How can teachers increase the chances that their students will behave appropriately?

Page 8: Develop a Comprehensive Classroom Behavior Management Plan

teacher at desk

Finally, teachers can prevent or minimize disruptive behaviors by creating a comprehensive classroom behavior management plan. Such a plan explicitly communicates to students (and their families) both how students are expected to behave and the consequences for not doing so. It also serves as a guide for the teacher to respond objectively to appropriate and inappropriate behavior. When they develop a comprehensive classroom behavior management plan, teachers should take care to incorporate the core components described in the table below.

Keep hands and feet to yourself.
Follow all directions the first time given.

A description of the steps required for students to successfully or correctly complete common daily routines (e.g., going to the restroom, turning in homework) and less-frequent activities (e.g., responding to fire drills)

Going to the restroom:

Raise your hand to ask permission
Take the hall pass
Go directly to the restroom
Return quickly and quietly
Return the hall pass and resume working

Consequences

Actions teachers take to respond to both appropriate and inappropriate student behavior

Keep in Mind: It is more effective to employ positive classroom behavior management strategies to increase appropriate behaviors than to provide negative consequences to address inappropriate ones. (Key Principle: Focusing on the Positive Is Powerful)

Appropriate behavior: sticker, student of the week
Inappropriate behavior: warning, office referral

Action Plan

A well-thought-out timeline of how to implement the comprehensive classroom behavior management plan. It includes what needs to be done, how it will be done, and when it will be accomplished.

What: Post rules

How: Create a bulletin board for rules

When: Prior to the start of school

Crisis Plan

Explicit steps for obtaining immediate assistance for serious behavioral situations

crisis behavior card

An object used to inform office or other school personnel that a behavior crisis is underway. It should contain the teacher’s name and room number so that school personnel can respond quickly.

Send a student to the office with a crisis behavior card.
Send the rest of the class to Mrs. Dawkins’ room.
If possible, help the student in crisis to reestablish self-control.
Bring the rest of the students back to class once the crisis has been addressed.
Notify parents of incident.

Teachers should develop a comprehensive classroom behavior management plan at the beginning of or prior to the beginning of the school year (Key Principle: Early Planning Pays Off). During the first few days of school, the teacher should take time to explicitly teach her students the classroom rules and procedures, making sure to indicate the consequences both for observing and violating those rules and procedures. Doing so helps students learn what behaviors are acceptable and minimizes disruptive behaviors. If the plan is to be effective, a teacher must apply these components in a consistent, well-thought-out fashion (Key Principle: Consistency is Essential).

To learn more about each of these components in more detail and to develop your own comprehensive classroom behavior management plan, visit the following IRIS Modules.

Classroom Behavior Management (Part 2, Elementary): Developing a Comprehensive Behavior Management Plan
Classroom Behavior Management (Part 2, Secondary): Developing a Comprehensive Behavior Management Plan

The IRIS Center Peabody College Vanderbilt University Nashville, TN 37203 [email protected]. The IRIS Center is funded through a cooperative agreement with the U.S. Department of Education, Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP) Grant #H325E220001. The contents of this website do not necessarily represent the policy of the U.S. Department of Education, and you should not assume endorsement by the Federal Government. Project Officer, Sarah Allen.

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