Practical Classroom Behaviour Strategies

Introduction:

The nature of my work is such that I get to train and mentor a range of teaching professionals. Classroom behaviour management is something that we often get to discuss, and there are a range of theories and models widely available and referred to. Below, we will try to approach the topic from a slightly different perspective; our focus would be on what motivates the students to behave in certain ways.

Intrinsic motivation to behave well in the class:

Most of the theories and tips to keep students behaviour under control are based on certain rewards or punishments. However, as a matter of principle, I get my trainee teachers to be inclined towards measures that promote intrinsic motivation for the students to behave well in the class. Intrinsic motivation is when the students have an internal satisfaction to behave well. In contrast, extrinsic motivation is when the students are motivated by a reward or fear of punishment.

Intrinsic motivation requires no supervision, results in greater persistence, is much more effective, promotes students engagement, and will have life-long effects on the conduct of the students. In contrast, extrinsic motivation might teach the students to “act out” the instructions, and will revert to their usual behaviour when they are not being supervised, i.e., after the school. They might also lose the respect and connection with their teachers, since their relationship would be based on fear of punishment or a race to get certain rewards. 

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How to promote intrinsic motivation:

The starting point would be for the teachers to build rapport and trust with the students. Most of the trainee teachers I have mentored chose this profession because of their passion for teaching and not for the financial rewards, as teachers are generally not paid that well. It then makes sense why the teachers should aim to build great rapport and trust with their students, so that the students can trust their teachers to follow their instructions, and will look forward to fulfil their side of the bargain too by being committed to their learning. Students generally like to match the efforts of their teachers. Therefore, if a teacher has been able to establish the right connection with their students and a good learning environment, chances are that the students would respond well by following the ground rules, ongoing instructions from the teacher and engaging with the teachers.

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Secondly, educating the students on why certain behaviour is acceptable (or not acceptable) generates an intrinsic motivation for them to act accordingly. For example, say a student does not take interest in reading activities. To offer a reward to such a student for reading a book will, at best, get the student to finish reading the book whether or not they are able to benefit from the knowledge or essence/morals that the book delivers. However, if a teacher is able to have a friendly discussion with the student on the importance of literacy skills to succeed in life, then it might fuel an intrinsic motivation for them to develop a love for reading.

I once set up a task for my trainee teachers to experiment this in their literacy class and get back to share their experience. A teacher shared how an eight year old student was not taking interest in the reading sessions. The teacher knew how much the child loved his dad who happened to be an engineer, and enjoyed building structures. So she asked the child what he wanted to be when he grew up. The child, as expected, said he wanted to be an engineer. The teacher then asked how he was going to learn all about building structures if he did not read and understand all the knowledge contained in the books on this subject. It turned out that he went home and shared the discussion with his dad too, who confirmed the views of the teacher. It took a bit of explaining, but the student ultimately developed interest in the reading. Once developed, this interest would fuel itself and require no supervision, and would go a long way in yielding fruitful results for that child throughout his life.

The above example also highlights why a good connection with the student, and building rapport and trust with the students is important. Without knowing what the background and interests of the child were, the teacher would not have known how to even start the conversation.

Does that mean extrinsic motivation is bad?

I am not against extrinsic motivators at all, and understand that these are great quick-fixes to situations faced by teachers on an ongoing basis, such as a sudden disruptive behaviour. Certain ground rules the breach of which might result in punishment are essential to maintain discipline in a classroom. But I would not like to see a teacher taking a lot of disciplinary actions or handing out a lot of rewards to get their students to behave in a certain way; the point is not to rely too much on extrinsic motivators.

Wherever possible, the teachers should use non-financial rewards to extrinsically motivate the students to adopt desired behaviour, and keep punishment as the very last resort. Example of non-financial extrinsic motivators would be praise and word of appreciation for the students, giving out badges/certificates for excellent conduct, getting the students to establish ground rules so that they feel empowered, developing excitement towards desired behaviour, and so on.

About me: 

My name is Iqbal Ahmad (SFHEA) and I am the founder & CEO of Britannia School of Academics - www.schoolofacademics.co.uk. I hold various teaching qualifications myself including but not limited to Level 5 Diploma in Education and Training and Postgraduate Certificate in Learning and Teaching. I have been involved in training teaching professionals for over fifteen years, and have mentored various educational leaders both within my organisation and in the capacity of a corporate trainer. I am also honoured to be a Senior Fellow of the Higher Education Academy (SFHEA).