Behaviour Policy and Levels

Behaviour Management

The guidelines of the Mount Annan Christian College Discipline Policy guide the way that the class operates.

Each class is unique, however, and the policy forms a guideline that has been modified to suit the specific needs of the class. Much of my classroom management this year will be based upon the Responsive Classroom program, which fosters positive relationships within a strong classroom community.

The aim of developing a good classroom community is that students manage their own behaviour, while also helping each other to achieve.

CLASS RULES

Rules are principles or guides that help determine behaviour, conduct, actions and procedures. They are developed so that there are clear expectations of what is required to help all students achieve in an ordered and calm way.
Goals of Classroom rules:

• Establish guidelines and expectations for positive behaviour
• Create a sense of order and safety- both physical and psychological
• Teach children the purpose of rules by connecting the rules to learning goals.
  

The Plan that we will be following to establish class rules will be:

1. Consider which routines are essential to classroom safety
2. Use Interactive Modelling to teach and practice key routines such as responding to a signal for quiet.
3. Establish expectations for group discussions.
4. Work with students to identify their individual goals.
5. Create a list of rules that help students meet their learning goals.

Learning goals

Personal learning goals are the behaviours, knowledge or understandings that students identify as important to their own learning. They may relate to general work habits, specific subjects, domains of learning, or a combination of these.

To help students identify their learning and behaviour goals, the teacher will conference with students on a regular basis. The goals will follow the following cycle:

(http://www.education.vic.gov.au/school/teachers/support/pages/goals.aspx)

School Level Awards: Bronze, Silver, Gold

Each student is shown the Behaviour levels, where goals are set for their behaviour. They need to be able to show how they are meeting the criteria of the awards before receiving that level. For further details see the Junior School behaviour Management Policy on Central.

Conferencing with students will help the teacher and student to set goals to achieve each level. The levels will be linked to goal setting and the rules of the classroom.

A record of the goals will be kept for each student. Student’s will also keep a record of their own levels to help them focus on what they need to achieve.

School Merit Awards

These are given out at Friday morning Assembles to three students. KLA awards are given out at Junior School Assemblies which occur in Weeks 5 and 10 of each term

Consequences

Students on occasions make poor behaviour decisions and need to be reminded of the school and class rules. Students will be referred to their learning goals.

Responses to misbehavior should:

• Stop the misbehavior and reestablish positive behavior as quickly as possible
• Maintain children’s dignity
• Develop children’s self-control and self-regulation skills
• Help children recognize and fix any harm caused by their mistakes
• Demonstrate that rules help make the classroom a safe place where all can learn

Strategies to help students

1. Visual and Verbal Cues

Once teachers have modeled expected behaviors and given children opportunities for practice, a visual or verbal cue will often stop a misbehavior and help a child get back on track. Simply looking briefly into a child’s eyes can powerfully send the message that “I know you know how to do this; now let’s see you do it.” Other examples of visual cues are a writing gesture for “This is writing workshop; get to work” or a finger against your lips for “Remember, silent lips when someone is sharing

2.Increased Teacher Proximity
Sometimes all that’s needed to re-establish positive behavior is for the teacher to move next to a child. Bringing the child closer, instead of going to the child, is another option.

3. Logical Consequences
Logical consequences are another strategy that teachers can use to stop misbehavior while helping children see and take responsibility for the effects of their actions. Logical consequences differ from punishment in that, unlike punishment, logical consequences are relevant (directly related to the misbehavior), realistic (something the child can reasonably be expected to do and that the teacher can manage with a reasonable amount of effort), and respectful (communicated kindly and focused on the misbehavior, not the child’s character or personality).

Next Steps

When they do not comply with these rules they are warned verbally about their behaviour and they move their name under the heading of 1st warning

If there is no change in behaviour, students will move to a second warning which has a Timeout consequence. If the behaviour still continues then they are moved to another  timeout  where they complete a  behaviour reflection sheet. This is then signed by Mrs Pope, and then sent home to parents to sign.

Students in Year 6 will also be issued with a red card. They will be counselled as to why they are receiving this card. If three red cards are issued in one term, then a meeting with parents will be called so that the child’s behaviour can be discussed.