How to Manage Student Behaviour in Secondary Schools.

Stop Using the Cane 5

The goal is for our children to grow up well-balanced, well-behaved with good moral standards right? We can do this without having to always resort to using physical punishment, the cane to be specific to get this result.

During the last two weeks my fourteen year old has been a bit under the weather to say the least. We just got out of hospital on Sunday and will need to go in today and Friday for some other check ups etc. I have been privileged to spend much more time with him than I would have and I am grateful for it.

When he got home on Sunday, even though he was still in need of some tender loving care, it was apparent that we needed to help him understand that recuperation time was not to be spent only in front of the box watching films and playing games. So we mapped out a plan that would give him time to rest, have fun and learn as well. He has been keeping to the script though I have had to call him back to the drawing board at least once since Sunday.

1. Spend time getting to know the children/students in your careBut we are supposed to be talking about classroom management right? So why are we talking about my son? Well because to me it is the same thing and also my experience with teenagers is from dealing with them at home in the family. I consider all children I work with as my children so to speak, I treat them as I would treat mine. So the nuggets I will share with you concerning the older children will be drawn from my personal experience. It works.. They will never ever be interested in what information you want to impart, if they do not think and know that you care about them. The time we spent in hospital together enabled us to connect on a deeper level. I believe he understands me better now, he knows that I deeply care about his well-being. I am actually supposed to be in Nigeria right now, but had to postpone the journey to take care of him. My actions have spoken clearer than my words. They call me “Mama Monte” , Monte is their shortened word for Montessori. They know how passionate I am about my work, but I put that aside to be by his side, as any mother would of course, yet that has made an impression on him. He knows me, watched me work even as I looked after him. He asked me questions about my work and I answered.  He wanted to know why I did things in a certain way, I answered yet again, helping him to see why work was important, how it related to productivity and the effort it took to make money. He listened. I knew he got it when we read the daily devotional together and prayed this morning because he could relate what he learnt to what he needed to do about his learning…. They are watching us. They learn more if we open up to them and let them see us and we show them we care. You are a unique person, you are not just the teacher!
2. Plan your classroom rules together. This is even more important for the older children and if it works for the younger ones, of course it would not be wise to come to class with classroom rules drawn up by you and you only. Yes your classroom may not be a democratic field so to speak, but even in a democracy the leader who performs and achieves the most is the one who listens to the people and carries everyone along. You will have your list, but ask them to draw up theirs. Most of what is on your list will be covered, they you add the missing ones by saying something like, “Wow, this is a great classroom guide, mmmhh, what if we add…? What do you think?” Be sure to add acceptable behaviour and unacceptable behaviour practices. Talk about consequences of bad behaviour and not following the classroom rules. They will add it, in their own words. Let them write them out and design what will be pasted on the notice board. You are helping them express themselves another lesson in creative writing, use of grammar and English Language will take place as you complete this task. You would have gotten them working as a team, building community and unity in the classroom. Well done.
3. Have a Goal Setting Session with your class. What are your goals for the children in your care? Where do you see them in the next 12 months, what do you want them to achieve? Your job is to move them on from where they are to where they need to be. Inspire your children. Let them see that you have a goal for them. Ask them about their goals. Teach them to make goals. Show them practical ways they can do this and achieve them. These goals should be specific and measurable, they should also have a plan in place to get there. Take it a step further by getting them to pair up in groups to keep them accountable. Have review sessions with them to see how they are doing. Now I am sure that if this is what you do with your children, you will have less issues with bad behaviour and discipline. This is because the children are now more focused on producing great results and fulfilling their dreams than fooling around and being naughty.

I am not saying that they will be perfectly well behaved at all times, but I am saying you will see better behaviour all round. When they do not do the right thing, they will mostly correct themselves because , they made the rules. You will find that life is easier. Even when they would put up a fight, your relationship and rapport that is growing gradually will take over for you and make an easier assess to get to the heart of the matter and change things around.

My son just came to ask for pancakes a few minutes ago!!! I want to finish up this post and get the image done so I can publish. So we reviewed what we had to get done, and came up with a plan, he does his work, I do mine, then I make the pancakes before we go off to the hospital for an appointment. We are both happy. I am getting him to do what he needs to do without using the cane on him and increasing my blood pressure unnecessarily.

Is this helpful? Let me know in the comment box below.

Have a great day.