Ugh! Bad behaviour is a pet hate for most teachers and teaching assistants. It is completely understandable as to why though - it can be disruptive for the rest of the class, mega hard to deal with and can also jeopardise the authoritative status that normally goes hand in hand with being a teacher. These factors can be even more challenging when you’re not a permanent member of staff and can also leave you feeling deflated if you deal with bad behaviour in a variety of schools.

The best way to eliminate the problem of bad behaviour is to squash it before it has the chance to become an even bigger issue. This is where we come in handy, the tips within this blog post aim to guide you in preventing bad behaviour in the classroom. Fingers crossed your days will run smoothly and bad behaviour free – here goes!

Smile and Remain Positive:

We’re sorry about how obvious this one may seem, but it is one hundred percent worth pointing out. A positive teacher that has the control to remain happy sets an appropriate tone for the classroom and can make a huge contribution in preventing bad behaviour. So, make sure you leave those negatives at the door and start every classroom with a blank slate. Begin with a simple task like greeting the children at the door with a smile – it shows a form of respect and can make an enormous difference with how the children communicate with you.

Breaks within the lesson: Grab their attention here:

When we say breaks, we’re not talking about giving students the freedom to wonder off and do as they please during lesson time. Can you imagine?! The head teacher probably wouldn’t be your number one fan if that was the case! Bad behaviour can often occur because of boredom, so a few minutes break from doing work that they may find tedious could be an amazing way to re-engage and grab the attention of the student all over again. Bye-bye bad behaviour!

Rewards/ praise the students:

We have mentioned in a previous post how beneficial rewards can be in the classroom. Rewards can help build the rapport between a student and teacher and they are less likely to throw bad behaviour your way if you make their efforts feel appreciated! Try out things such as stickers, treats, and for the older students the smallest reward in the form of a compliment can go a long way -trust us!

Don’t shout, discuss:

Shouting in the classroom pretty much labels you as the bad cop in the eyes of the students, right? Naturally, shouting can lead to frustration and conflict which has a very high chance of developing into bad behaviour. So, when there is a problem with the student make sure you discuss it with them whilst remaining calm. Learning to communicate in this way will yet again build a rapport and respect towards you as the teacher.

Don’t let them see you feeling weak – don’t show that you are struggling:

If you show weakness in relation to dealing with bad behaviour in the classroom the chances are very likely that students will use this to their advantage to continue acting in the same way. So from the initial meeting with the class do your best in feeling confident in knowing that you are the teacher - you are the one in control.

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We have our fingers crossed that these tips will help you prevent bad behaviour entering that classroom door. If you have anymore then we would love to hear! You can tweet us over at @StaffroomEd or drop a comment in the box below.