NQT Classroom/behaviour management - Key Ideas

For any NQT it is important to establish yourself in the classroom in order to teach effectively. Many schools operate assertive discipline systems which are designed to support your teaching through the rewards and sanctions.  Many NQT’s and even experienced teachers are guilty of focusing on the sanctions rather rewarding positive behaviour.  It’s important that all pupils are rewarded making sure you do not overlook praise for the pupils that always display positive behavior and learning.  Some key tips adopted from Bill Rogers are

Key tips 

The words you use are as powerful as the message you are trying to convey – do you always know what to say when under stress? Before saying it, think about how it will help the situation.

Maintain a sense of humour – very powerful in the classroom.

Describing exactly what students are doing is often more effective than telling them not to do something.

Giving students an option when dealing with items they should not have in class (such as mobile phones, hairbrushes) is less intrusive and more effective than confiscation. e.g. for mobile phones I often give them two options – ‘I will take the phone and give you it back at the end of the lesson’ or ‘I will take the phone and give you it back at the end of the day’. They always go for first option!

Establishing a class at the beginning of a school year is critical to successful behaviour management.  Seating plans, expectations etc.

Teaching style can have as much an impact on behaviour management than any range of sanctions and rewards.  If you are having problems during lesson, look at the lesson and the individuals in front of you and work out what engages them.  All classes are different and even classes which you would expect to have no issues from can be difficult with the wrong teaching and learning style.

Following up and following-through with students, especially those who present with on-going ‘behaviour problems’, can be crucial factors in successful management.  If you have a problem with the student then talk to them before the next lesson, find a connection.

Do you know how to tactically ignore student frustration in behaviour management situations in order to maintain a disciplined classroom?

Think about teacher behaviour as it affects student behaviour – it’s essential to understanding this.  They will pick up on your mood.

Building bridges in order to keep a relationship with students is as important as dealing with troublesome behavior.  Compliment them, notice things and take an interest in them and their life.

Targeting specific “power brokers” and students who act as ring-leaders in “hard classes” can be a very effective strategy in behaviour management.

Replace ‘please’ with ‘thank-you’ – e.g. instead of saying please stop doing that, say Stop that – Thank-you which implies you expect it to happen.

Pick you battles – is it worth going to war over a forgotten pencil?

Self – evaluation of CPD in schools

A self-evaluation on CPD allows schools to cast a critical eye over their approach to CPD. The process should be straightforward, but it’s important that the process covers all the essential aspects of CPD which a school needs to take into account.

Self-evaluations of CPD involve analysis and questionnaires – an example is provided in the following guidance ‘School self-evaluation on continuing professional development’. This section allows school leaders to check that:

• They are addressing all the strategic aspects of CPD

• A CPD policy is in place

• Suitable arrangements exist for the leadership of CPD, and the policy is being implemented.

School leaders wanting to obtain a strategic overview of the school’s CPD may find it useful to conduct an analysis using the list below. The items can be used as headings in an evaluation, or as criteria in an analysis.

• A school policy on CPD taking into account performance management arrangements.
•  Leadership responsibility for CPD and the suitability
• Coordination of CPD needs arising in performance management arrangements.
• Involvement of the governing body
• The extent to which there is a culture of CPD in the school in which both staff and students value lifelong learning.
• Entitlements or guarantees for staff to receive CPD.
• What methods exist to regularly and systematically identify the CPD needs of all staff?

Needs identification and the extent to which the following methods are used:

• school self-evaluation evidence
•  performance management information
• the previous year’s CPD evidence
• school performance and other data
•  feedback from staff and others – including line managers, and team/section/department/ faculty leaders
• feedback from pupils, parents and governors
•  benchmarking information
•  national and local priorities
• Ofsted data and inspection reports
• Surveys of staff morale, confidence and job satisfaction.

There needs to be a balance of the needs of the school and the individual as mentioned in earlier blogs

• The balance between the needs of the school, the needs of the individual, and the requirements of national and local priorities.
•  Procedures to ensure CPD provision is effective and matched to the identified needs of staff.
• The range and effectiveness of CPD. CPD may take many different forms – for example, coaching and mentoring, meetings, lesson observation, research, involvement in projects, work-shadowing, conferences and courses, and so on. Different forms of CPD will be effective for different individuals and situations.
•  Budget allocations and the main criteria used to allocate funding and support.
• Budget allocations for different groups of staff.
• Whether the aims of CPD are clear to the participants and to the school.
•  Accreditation opportunities for staff.
•  Impact evaluation.
•  Value for money principles of economy, efficiency, effectiveness and equity.
• Accessibility of the CPD opportunities for staff.
• Review of the school’s practice regarding staff development – for instance, through Investors in People.
•  The contribution of the evaluation findings to the following year’s planning.