This guide offers tips on supporting key areas of behaviour as you develop your experience in the classroom. It covers how you can set the scene for positive behaviour management before you enter the classroom, tips for remaining calm and where to get support if you need it.
When thinking about classroom behaviour management, you should also consider other relevant policies such as your school’s anti-bullying policy, as well as your safeguarding training. If you have any concerns about a change in a pupil’s behaviour or if you suspect bullying, harassment or abuse, you must report your concerns to your school’s designated safeguarding lead (DSL).
While this guide can be used by any education professionals, it is especially relevant to early career teachers and those just starting out in a classroom role. The approaches and techniques you use to manage behaviour in the classroom will depend on a range of things, not least your school’s policies and the key stage you’re teaching.
The types of challenging behaviour that an early years teacher will encounter are likely to be different to the behaviour challenges faced by a secondary or post-16 teacher. However, some of the tips in this guide will be useful regardless of the age group you’re teaching.
A note on language
This publication refers to ECTs (early career teachers), SEND (special educational needs and disabilities), and SENCo (special educational needs co-ordinator). These are all terms used in England and Northern Ireland.