From Chaos to Calm: Effective Behaviour Management Strategies for the Classroom

Posted on: May 16, 2023

Imagine a classroom where students are actively engaged in learning, where everyone is calm, focused and working together. Imagine a classroom where you can walk in on any given day and know exactly what to do to help your students succeed. It doesn't have to be a fantasy!

As a teacher, there are strategies you can use to support your students' learning and behaviour. The key is to find strategies that work for you and your students, and then use them regularly to keep your classroom calm and focused. So relax, take a deep breath and let's get started on this journey to help you and your students thrive.

Understanding Challenging Behaviour

When in the presence of challenging behaviour, it's easy to lose your cool, leaving you feeling frustrated and angry. You may even feel like giving up. But it's important to understand that challenging or disruptive behaviour isn't always intentional. It can be a way for students to communicate their feelings, to express their needs or simply as a means of coping with stress and anxiety. So before you take any action in response to challenging behaviour, it's important to stop and think about what might have caused it in the first place — it's always better to treat the root cause rather than suppress the symptoms.

In Behaviour Barriers and Beyond: Practical Strategies to Help All Pupils Thrive by Rachel Thynne, she states:

"Be curious as to why the pupil is behaving in a certain way. A useful, popular analogy is to picture behaviour as an iceberg. The behaviours observed are just the tip of that iceberg (the symptom of the problem rather than the underlying problem); what lies beneath is a range of thoughts, emotions and triggers driving those behaviours. Once the behavioural function is understood, then support can be provided for any fear or anxiety beneath the behaviour and necessary skills can be taught," (p. 5.) Read a free chapter here.

Ask yourself, what is the problem here? What is driving that child’s behaviour? Is it a fear of failure, of being judged or misunderstood? Does this pupil need additional support to develop strategies for dealing with their feelings and emotions in order to move forward? It's essential for students, especially young learners, to feel supported and secure in their learning environment. A teacher who is able to recognise and understand the underlying cause of a student’s behaviour will be able to provide them with support and guidance that goes beyond simply correcting their actions.

Types of Challenging Behaviour

Not all children will behave in the same way. The type of challenging behaviour you encounter can vary from mild to severe, and may consist of different types including:

• Disruptive behaviour: can be one of the most challenging types that teachers face in the classroom. This can include talking out of turn, calling out or interrupting the teacher, as well as arguing with other students. Disruptive behaviour is usually associated with a lack of discipline and can be very frustrating for both teachers and students.

• Withdrawn behaviour: Students who exhibit withdrawn behaviour can be particularly challenging for teachers, as they may be difficult to engage and may be resistant to participating in classroom activities. This can manifest as a refusal to speak or interact with others, avoiding eye contact or appearing disinterested in learning.

• Inappropriate behaviour: Inappropriate behaviour can be particularly difficult for teachers to manage if it's disruptive or distracting to the learning environment. This may involve using inappropriate language, making inappropriate gestures or comments, or behaving in a way that is inconsistent with the school's behavioural expectations.

• Violent behaviour: As the most extreme form of inappropriate behaviour, violent behaviour can be defined as any action that causes physical harm to another person or damage to property. This includes hitting, kicking or spitting on another student, as well as throwing objects at people or damaging school property.

Causes of Challenging Behaviour

The causes of challenging behaviour are complex and often interrelated. Sometimes the cause is clear; other times it can be difficult to identify the factors that contribute to the problem. Some of the common ones include:

• Classroom organisation: Things such as the classroom layout, seating arrangements, the materials available and how they are presented can all affect a child’s behaviour. For example, if a child prefers to work alone but is placed in a small group of students with whom they don't get on well, then it may be difficult for them to concentrate on their work. This can lead to frustration and anger which often results in challenging behaviour.

• Cultural factors: Cultural differences and language barriers can also be a cause of challenging behaviour. Students from diverse backgrounds may struggle to adapt to new cultural norms, leading to misunderstandings and social isolation. Language barriers may also make it difficult for students to communicate with their peers and teachers, leading to disengagement and confusion.

• Home life: Family conflict, poverty, trauma or abuse can all contribute to challenging behaviour. Students who experience adverse home environments may struggle to regulate their emotions and behaviour, leading to disruptive or withdrawn behaviour at school.

• Student dynamics: Bullying, peer pressure, social anxiety or difficulties in forming relationships with peers are common triggers in a classroom or school setting. Students who feel isolated or targeted by other students may struggle to concentrate and behave appropriately.

Proactive Behaviour Management Strategies

According to Behaviour Management: An Essential Guide for Student and Newly Qualified Teachers edited by Eleanor Overland, Joe Barber & Mark Sackville-Ford, "ongoing management of the classroom is essential for quality learning," (p. 51.) This refers to the act of planning, preparing and implementing strategies to manage the behaviour of students in your classroom. The following are proactive behaviour management strategies to support students:

• Creating a positive classroom culture: Creating a positive classroom culture is the first step to effective behaviour management. A positive classroom environment includes clear expectations for student behaviour, opportunities for students to make choices and participate in decision-making, as well as collaboration between teachers and students. For instance, you can ask students to brainstorm a list of classroom rules and discuss the consequences of breaking each one. They can then vote on the most important rules, come up with strategies for enforcing them and select a class monitor to help enforce these rules during the school day. 

• Establishing clear rules and expectations: If students don't know how they should behave in the classroom or what they can expect from you as a teacher, they'll be more likely to misbehave. This also includes providing clear instructions for tasks, moving on to the next activity, etc. This way, you can mitigate the possibility of students becoming disengaged and bored, which can lead to them acting out.

• Providing a range of engaging and varied activities: Provide your students with a range of engaging and varied activities, so they're not always doing the same thing. This strategy will keep them engaged and interested in what they're doing. Another way to do this is by varying the type of tasks you give students, such as having some that require creativity and others that require concentration or memory skills. Try to match their interests and incorporate different cultural aspects.

Reactive Behaviour Management Strategies

While it would be ideal to prevent all challenging behaviour with proactive strategies, there may be times when you'll need to respond to behaviour that has already occurred. With reactive behaviour management strategies, you can quickly and effectively diffuse a situation and prevent it from escalating. Here are some strategies for your consideration:

• Stay calm and composed: It's easy to lose your cool when you're dealing with challenging behaviour, but remember that it's the student who's misbehaving, not you. Stay calm and composed so that you can respond appropriately

• Use positive language: There are many ways to communicate with students. It's important that you choose the right words at the right time. Using positive language will help to avoid exacerbating an already challenging situation. For example, instead of saying "Stop talking!" try saying something like: "It's time for us all to be quiet and listen carefully."

• Set clear boundaries and consequences: Once you've identified the behaviour that's challenging you, set clear boundaries and consequences. For example, you can say: "I want to focus on this lesson right now. If you continue talking, I'll need to move your seat." It's crucial that you stick to them, though. If you don't, then you'll be sending mixed messages to your students and they may not take you seriously in the future.

• Provide positive reinforcement: Letting students know when they're doing something right, such as completing tasks or following instructions, can help reinforce the positive behaviour you want to see more of. You can do this by providing verbal feedback, such as "You did a great job!" or by giving students a sticker or other small reward.

• Seek support when necessary: It's important to know when to seek support from other educators or professionals when dealing with challenging behaviour. Don't be afraid to ask for help when you need it — that also includes speaking with the student's parents or guardians.

Additional Resources From Routledge

Managing behaviour is an essential, yet complex aspect of teaching. To help you further your knowledge in this regard, we’ve compiled a list of educational resources available at Routledge.

Boys Don't Try? Rethinking Masculinity in Schools

Authors Matt Pinket & Mark Roberts examine research on topics such as anxiety, bullying and self-esteem to help boys become happier and achieve academic success. It provides practical tips for teachers to address poor behaviour and highlights key areas of pastoral care that schools need to recognize.

Find Out More

Supporting Behavioural, Emotional and Social Difficulties in School

This book equips teachers with practical and proven strategies to build mental security and wellbeing in children and young people. This book offers advice on common issues in classrooms, leadership and school trips. It also includes information on cognitive brain development and factors to be aware of when helping students with mental and emotional health issues.

Find Out More

The Teaching and Learning Playbook

This book and online resource contains 100+ techniques to improve teaching and drive improvements in schools. The techniques are accompanied by a four-step guide, a video showing the technique in action and audio commentary — making it easy for teachers to replicate. The Playbook covers key skills such as questioning, feedback, resilience and curriculum. It also provides a clear framework for professional development and coaching.

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Behaviour Management and the Role of the Teaching Assistant

This book draws on the latest research and teaching assistants' views to help schools maximise the benefits of TAs in supporting children's classroom behaviour. It provides guidance and practical activities for empowering TAs to work with challenging behaviour and includes self-auditing and evaluation tasks to support professional development.

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Feel, Think Do with Ruby, Rafa and Riz

This set includes a storybook and adult resource guide aimed at helping young children explore their thoughts and feelings while providing clear explanations and tools for trusted adults. The colourful storybook follows characters as they navigate through various experiences, helping children identify and understand their inner emotional world. The adult guidebook offers sessions that can be used to support good emotional health and are thoughtfully laid out for use in a PSHE/RSE programme or for professionals working therapeutically with individual children.

Find Out More