Depending on the class you have and what subject you are teaching, different behaviour tools will be used to combat the various personalities. Do you use the classic behaviour tools? Do you try to reinvent the wheel a bit too often? It has been shown that the classics still work, but what do you think of these?
Noise Levels – students need to be taught how loud they can be at certain times of the lesson. For example, when the teacher is explaining a problem compared to letting small groups work out the problem. Perhaps using a level system on the board in front of the class to demonstrate how loud a class can be, levels 1- 5 for example where 1 is ‘total silence’ to 5 is ‘outside classroom noise.’
Non-Verbal Cues – Noises that can be used in the classroom that signal one transition to another. I, for example, once had a biology teacher who played calming music during group activities, then gradually increasing the volume which meant the group learning was coming to an end.
Routine – this is vital to keep students calm and precision is key. Anything can go wrong in a classroom, especially is there is a high proportion of SEND. Being prepared with a good lesson plan, ensuring all resources are labelled clearly and organisation is high; this will remove a lot of behaviour.
What behaviour tools do you use in the classroom?