Behaviour and effective behaviour management can often leave you at your wits’ end; pencils are whizzing past your ears, someone’s standing on the table and you could swear that the portal to the Underworld has opened in your classroom.

• Don’t shout – Shouting or raising your voice generally encourages students to do the same and is a sign you’ve lost control.
• Maintain eye contact – The student will more readily realise you’re speaking directly to them if you do,  and will be more likely to respond to your request.
• Don’t make it personal – Don’t give into your base instincts and resort to making any personal attacks. Keep your comments focused on the student’s behaviour and actions.
• Audience – Remove the main culprit from their audience – speak to them in the corridor. If it’s more than one, take them outside one by one. They will generally comply and be more reasonable this way.
• Humour – Do try and maintain a sense of humour. Students will respond to you much more willingly if they see you as a real person. Don’t be afraid to let your real personality show.

Do you have any other awesome suggestions for effective behaviour management strategies?

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You might also want to read:
Be Yourself: Should There Be Behaviour Expectations on Teachers?