EEC

381 Classroom and Behaviour Management

Behaviour Management Plan Template
Name: Leahana Vanderputt 900297664
Date: 16th May 2016
Behaviour management philosophy: (500 words)

I believe that as an educator it is my responsibility to develop programs, based on the
curriculum, to support the needs of my students in all aspects of their learning, to enrich
their understanding and lead them to attain the best of their ability as a result of this.

It is a crucial part of my role to foster the development of my students social, physical,
intellectual and emotional growth, however this can be affected if it isnt done in a suitable
environment. Therefore, prevention of negative and disruptive behaviour in the classroom
is an appropriate way to ensure my students reach their ideal level of development and with
encouragement will become actively engaged in their learning.

I believe it is my responsibility to gain an understanding of the driving factors that
contribute to how and why such behaviour occurs and create a classroom environment that
promotes positive behaviour management strategies, in order to support the needs and
learning of my students.

I believe it is important that teachers develop an individual understanding of their students
in order to develop strategies on behaviour, a focus on the students culture, home life,
personal interest and skills and learning style can reveal techniques of providing meaningful
learning that meets the students needs and interests. I believe it is important to cater for
the diverse range of students that make up the school community and ensure that all
students have the opportunity to embrace and showcase who they are, acceptance of
differences are emphasized amongst them and influences the content of what is taught in
the classroom.

Moreover, I believe a strong teacher student relationship is the foundation of building
positive behaviour in the classroom and encourages respect where all students are valued in
a nurturing learning environment, which in turn creates a sense of belonging.

EEC 381 Classroom and Behaviour Management

Behaviour Management Plan Template
In support of my teaching philosophy, William Glassers Choice Theory is based upon the
idea that the fulfillment of an individuals basic needs determines the choices we make. As
mentioned in my teaching philosophy there are certain underlying factors that contribute to
the negative behaviour of students and much of it can attribute to their needs whether it be
survival, freedom, belonging, power or play, not being met.

Robert T Tauber (2007, p.183) mentions that our behaviour, even our misbehavior, is our
best attempt to alter the external world to fit our perception of our internal need- satisfying
world. And although we all possess the same five human needs, each of us fulfills them
differently (2007, p. 183) as everyone is different it is an important part as a teacher to
embrace and develop an environment where student needs are satisfied, their diversity
amongst their peers is appreciated and is aligned with their quality world. Students will
understand that their teacher recognizes and acknowledges their differences and develops
an individual learning plan to ensure their needs are fulfilled.

To attain a quality world, students and teachers must develop a relationship that is based
on mutual respect, support and encouragement, teachers should aim to lead the students
towards satisfying their needs and emphasize appropriate behaviour rather than coercing
them to comply with rules. (G, Lyons and M, Ford 2013 p. 25) Fostering positive
relationships encourages appropriate behaviour and rewarding this behaviour is the best
way to reinstate to children what is acceptable in the classroom, students especially view
adult attention and approval as highly desirable (Martens and Kelly, 1993 p. 19).









Class or group profile: (100)

EEC 381 Classroom and Behaviour Management

Behaviour Management Plan Template

The specific class is a foundation class situated in a well sought after, reputable primary
school in Victorias South East. The classroom setting is fairly large with 12 girls and 11 boys
making up the total number of 23 students. They are between the ages of 5 and 6 with a
diverse range of ethnicities amongst the students; with this being said however there are no
students who would be considered EAL or ESL and the majority of the students have been
born in Australia.

As the students of the classroom are in Prep, they are still settling in and making sense of
school routines and being on task during activities, the demands of school work and
expectations may at times be overwhelming to students starting out in their first year of
school. Linda Graham (2015) writes Difficulties adjusting to the demands of school can
result in poorer quality teacher-child interactions and mutually reinforcing negative
relationships, which in turn compound learning and behavioural difficulties with this being
said gender does also play an important part in recognising behavioural issues. There is a
greater number of boys in the class who show signs of learning difficulties over girls, these
learning difficulties can be seen to be a contributing factor to the behavioural issues that
arise such as persistent disobedience and constant disruptions.


Individual student needs / considerations:

Amongst the handful of students who have learning difficulties, there are two students who
are considered special needs; Joshua has been diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder
(ASD) and Luka with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). Disruptive classroom
behavior, such as constant interruptions, can easily develop during activities because of
these individual needs. Although these students are unaware and unable to stop these
behaviours, the constant interruptions lead to the need of close supervision and repetitive
instructions that consume much of the time needed for the activity.

Joshua has difficulty understanding and following direction and instructions, he is unaware
of when to start and finish an activity which causes him to find the need to voice his

EEC 381 Classroom and Behaviour Management

Behaviour Management Plan Template
frustrations when asked to complete the task and he has a lack in ability to concentrate
during instructions given and undertaking the activity.

Luka displays all the core symptoms of ADHD inattention, hyperactivity and impulsivity, a
combination of all of these leads to him being extremely energetic, easily distracted,
disruptive to the teacher and classmates, and having an inability to stay on task, sit still and
follow instructions. Stephen Chinn (2010, p.18) writes that ADHD can cause many problems
in the childs life, and can often lead to underachievement at school, poor social interaction
with other children and adults, and problems with discipline.
A couple more students within the class have learning difficulties of short attention spans
and difficulty following instructions, which may mean underlying conditions that have yet to
be diagnosed, are the reason for causing their disruptive behaviours.


Behaviour management issue:
The behavioral issue that arises in the classroom are constant interruptions and can be
characterized further as;

Calling out:

The most common of the interruptions, students in the class at times will answer without
raising their hands, make an unrequested comment or respond to a students answer during
class discussion. This characteristic of disruptive behaviour is not limited to the students
with special needs or learning difficulties however it is often seen as a snowball effect,
once a student has displayed this behaviour of calling out, other students identify it as an
appropriate behaviour and continue to do so.

Talking and not listening during instruction/ modeling time:

Students, often when seated around their friends, will tend to have off topic conversations
this becomes distracting to others around them and prevents them from listening to
important discussions or modeling of activities.

Not following instructions

EEC 381 Classroom and Behaviour Management

Behaviour Management Plan Template
It is a common characteristic of students with Autism and ADHD to find it difficult to focus
and sustain attention when expected to follow instructions, instructions and modeling
aspects of activities is often repeated to Joshua and Luka in order to get them back on track
with their learning and activities.

Fidgeting with hands or feet or items around the room and movement out of their
seats during inappropriate times.

It has been noted that the students of the classroom with special needs and those that have
learning difficulties can be in constant motion, making it difficult for them to concentrate for
longer periods of time and inhibit the need to do so. Luka and Joshua, whilst seated on the
floor, can be found several times in the day touching or playing with books, puzzles and
storage containers that line the front of the classroom, another feature of the constant
motion is the aimless movement around the classroom at inappropriate times.

There are many more characteristics of the disruptive behavioural issue at hand, however
the ones mentioned are more frequently dealt with in this particular classroom than others.
Preventative strategies:

In order to prevent disruptive behaviour in the classroom it is important that strong
behavioural foundations are developed and laid from the beginning. A key preventative
strategy that works in conjunction with my philosophy is developing classroom rules with
the class and gives a certain amount of power (Tauber 2007, p.183) to the students.
Tauber elaborates the use of rules as the one criterion that educators are best able to use
tangibly to share the responsibility for solving problem behaviours (Tauber 2007, p. 175)
doing this allows students to be aware of the expectations of their behaviour and as they
have influenced the creation of these rules they will be more inclined to respect and adhere
to them. The rules that have been developed will be phrased in a positive manner, to
maintain the positive climate (Success for All Foundation 2007, p. 257) of the classroom. It
is especially important to display the rules around the classroom and in closer proximity (
(DuPaul, Weyandt & Janusis 2011, p. 36) to students with special needs, such as Luka and
Joshua.

EEC 381 Classroom and Behaviour Management

Behaviour Management Plan Template
Along with the regular praise for students who have been following the class rules, Luka and
Joshua will require more frequent praise (DuPaul, Weyandt & Janusis 2011, p. 36) More
Partin et al argues that teachers should provide praise that explicitly specifies desirable
behaviours and provides sufficient feedback about the correctness of students behaviour or
performance. in order reiterate, motivate and stimulate their want to display good
behaviour.

Sticker rewards and The Good- Behaviour Superheroes are two engaging ways to promote
positive behaviour; it is visual and draws on the interests of the class. Prizes, when reaching
the highest level on the Good- behaviour Superheroes, are chosen by the students as this
continues to highlight Glassers theory on satisfying an individuals need for power and
belonging.

Providing thorough and consistent classroom structure gives students like Joshua and Luka
more opportunity to stay on task and less opportunity to display disruptive behaviour.
Planning and implementing routines from the start, such as seating arrangements and
placing Joshua and Luka amongst students who are quiet and hardworking whilst breaking
up activities into smaller parts can be beneficial in making sure disruptive behaviour is
minimized.










Intervention strategies

EEC 381 Classroom and Behaviour Management

Behaviour Management Plan Template

Challenging behaviour can at times become present in the classroom regardless of the
preventative strategies that are in place. Children with special needs will need additional
support to lead them back on track to positive behaviour; this is where intervention
strategies come in to play. Sensory special needs toys such as a weighted snake or vest is
recommended to improve the way children process sensory information, causing them to
have less anxiety and over arousal (T.H, Unknown) as it targets, through pressure, the
brains neurotransmitters to control this reaction. Often students will wear the snake during
times where prolonged sitting and listening is expected, this technique works well on all
students and isnt restricted to students with special needs.

Following on from the structure in preventative strategies, making students such as Joshua
and Luka aware of the schools schedule has many advantages. Students with Autism
Spectrum Disorder and ADHD find the concept of time difficult, therefore Sequencing,
predicting and organising the order of events are also difficult. (Sue Larkey 2012, p. 2) from
this, communicating explanations of expected times to start and finish can be overlooked or
misunderstood and can cause stress or anxiety and in turn challenging behaviours.
Schedules are a way to reduce the stress and enables students to keep track of the days
events and activities as well as develop an understanding of time frames (Sue Larkey 2012,
p. 2)

To ensure the schedule is visually appealing, as Most students with Autism Spectrum
Disorder are visual learners, displaying a Timetable Train that presents the class daily
activities draws on the students interest and by creating an environment where the
students needs are being met we are leading them towards their quality world.



Critical Reflection:

EEC 381 Classroom and Behaviour Management

Behaviour Management Plan Template

It is a given that as an educators we will be faced with behavioural issues due to a number
of underlying factors, it is our responsibility to create opportunities for our diverse range of
students that benefit their learning and positively impact and fulfill their needs. The
strategies addressed within this plan aim to prevent negative behaviour amongst the whole
grade with skillful strategies to set foundations from the start as well as strategies to
intervene when challenging behaviour occurs regardless.

Both Preventative and Intervention strategies mentioned are suitable for a range of
students and can especially benefit the special needs students such as Luka and Joshua in
placing them back on track when the class is faced with constant interruptions. The
strategies chosen closely address Glassers Choice Theory as the students needs are studied
and supported by creating a nurturing learning environment that promotes student
wellbeing.

Allowing participation in creating classroom rules, praise after desirable behaviours,
consistent classroom structure through daily schedules and sensory toys, many aspects of
the students needs are addressed and a key focus on the outcomes of positive behaviour is
reinforced.





References:

Chinn, SJ 2010, Addressing The Unproductive Classroom Behaviours Of Students
With Special Needs, London: Jessica Kingsley Publishers, eBook Collection (EBSCOhost),
EBSCOhost, viewed 17 May 2016.

DuPaul, G, Weyandt, L, & Janusis, G 2011, 'ADHD in the Classroom: Effective
Intervention Strategies', Theory Into Practice, 50, 1, pp. 35-42, Education Source,
EBSCOhost, viewed 17 May 2016.

Graham, L 2015, The hit and miss of dealing with disruptive behaviour in schools,
Australian Association for Research in Education, retrieved 17 May 2016, <
http://www.aare.edu.au/blog/?p=1085>

EEC 381 Classroom and Behaviour Management

Behaviour Management Plan Template
Larkey, S 2012, Strategies for teaching students with Autism Spectrum Disorder and
other students with special needs, Learning Links, retrieved 19 May 2016,
http://www.learninglinks.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/LLIS-03_AutismStrategies.pdf


Lyons, Gordon; Ford, Margot 2015, Classroom Management : Creating Positive
Learning Environment, e-book, accessed 16 May 2016,
<http://deakin.eblib.com.au/patron/FullRecord.aspx?p=1990991>.


Martens, B, & Kelly, S 1993, 'A behavioral analysis of effective teaching', School
Psychology Quarterly, 8, 1, pp. 10-26, PsycARTICLES, EBSCOhost, viewed 16 May 2016.


Success for All Foundation 2007, Solutions Manual - Preventative Strategies for
Classroom Management, SFA, retrieved 17 May 2016, <
http://www.district148.net/mentor/monthly%20meeting%20resources/oct%20classroom%
20management/preventative%20strategies%20for%20classroom%20amnagement.pdf>


T., H 2014, 'Weighted Blankets for Children with Autistic Spectrum Disorders', School
Health Alert, 29, 7, pp. 2-3 2p, CINAHL Complete, EBSCOhost, viewed 19 May 2016.

Tauber, R T 2011, Classroom Management: Sound Theory and Effective Practice,
Greenwood Publishing Group, retrieved 30th March 2016, <
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g6a6mh8hNnZDglslw%3d%3d&t=1460369600&h=2B6507C7FEF0615F65A5A9CE2AF23F2B7
8A96561&s=24272018&ut=484&pg=1&r=img&c=-1&pat=n&cms=-1&sd=1