Mike’s Blog
Strategies, Ideas and Insights for Teachers and Leaders
Category: Positive Behaviour Management
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The two key drivers of all human behaviour you need to understand when managing the behaviour of your learners
One way to think about the causes of behaviour is to talk in terms of motives. These are the internal factors that drive our behaviour. When we say we are…
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Is it inevitable that learners will always test boundaries, no matter who is teaching them?
It is important to remember that behaviour does mean something slightly different in the context of children and young adults compared to what it means for the rest of us.…
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The seven ideas that will always help you to positively manage behaviour in your classroom
As teachers, our primary aim is to make learning happen. We want our learners to know more and understand more than they did when they entered the classroom. We want…
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How to use the nuts and bolts of culture to get better at behaviour management
The classroom is a social setting. It contains many of the core features of culture and society. Things we usually take for granted. Attending to these and using them as…
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Why do norms and values matter when it comes to managing behaviour?
Norms are unwritten rules. Values are the beliefs we think are important. Norms are usually based on values. For example, a norm in British culture is to queue in an…
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How to use sanctions well, and what you definitely must avoid doing in your classroom
Sanctions are a key part of positive behaviour management. They are a backstop, helping learners understand that if they break the rules, there will be consequences. Here, we can look…
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Seating plans, transitions and managing the minutiae of social interaction
Using Seating Plans Effectively Seating plans are an essential part of effective behaviour management. The classroom is a social space. This gives rise to social interaction. Learners interact differently with…
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Structure is your friend. Use it well. Positive behaviour management relies on it.
Effective lesson planning is a fundamental feature of successful behaviour management. This is because the behaviour learners exhibit in your classroom is always within the context of a lesson you…
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How you can use starter activities to get the behaviour you want from the moment the lesson begins
Different types of starter activities serve different ends when it comes to managing behaviour. Thinking about this when planning your lessons can help you to plan for excellent behaviour. Here…
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The golden leap you need to make in your mind to truly understand learner behaviour in your lessons
Thinking from the Learners’ Perspective Having planned a lesson, it is always worth spending a couple of minutes thinking it through from the learners’ perspective. This involves thinking about what…