Behaviour management

Inappropriate and challenging behaviour in classrooms is almost inevitable. In some schools this will be more challenging than in others, but in every classroom, there will be some bad behaviour that has to be prevented. It has to be stopped on one level because it is debilitating, stressful and exhausting for teachers and teaching assistants to be constantly challenged by poor attitudes and behaviour. On another level, it cannot be allowed to go unchecked because it prevents pupils from learning. Preventing inappropriate behaviour is about developing consistent systems of control, having high expectations and developing pupils’ own positive attitudes. It is also concerned with making sure that all pupils are part of the teaching and learning activities that are taking place, that they are all accessing the curriculum and that they all feel as positive as possible about each lesson and each activity. Teaching assistants need a whole range of control techniques and many of them are illustrated in the training sessions in this area, although this is not a comprehensive training guide.