Group Activity 4 - Behavourism

Behaviourism deals with the links between behaviour and its consequences.  In Group Activity 4, teachers shared several new strategies they were exploring to change behaviours in their classrooms.  These ranged from the way learns were perceived to think (active and passive thinkers), to returning to class on time after breaks, to classroom disruptions.  Most, if not all, of the strategies provided were said to have had positive effects on the class.  A variety of them look promising as strategies I will try out in my classrooms as well.  I will outline some of these below.

1.  Positive reinforcement of good students.  In many cases, ill-disciplined students get a lot of attention in the classroom.  By focusing on commending students who behave well in a class (such as answering questions, being attentive, taking their notes) instead of constantly rebuking those who misbehave, positive behaviour is reinforced.  Those students are then encouraged to keep doing well.  The students who are ill-disciplined subsequently strive to do better in an effort to get some of the attention that the good students are - the bad try to emulate the good.

2.  Giving students responsibility for chores around the school instead of suspending them for infractions.  This includes keeping the environment clean and tidy after break and lunch.  This way, students remain in school and get to attend classes while being punished for their infractions.

3. Planning lessons that require more group collaboration.  In this way, students who like to talk a lot during class have a way of focusing their discussions positively rather than disruptively.

4.  My own change of strategy involved having students determine what behaviour is appropriate in the classroom.  I held discussions about how they should behave after the bell rings to signal the start of a session.  Instead of telling them what is to be expected, I allowed them to discuss and suggest appropriate behaviours ranging from getting to class and picking up classroom litter, to raising their hands to ask questions and focusing on the lesson instead of cross-talking.  I pointed out that these things were their ideas and that I expect to see them in action.