Positive Behaviour
At Northern, we believe that each and every person is created in God’s image and is special. We want to encourage students to do their best and to equip them with the skills and understanding they need to be who God has called them to be. One of the ways that we do that is to promote positive behaviour through some very deliberate strategies.
Create a consistent environment: this is something that all children need and we work hard to try to maintain at school. ‘Consistent’ does not mean that everything has to be exactly the same every day. Routine is good and children thrive on having a predictable routine. A consistent environment does mean that when you establish rules, expectations, promises or routines, that you stick to them. In the classroom, all the teachers establish daily routines for themselves as well as the class.
Don't focus on the negative: that doesn't mean that you overlook or totally ignore something that is not okay. It does mean though that we try to redirect children towards positive actions or activities. If a child is running inside we might not say "Don't run" but instead say "We walk inside." If a child is yelling we might respond, in a regular calm voice, "I cannot understand you when you are yelling. If you can tell me in a proper talking voice then I will be willing to listen to what you would like to tell me." What we say sticks in a child’s mind and we want these words to reinforce the desired behaviour or expectations.
Reward the good: when we see a child doing the right thing we want to encourage them to continue by letting them know that we have noticed them doing the right thing. You don’t have to say “great job” every time that a child does the right thing but we do want to be doing this regularly so they know we notice and appreciate what they do. This also applies when a child has changed their behaviour from undesirable to a desired action. They might have left their jumper on the ground and been reminded multiple times to pick it up. We don’t say, “Finally, you did the right thing.” Instead we give them genuine acknowledgement, “Thank you for picking up your jumper”.
Give responsibility: this has a couple of aspects that help support children. This provides them with a sense of value. In the classroom, children will regularly have different jobs to help out with the daily routine or to assist in particular activities. They may still make mistakes in this and need support but we help them through those times. The second aspect of this is a sense of accomplishment. Often, just being given the responsibility will give a child a feeling that they must be doing something right because they were chosen. This can become a positive feedback loop as they then make an extra effort to continue to be given responsibilities in the future. It also provides an opportunity once they have completed the task to give them additional praise.
Spend one-on-one time together: relationship is the biggest factor in this. So often we see undesired behaviours because a child wants attention or needs help and acting out gets them their desired attention. Spending some time one-on-one, even if it is a couple of minutes, helps to build a relationship where a child can become more trusting and learn positive ways of seeking help. By spending time together, children get to know us better and to build a connection that means even when you cannot give them individual attention, at that moment, they know you will help them when you are able to.
Listen and acknowledge: we all have a desire to be valued and accepted. It can be very helpful to take a moment to pause and get on a child's physical level, acknowledge their feelings “It sounds like you are feeling angry/upset/sad”), and help them come up with a solution of their own rather than doing it for them. As teachers we spend a lot of time role-modelling this process with children. Listening to a child also gives them a chance to address misunderstandings that we might have about what is going on. “You sound really angry… so you’re not angry you are upset… why are you upset?” In dealing with any conflict between children we also want each child to have their chance to talk and share their perspective.
During this time of uncertainty, we still want to be enriching all students of the School regardless of where learning is taking place. If you want to talk about any of the points in this article, or are looking for some support in conducting distance learning at home, then please feel free to contact us.
God Bless
Mr Samuel Whittle - Pastoral Care Coordinator
