M4U5A1

 M4U5A1 - Applying classroom rules and procedures

I teach at an inclusive school where a large number of students have behavioral issues, and managing this behavior can either mean having an excellent lesson or a frustrating lesson. This post deals with the strategies that can influence or improve the classroom behavior of all our students.

Norms and procedures in my PE lessons

At the start of the school year, I discuss classroom agreements with all my classes. I tend to guide my students to share a common idea of the expectations in PE and consequences when breaking these rules. A general class agreement will look as follows:

1. Always wear your PE clothes and trainers
2. Stop, look and listen when you hear the whistle or signal
3. No pushing, pulling or name-calling
4. Respect the ideas and opinions of others
5. Always be ready to learn and try your best
   

In the Art and Science of Teaching (Marzano, 2010) we find the following statement, "When students do a good job at following rules and procedures, their willingness to be a positive influence in the class should be recognized and acknowledged. Conversely, when students do not follow classroom rules and procedures, their behavior that detracts from learning should be noted". Reflecting on my teaching practice below are some ideas I can include improving student behavior in PE.




Acknowledging adherence to rules and procedures through positive reinforcement
When a student follows the rules or performs a task correctly, I would give them a verbal or non-verbal praise which includes telling them that he/she did a good job or showing a thumbs up. At the end of the lesson, if the whole group were on task and well-behaved, I would tell them how proud I am of them and that they should also continue with their good behavior in class. Recognizing individual students at the end of a 6-week unit during assembly also motivates them to continue their exemplary behavior for the next unit.
Some of the strategies that I would like to implement would be using a points system to track weekly behavior and reward students with a privilege at the start of a new week. I can also send a letter or email to a student's parents informing them of their child's good behavior in PE.

Acknowledging the lack of adherence to rules and procedures
Some student behavior issues I encounter includes, not listening to instructions or staying on task and conversations among students at inappropriate times.
At the start of my lessons, I try to observe a class walking to the sports hall. I can then determine if I need to remind them of the rules and procedures in PE. Being proactive by asking the class TA about any incidences that happened in the previous class, helps me to curb any misbehavior or problems before they occur. I also try to occupy the entire hall, moving between students or groups and keeping an eye on students that might be off task. Staring at a particular student/group or tap on the shoulder can get them on task again. If I am unable to control a group, I will address the whole class about their behavior. My last resort is a time-out, but I am not always keen on using it as students miss valuable learning time. In many extreme cases, I have used group contingency, hoping that peer pressure would influence a student to improve their behavior. Otherwise, the whole class will miss out on 5-10 minutes of their learning time.

I have a student in Grade 1 who refuses to participate in most activities and would rather disturb other students. I have tried different teaching strategies to engage or challenge him but with little success. The best solution might be to involve his parents as most teachers are also finding it difficult to engage him in their lessons. "The purpose of this meeting or meetings is for all parties to agree on the specific negative behaviors that are to stop in class and the specific positive behaviors that are to be exhibited" (Marzano, 2010).

Even though at times we feel that we failed our students when it comes to managing behavior, don't give up. Some strategies will work for some teachers and might not work for others. The idea is to experiment and find what works with your students.

Reference
Marzano, R. J. (2010). The art and science of teaching: a comprehensive framework for effective instruction. Alexandria, Va: Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development.