How do I get my students to have better behavior in the classroom? Maybe you’ve tried old-school consequences and punishments, with no luck. Maybe you feel like nothing you try is working, and you just don’t know what to do! Before you read on, take a look back at the previous posts in this series where we talk about classroom management basics, and setting a foundation for a positive classroom environment. This topic is nuanced and requires more than a quick fix for better classroom behavior. If you are finding that students in your classroom still struggle significantly with following directions and going along with classroom norms, there are a few things to keep in mind.
Are your expectations realistic?
Often, our own expectations of student behavior aren’t developmentally appropriate. If you are expecting a 5- or 6-year-old to sit the entire day quietly and not be wiggly and wild, I am sorry to tell you that you need to readjust your idea of how a 5- or 6-year-old should act. Now, that’s not to say that a child of this age should be destroying a classroom. (If you are dealing with extreme behavior, check out this post that may help). But you do need to make sure you have developmentally appropriate expectations. If you’ve properly adjusted your expectations, the real magic starts when you start targeting your behavioral instruction.
Targeted instruction for better classroom behavior
Much of behavior is skill-based. If you are seeing behavior issues while students are standing in line, they may be lacking proficiency in the skill of waiting. If problems tend to surface on the carpet during whole-group instruction, they may need more practice incrementally sustaining focus. Identifying the skill gap is half the battle.
Take stock of your day and where you see behavior hot spots. Is there anything really specific you can target and work on that one skill for a whole week or two?
Some ideas might include:
- rotating at centers (the physical act of walking from one table to another)
- calming bodies from outdoor norms to indoor norms
- staying in a designated area during work time.
- Waiting until called on to speak
These classroom behaviors feel like things we want kids to automatically know how to do, but that’s not the case. We need to teach the desired skill explicitly in order to get the result you want from their little bodies.
Meet the underlying need
Next, take time to think more deeply about what your students may be communicating through their behavior. Behavior is communication. What might this child be telling you? Common unmet needs include connection, escape, autonomy, sensory regulation, safety, and attention, among others. We dig deeper into this topic in a post here. This matters because surface-level fixes rarely hold long-term when unresolved needs are at the root of the behavior. As educators, we must get comfortable looking past the surface in order to uncover the function of a behavior before we can work toward lasting solutions.
If you are having trouble figuring out how to help a student, take a closer look at what that child might need from you, from their peers, or from their environment. Work toward meeting that need in a way that is sustainable for both of you, and you may be surprised by the change you see.
This is also worth communicating with a parent. If a child has sensory needs, are there adjustments that can be made at home to help meet them? If a child needs to escape, take a look at what they are avoiding. Is the work too hard? Is there an underlying fear that you can begin to address separately? Uncovering an unmet need can open up a much deeper conversation, so approach it with curiosity and see where it leads.
Replacement behavior
Once you have nailed down the function of the behavior your student is exhibiting, you can work on teaching a replacement behavior. A simple way to think about this is elopement (when a child leaves the designated area or classroom without permission). If a student is eloping regularly, they might be trying to escape something that is causing stress. Instead of running away, the replacement behavior would be asking for a break. A replacement behavior allows the student to meet their need within given boundaries set by the teacher and environment.
The same could be true for hitting. If a young child is hitting when they want a toy, they are seeking access to that object. Teaching them to ask for a turn is the way to go here. Is it going to work perfectly every single time? No, of course not. We are talking about humans here. But it is a starting point to teach the skill for better classroom behavior. PS, we also have a song for that on Heidisongs.tv!
From here, the next step is to determine what social-emotional learning skills your students need most. This is dependent on age, grade, and level of need, but a good starting point might be:
- Identifying emotions of self (self first, then others)
- Identifying what an emotion feels like physically in your body
- Co-regulation and self-regulation.
Suggested Resources
Hopefully, your school or district has adopted a curriculum that supports these skills well. Here are some of my favorites, including some of our favorite HeidiSongs videos to support your class!
Every child or group of children will need a unique approach to teaching these skills. This is a starting point, and a reminder that better behavior in the classroom is really a skill that must be taught, just like academics. Remember, you are not alone in this! Lean on your team, on your support staff and reach out if you have any questions. You’ve got this!
About the Author:
Kim Giron is an early childhood professional with decades of classroom experience. She has experience from preschool through primary elementary school. Most of her time has been spent in Transitional Kindergarten (California’s version of pre-kindergarten in public school) through 1st Grade. She currently teaches TK and has for 12 years, so many of the references or examples she may generate are informed by that. One further note of clarification: None of the scenarios you read here represent specific students in her classroom, current or past.
Disclaimers:
Kim is a classroom teacher. She is not an education specialist, psychologist, therapist, or counselor. That means the strategies and guidance she shares are generally designed for a broad, general education audience. However, if you are supporting a child with unique needs, including neurodivergence, a learning disability, sensory or physical differences, trauma, or other individualized circumstances, please seek guidance from professionals with specialized training in those areas.
Additionally, Kim’s strategies for success and experience have been developed specifically while working with children in 3rd grade and below. Strategies will be different for students who are in upper elementary and beyond, especially in a whole-group setting. If that is your population, please connect with someone who specializes in that age group.
