Year 6 teachers - behaviour management tips?!

[Caz10]

Badly needed as I feel yr6 are getting the better of me. They are a class known for their challenging behaviour, unfortunately management support is really poor. Loss of golden time is the main sanction - which they obviously couldn't care less about! Can anyone send me a virtual magic wand?!

4 weeks to go, are you thinking about next year? Because it's a bit late now.
Best thing I can recommend is to think of really interesting activities that engage them and are short but effective.
Not getting into a head to head argument situation and staying calm and focused on exactly what you want to happen, exactly what the problem is and having a plan as to how the problem could be solved.
Conflict avoidance through being pre-emptive and positive.

Are there any end of year celebrations you can use as a carrot / stick.

Every year our bowling trip and BBQ evening are in the last week and are used as bargaining chips. Head comes in about now and reminds children of expected behaviour and he has no qualms about refusing entry to either event. Has past precedent.

This is the only way we have that found works.

Praise the good to the hilt.

Be firm and fair. Don't get drawn into arguments.

I have some reflection sheets that my kids fill out if there is a problem. If it has been an argument, then it gives the children time to calm down when they fill it in and they we discuss it calmly. It is also a record of what happens.

I've also had to bring in the rule for mine that if there is any poor behaviour at playtime, they miss the next playtime. Also, if they are badly behaved in class, they miss the next playtime and fill in a reflection sheet that asks them to say what they were doing and why.

It seems to be working. :) (And my class are the rogues of the school!)

Since there isn't long to go set up some fun things for the end of term-put marbles in the jar to earn them. Don't take any out but don't put them in if not earned. Get them to suggest some fun things that they want to do.

Thanks all! Yes the current lot are wild but I am really thinking of next year. The incoming class have a lot of aggression problems, name calling, personal attacks etc it all gets heated very quickly. I find it quite an intimidating atmosphere tbh. I am known normally for being ok with difficult classes but this lot are looking unmanageable

Can anyone send me a virtual magic wand?!

No but I can suggest a visit to a magic shop. Light up thumb tips distract teenagers so they forget about what they are doing and ask "What's that miss?" - I don't see why it wouldn't work with younger pupils.

Actually if you learn a couple of magic tricks over the summer you could do a demonstration in the morning and if behaviour is good enough you will teach it to them in goldent time.

There are some really simple card tricks.

My advice was only for the last few weeks - it is quite different at the start of the year.
Get a rigid seating plan from the start. Keep things very simple, don't have lessons with a lot of movement. You can lighten up afterwards. My DS was in a class like that once and he got rather fed up because they missed things like PE because they got changed back, had to walk back to the classroom etc when they misbehaved. It took a few weeks until they got the message but then he had one of his best years and the teacher was a favourite with all because he was able to lighten up. He followed everything through.
Never give them a moment of not knowing what to do - e.g handwriting practise while you take the register.
Talk to the management - they must know it is a difficult class- see if they can get a supportive policy - it is very difficult on your own.
Discuss GoldenTime with them from the start as to what they like doing - so that perhaps they don't want to miss it.
Good luck.

Good behaviour lottery works well - if someone does something great or is particularly helpful etc, name goes on a raffle ticket in a tin: after 2 weeks or so draw a ticket and pick a prize from a stash you have. Works on a Hunger Games principle, the better you are, the more chances you'll get.

And be consistent, consistent, consistent.

Are their parents basically supportive? Get them on side - call home/ speak to them lots. Never ring to moan about a kid without promising to call again when there is something positive to report - kids and parents appreciate this.

They like a raffle and it does work wonders if they come in from play and you just silently hand a ticket to the first to be sitting quietly. They realise that they are more likely to win if they have more tickets in but that even if they only have one they are in with a chance. You never have to say 'you can have a ticket if........' you just silently hand it out and they notice the good.

I just had little things like novelty rubbers etc.

I wonder if you teach my son? Him and his friends are behaving really badly. One of the kids were suspended yesterday.

Are you telling the parents? My son's teachers never tell me that he's good at staying on the right side of naughty by only doing low level naughty behaviour. He reckons that she is too scared to tell parents what their kids are really like.(No idea where he got that idea from?)

Thanks all! Parents are a big part of the problem unfortunately, lots of squabbling and issues between families, which get rehashed in the class. Poor attendance on parents' night etc.
Like the raffle idea! I find it hard to accept that these disruptive ones get all the time and attention spent on them- must remember to put tickets in for the quiet ones who just keep their heads down and get on with it.
Feel sick at the thought of them!!

Give the tickets to the quiet ones. Do the raffle every Friday. I did it with a difficult class just for a term that I had them. Asked what they liked best at the end of the year they said 'exotic's raffle'! The best thing is that you don't have to say anything-just silently hand out tickets. (I only ever did it with that particular class-they were difficult)

Generally I don't really approve of that sort of thing, but if you have no backing from management you have to do whatever works!

Glue yourself to that phone and call parents/guardians of ringleaders every time there is an incident. Be super nice but make yourself a nuisance. Do it as quickly as possible after the incident.
Inform children whose parents you will be calling.

Identify ringleaders and give them extra responsibilities.

And, since it's the end of term, plan nice activities and have a vote on favourite music and have some sessions playing music in the backround. Throw in some classical music! Obviously check for content first if it's their choice!

Plan drama activities.

This all worked for me, but it was a NIGHTMARE yr 8 class, never taught yr6