering why kids photos on the red traffic light is so much worse thantheir name?

To quote Mr Spock 'the needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few'

What a strange comment to make, spiderpig8. What should we do with children who have special educational needs/disabilities? Don't you think that we should be supporting them? Do you think it's their fault? Do you think their needs should not be met by the school they go to?

I agree that there is a budget issue, but im my limited experience, children with bad behaviour take a lot of the time of the TAs compared to the children with disabilities or SENs.

I agree with quite a few points on here - if some children are always on red then it isn't really achieving anything. My school has stopped using systems like this and while I find that slightly frustrating (explained below) I do like the opportunity to use different systems and to make it individual for some children.

However, from a teacher's point of view I ask you to remember this: the teacher is trying to be fair. It isn't a 'name and shame' thing, just a visual reminder of who is where. If the teacher can't remember who's on one warning and whos not then you risk punishing children when you shouldn't and not punishing when you should.

They are also attempting to teach the children 'one rule for everyone' of course, in reality, we know that different children have different abilities with behaviour but this is very difficult for children to understand. As soon as some children don't have to follow the rules then other children start to question 'why should I?' Ultimately this is how our society works. Beyond very low IQ and mental illness, if you commit a crime then you are tried and sentenced. More importantly and more relevant for most children, this is also how it works in work places - if you are constantly late, not dressed right, not doing your job then you would be disciplined.

Your children are the centre of your world and so they should be. But a teacher has 25 + (sometimes 30 +). Behaviour management is partly about crowd control, treating the class as an entity. It has to be.

When children have SEN I would say they need additional behaviour management, sticker charts and so on but as far as possible they should be on the same system as everyone else. Yes a child might often be on red, giving a clear message tpo other children that their behaviour is not acceptable, but at the same time they can redeem the situation with their own chart - they might have been naughty ealier but if they are good for 20 mins they get a sticker.
Think about the times when your dcs say 'x is always naughty and Miss never does anything' - its no win situation sometimes. You punish and you're cruel, you don't punish and you're favouring or treating some children differently.

Finally - whoever said criminals don't get treated like this - yes they do! If you are sentenced you're in the local paper. Your picture will be on the local news if your crime is news worthy. If you go to court (magistrate or crown) your name is placed on the court list which any British citizen has the right to walk into a court and see placed on the wall (I used to volunteer in a court so I know that for a fact). I think using names rather than pictures would be more subtle but having names on the wall, as well as being fair, assures that children are taking responsibility and seeing justice done.

There are a variety of behaviour management techniques, I'm not saying this is the best one. But I don't think its as cruel or shaming as people are making out. And OP - certainly discuss this with the SENCO. Your child may well need their own system and I think certainly needs some more encouragement.

re the difference to names as to photos, well in reception class for example, not all the children will be able to read, so a list of names, particularly if its done by surname as ours was, means the children or more to the point other parents! dont automatically know who is who on the list, but the teachers do and the child will know/be told what colour they are on.

our school now operates a 'house' sytem all the children in the school are divided into four houses and they can earn housepoints and they also have a 'heads high reward' bronze, silver, gold that the children can work towards and in assemblies they mention children who have done well, it may be that someon has been kind to a reception child, or is takirn turns well or tidies up well, or has done some really good work, or tried hard, but they are just 'merit' awards and you can get them for anything so it doesnt single out kids who find it hard, they can get them for all sorts of little things if the teacher thinks they deserve it. this seems to work well.

oh and the whole school has a chart on, that has 5 levels, each time the headteacher is proud/pleased with the children he can move them up a level and they get a treat when they reach the top, this might be a little party in each class or a picnic, or to have an extra playtime etc so he gave them one because they all did really well on sports day even tho it rained. or becasue they all helped make things to sell at the craft fair, or the cloakrooms are all being kept tidy etc, the children seem to respond really well to this type of reward system.

i think rewards systems are good as long as they are made achievable for ALL children :)

I think one of the problems is that they can't possibly be 'fair'.

I have 2 children and can't keep tabs on who starts something at home so, with the best will in the world, a teacher and TA can't possibly keep tabs on 30 kids.