Behavior management refers to deliberate ways that you nurture positive behavior in your students while discouraging negative behavior. There are at least two reasons that behavior management strategies are important. First, students in classes that behave well learn more . Second, bad student behavior is psychologically draining for both the teacher and the students in the class.

Class Behavior management techniques

Behavior management strategies are specific techniques that teachers use to nurture desirable behavior and discourage misbehavior.

20 Classroom Management Strategies and Techniques

1. Model ideal behavior

Demonstrate behavior you want to see by holding mock conversations and interactions with another teacher in front of your students.

2. Let students help establish guidelines

Ask students what they think is and not acceptable behavior, encouraging them to suggest rules for the academic year.

3. Document rules

Ensure your guidelines aren’t forgotten by writing them down . Additionally, distribute them as a list for students to keep and reference.

4. Avoid punishing the class

Address isolated behavior issues instead of punishing the entire class. So as to avoid hurting your relationships with on-task students.

5. Encourage initiative

Promote growth mindset by allowing students to work ahead in certain units. Also by delivering brief presentations to reinforce lesson materials.

6. Offer praise

Recognize hard work by openly congratulating students ,for instance, encouraging ideal behavior and inspiring the class.

7. Use non-verbal communication

Complement words with actions and visual aids to improve content delivery. This helps students focus and breaks monotony.

8. Hold parties

Throw an occasional classroom party to acknowledge students’ hard work. Such parties
motivates them to keep it up.

9. Give tangible rewards

Reward specific students at the end of each lesson, in front of the class. It acts as another motivational and behavior-reinforcement technique.

10.Make positive letters and phone calls

Make positive phone calls and send complimentary letters home. This encourages parents to further involve themselves in their children’s learning.

11.Build excitement for content

Start lessons by previewing particularly-exciting parts. That is, hooking student interest from the start.

12.Offer different types of free study time

Provide different activities during free study time  such as group note-taking . This help students who can’t process content in silence.

13.Write group contracts

Help student group work run smoothly by writing contracts that contain clear guidelines. Further, ask each group member to sign a copy.

14.Assign open-ended projects

Encourage students to tackle open-ended projects . Hence, it allows them to demonstrate knowledge in ways that suit and appeal well to them.

15.Give only two marks for informal assessments

Consider avoiding standard marks on informal and formative assessments. For example, simply state if a student did or didn’t meet
expectations.

16.Use EdTech that adjusts to each student

Give students who struggle to process content opportunities to use adaptive learning technology, such as Prodigy.

17.Interview students

Interview students who aren’t academically engaged . Also engage students displaying prosocial behavior to get insights about how to better manage them.

18.Address bad behavior quickly

Don’t hesitate when you must address bad behavior. That is, acting sooner rather than later will ensure that negative feelings don’t fester.

19.Consider peer teaching

Use peer teaching activities such as paired reading  if you feel your top performers can help engage and educate disruptive and struggling students.

20.Gamify personal learning plans

Motivate students on personal learning plans by gamifying those plans, through tactics such as awarding experience points throughout a unit to quantify skill mastery.

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