So now you know how to set expectations, but what do you do when your kids start acting up? Here’s 5  tips on how to respond to misbehaviour positively.

5 strategies for responding to misbehaviour positively. 

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Responding to Behaviour

Before you try and enforce expectations it is essential that you’ve first actually explicitly taught them to your students. In my last post I showed you how to do this and also recommend five, simple catch-all rules that will help you to maintain your classroom behaviour. You don’t make it too complex, just need to be able to enforce it consistently. So, if you haven’t read that article, click here and make sure you check it out.

Ok now that you’re all caught up and you know how to set expectations, what do you do when your kids start acting up? The simple fact of behaviour management is unless you respond consistently to misbehaviour, nothing changes. 

Now, this is one that I find most teachers are actually pretty good at on the surface. We all know how to rouse on a child if they are being disruptive or breaking the rules. Paul Leitch calls this correction. But responding to misbehaviour is not only about correction. Rather as Robert Marzano says it is about first acknowledging that you have noticed the infraction and then choosing a response to modify or re-direct said behaviour. Our acknowledgment and responses to misbehaviour are not simply about punishment or strong correction, but can also include; re-direction, positive reinforcement and even support (if we believe the behaviour is motivated by deficiencies in another area).

Once you have already taught your expectations, if somebody is breaking them you must acknowledge it, let them know that their behaviour is inappropriate. But the way in which you do this will be crucial to how the situation plays out from there.

I’m sure you know how to correct (tell off) a misbehaving student quite well (most of us do). But do you have some other strategies in your arsenal?  Our response to behaviour doesn’t always have to be “sit down in your seat… I told you to stop talking… I told you not to be throwing things across the classroom!” You don’t always have to be negatively addressing behaviour to be effective.  There are many ways that you can address behaviour without being negative or actually even talking! 

Here’s 5 strategies you can use to respond to misbehaviour in a positive and proactive way before your start yelling. 

1. Be Present – Occupy the Room – It is absolutely imperative that you learn to occupy the room, meaning walk around as you teach. Don’t let yourself get caught behind your desk or only at the front of the classroom. Why? Because, long before misbehaviour escalates, your presence or proximity to potential misbehaviour will frequently cause the student to think twice before continuing. By moving around your classroom regularly, you will be able to respond to and catch behaviour as it’s brewing and a simple pause beside the escalating child, or a gentle hand on the shoulder, can do wonders for calming and redirecting a potential incident. 
2. Micro conversations and gestures. Not every infraction requires a 30 min lecture about it’s inappropriateness. A brief to-the-point statement can often be even more effective.  A quiet word redirecting the student such as; “Hey, time to get back on task” or “enough talking now” lets them know you’ve noticed the behaviour, indicates that it is inappropriate, but does not necessarily draw an audience or cause further disruption to the class. A tap of your pen or hand on their desk can also have the same effect without even requiring you to talk. 
3. The Look – Every teacher needs a look. You know the one. Your mum probably used it on you. The squinty eyes of dis-pleasiure, the raised eyebrow of disapproval or the pursed lips of exasperation. Students who are engaged in low level disruption will frequently pop their head up to check who’s watching. If you can catch their eye at this moment with a look of disapproval, it can help to redirect or defuse the nefarious intent before it has a chance to do damage.  
4. Move towards the behaviour – This is a little different to occupying the room… while you are occupying the room, if you happen to see trouble brewing or disruption escalating, take a quick purposeful walk towards the misbehaviour student, then stop abruptly in front of them. Your purposeful walk will give a clear indication that you are unhappy with what’s happening and give them a chance to self-regulate before getting get out of hand. Combine a purposeful walk with the look and a micro gesture / comment and you will be able to communicate a strong response without getting aggressive or combative. 
5. Parallel queuing or acknowledgement. – One of the most effective techniques, I find, for addressing misbehaviour in a positive way is actually parallel queuing, or parallel acknowledgement. If you see a student doing the wrong thing in your class, find somebody who’s close to them and doing the right thing and acknowledge the person engaged in the right behaviour rather than giving attention to the negative behaviour

By praising the desired behaviour instead of correcting the negative behaviour, you will reinforce what you expect while keeping the tone of the interaction affirmative and positive. For example, rather than commenting on Johnny’s talking out of turn affir someone close to him who is raising their hand. “Thank you Sarah for raising your hand and waiting your turn.” Now here’s the tick with parallel acknowledgement… As soon as Johnny responds with a hand up (and he will, because he wants your attention) acknowledge the correction in behaviour immediately…. “I love the way you’ve raised your hand to speak Johnny, thank you…” 

By using parallel acknowledgement, you will effectively respond to and correct undesirable behaviour while keeping the tone of your lesson, calm, positive and encouraging.

So there they are. 5 strategies for responding to misbehaviour in a positive manner. Why don’t you give them a go this week and let me know how if they work for you.

By giving your students the opportunity to experience reinforcement positively you will be able to respond to behaviour consistently, correcting them and ensuring your expectations are followed without letting it get negative or letting your anger or temper get the better of you.

If you’d like to learn more about managing classroom behaviour effectively, why not check out our FREE video course Behaviour Management Blueprint. See below for details.

If you would like to learn more about managing classroom behaviour effectively, why not check out our FREE video course Behaviour Management Blueprint. See below for details.

FREE eBook – Behaviour Management Blueprint:

​5 Essential Strategies for Effective Behaviour Management