Hi all! I am a month away from starting my second year as a first grade teacher and I am in deep thought about behavior management. Last year, my school required Class Dojo and highly encouraged the use of a clip chart, so I used both of those with varying levels of success throughout the year. I also try to focus a lot on routines, procedures, and praise. What systems or strategies have you used successfully to keep behavior in check? Also, what action do you take with students who continuously move and make noise during lessons? I appreciate the advice.
I have used both Class Dojo and a clip chart in the past... I've seen pros and cons to them, but, in general, I'm not a fan of either. Personally, I've found the best strategy is to set clear and high expectations, model and give examples of those expectations, be consistent with those expectations, and build mutually respectful relationships with students. I don't take any consequential action with those students. Rather, I acknowledge that I must not be providing them with enough opportunity to move and talk, so I allow more opportunities for that. I add in brain breaks to the schedule, and I use cooperative learning activities to teach the instructional objectives.
I have heard about class dojo but have never tried using it. I am teaching grade 1. I wonder if it would be effective with my lot. Do I have to set up an account for this from a site.
Be proactive with behaviour management rather than reactive. Like Bella has mentioned, clear expectations and consequences, and also mutually respectful relationships. I’ll also add that having good pedagogy is something really powerful as well. When students are engaged they usually aren’t up to no good. This requires a lot of planning to make learning hands on and fun as well as managing the transitions from one activity to another etc. When you throw on a PowerPoint every day or give them the same thing day in and day out, an adult is going to get bored, let alone a child who can’t successfully self regulate as often we we would like and this leads to problems. Personally I’d rather spend the time doing more planning to engage the students rather than spend time and energy managing disruptions every few minutes, getting admin involved, contacting parents, those are a set of problems that are even more time consuming.
Class Dojo can be a valuable tool when used as positive discipline. I have to disagree with the strategy of using it for public humiliation. It is not the role of the student to discipline other students. I have always chosen to speak with the offending student away from the curious ears of the other students. Put yourself in the children's shoes. How would you feel if you were in a faculty meeting and the P caught you using your phone instead of listening to the speaker, and, instead of approaching you quietly, had the whole faculty berate you for doing something wrong?
Be proactive with behaviour management rather than reactive. Like Bella has mentioned, clear expectations and consequences, and also mutually respectful relationships. I’ll also add that having good pedagogy is something really powerful as well. When students are engaged they usually aren’t up to no good. This requires a lot of planning to make learning hands on and fun as well as managing the transitions from one activity to another etc. When you throw on a PowerPoint every day or give them the same thing day in and day out, an adult is going to get bored, let alone a child who can’t successfully self regulate as often we we would like and this leads to problems.
