What Guides my Behavior Plan??

Behavior in the classroom is always a tough thought, there are many teachers out in the classrooms that are still unsure about this topic. Having a behavior plan can help you as a teacher stay on task and guide your expectations throughout the year. There are a few key concepts that I think are important when setting expectations for myself as an instructor. One of the most valuable things as a teacher is set expectations, as a teacher you want to be able to stick to those expectations year around and make sure that you don’t ever steer aways from those. If you give one student special treatment then others are going to expect the same. You want your students to be safe first and foremost, that means in the classroom, hallways, playground, and cafeteria. You have to set the expectation of walking slowly and in a line, having inside voices things of that nature. Respect has a lot to do with behavior in the classroom. Teachers need to be respectful at all times and make sure the students know that the teacher will always be respectful and positive no matter the situation. If the teacher remains positive and respectful, most of the time the students will give the same attitude back that you are putting in. Letting your students know that responsibility plays a key role in what they can and can’t do. Students need to be responsible for things like there own belongings, reporting instances that happen outside the teachers watch, and over all honesty when it comes to anything school related. Not only do we as teachers try and teach content but we are teaching life skills and how to help these students become better human beings when they leave the classroom. Now if an issue does occur where there are students that do not want to follow classroom expectations then teachers have to follow there own protocol. Now in my classroom if I am teaching a lesson and I see someone that is not being responsible and respectful to my teaching time by playing on there phone or staring off into space, then we as teachers have to address that and get them back on topic. Making sure you as a teacher maintain to the on task student first and foremost. You don’t want to get off the flow of instruction because the students who are doing the right thing need to stay on the right track and not steer off. Doing simple things like positively reinforcing your on task students may help when trying to steer the off task student in the right direction. Teachers should give little attention to those who are off task to ensure that the student knows they will get little to no help if they continue to stay off task. If you see that the student doesn’t get the hint, you may say something very briefly and positive to try and get them back and engaged in the teaching. Trying to stay on task and maintaining the flow of the instruction is the main key. All in all making sure your students know your expectations and follow your expectations is key when trying to set a plan of action in the classroom. If the teacher sticks to the plan the students will know how to act and be more engaged in the classroom activities. Being a teacher we all know our classroom and students will never be perfect. To only help yourself out you have to have those expectations and a thought out response for those who are being more resistant. Making sure you stay positive and gear them back towards the lesson is a must. Avoiding escalation is the main goal when trying to get students back on task. Staying positive and encouraging goes a long way for a student who may not be in the best mood. Trying to find expectations that fit your classroom is sometimes tough but these are some of the main things that I would try and implement in my own classroom setting.