Supporting Positive Behaviour in Children

Children and young people are constantly absorbing the world around them, learning from their previous experiences, and growing and developing every single day. As a teacher or support staff, you will play a key role in guiding them towards positive behaviour and helping them to become responsible and respectful citizens as adults.

Supporting this positive behaviour is not just about discipline, it is also about building the foundations for their future success and happiness. In this blog, we have collected some effective strategies for you to use in the classroom.

Build positive relationships in the classroom:

One of the key aspects in guiding children towards positive behaviour is building positive and trusting relationships with them. When a child feels comfortable, valued, and understood, they are more likely to cooperate and show positive behaviour. Taking the time to understand your students and their thoughts and showing them positivity and encouragement will put the building blocks of positive behaviour in place.

Open and honest communication:

Tying in with the previous suggestion, how you communicate with the students is so important in building that trust in you and encouraging positive behaviour. Encourage your students to express their feelings and concerns and use active listening techniques to make sure they are heard and feel validated.

Set clear expectations around behaviour:

Having clearly defined and easily understood expectations around behaviour is vital for supporting positive behaviour in children. Let the class know what behaviour is acceptable and what the consequences of their actions might be from the earliest possible point of your time with them and stick to this consistently. Your school setting might have its own standard expectations around this so try and work within this structure to maintain consistency across the school.

Reinforce positive behaviour:

Behaviour management is not just about negative consequences for unwanted behaviour, it is also vital to positively reinforce good behaviour as well. Immediate specific praise and encouragement after good behaviour quickly establishes the benefits of such behaviour to the class and also helps reduce any possible resentment between those who behave well and those who do not.

Time-outs and calm down strategies:

When a child is displaying challenging behaviour or is overwhelmed, providing them with a designated space to step away and take a time-out to calm themselves down can be a great way to manage behaviour without having to resort to punishment. This has the added benefit of building self-sufficiency and teaching self-regulation to the student which could help reduce these instances in the future.

Teach conflict management skills:

Teaching children how to handle conflicts and disagreements constructively can make a huge difference in the classroom. Try to encourage the students to use their words to express their feelings and needs and teach them how to actively listen and compromise to find a solution that works for all parties.

Supporting positive behaviour is an ongoing process throughout a student’s time in education and requires patience, empathy, and dedication from their teacher or support staff. By setting clear expectations, building trusting relationships and life skills, and ensuring they are provided with positive or negative feedback when necessary will help you to build a nurturing environment that promotes growth and well-being for each student in your care.