Working as a CRT can certainly be challenging at times if students test their new teacher. They can prod and probe to find out if they can wind the teacher up by asking questions, misbehaving and pushing the limits.
Here are a few strategies that can support you in dealing with challenging behaviour and preventing these behaviours before they could happen.
Expectations
A lot of schools will have their own set of expectations but if they don’t, it is imperative that you set these from the start of the day. A list of classroom rules on the wall that can be referred to throughout the day can be your greatest ally.
https://sites.google.com/a/sc.k12.mo.us/eshome/classroom-pride-expectations/classroomexpectnew.png
Consistency
Ensure that you are always being consistent with the classroom rules. If you reprimand a student for speaking over another student but then allow it to happen later without acknowledging it, you can cause confusion and the children do not know where they stand. It can be easy to let off a well-behaved child who makes one mistake, but it’s important that message is consistent across the class as if children believe there is favouritism, issues can arise.
Activity
Be active! Wander around the classroom! This is a great form of summative assessment that can really dismantle any potential behaviour issues. You will find out if children are finding the work difficult or have completed the work and need extension. Children will misbehave if they cannot access the work or are not being challenged enough. It also gives you the opportunity to build rapport with the children.
Rapport
Building positive rapport has a huge impact on whether children will behave for you. There are many ways you can build this with children, such as getting to know their names quickly and finding out their personal interests. You may just find out the footy team that someone supports but the next time you go to that school and mention it, that child will instantly feel better knowing that you’ve taken an interest in them.
Differentiation
As mentioned in the activity section, it is so important that children are able to complete their work. If the task is too challenging or too easy, children won’t be interested and will find other things to fill their time.
Rewards and Recognition
Praise the children for doing the right thing and making effort. Focus on the children who are behaving well and comment on this. Children are more likely to copy this behaviour as they will want the attention on them.
There are other ways you can improve the behaviour of children in your classroom and if you have any ideas or practices that you put in place, please let me know!
