Mini Course Part 1

7/28/2019 Mini Course Part 1

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BEHAVIOUR NEEDS CLASSROOM MANAGEMENT MINI-COURSE Part 1

2011 Behaviour Needs All Rights Reserved

www.behaviourneeds.com

Classroom ManagementMini Course

How to PREVENT and DEAL with

Behaviour Problems in the Classroom


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Rob Plevin is an ex-deputy head teacher, behaviour managementspecialist and relentless optimist. He runs the websiteswww.behaviourneeds.com, www.classroom-expert.com &www.lesson-ology.com and presents training courses internationally

on working successfully with challenging young people for teachers,lecturers, care workers, prison officers and parents. His live courses andINSET sessions are frequently described as unforgettable (by

attendees with proven high standards of memory) and he was rated asan outstanding teacher by the UKs Office for Standards in

Education.

"I found Rob Plevin's workshop just in time to save me from giving up. It should be compulsory - everybody

in teaching should attend a Needs-Focused workshop and meet the man with such a big heart who will make you

see the important part you can play in the lives of your most difficult pupils."

Heather Beames, Teacher, London course attendee

To book Rob for INSET or to enquire about live training please visit the help desk atwww.behaviourneeds.com/helpdeskOR CALL 08452712818 (UK)
http://www.behaviourneeds.com/http://www.behaviourneeds.com/http://www.classroom-expert.com/http://www.classroom-expert.com/http://www.lesson-ology.com/http://www.lesson-ology.com/http://www.behaviourneeds.com/helpdeskhttp://www.behaviourneeds.com/helpdeskhttp://www.behaviourneeds.com/helpdeskhttp://www.lesson-ology.com/http://www.classroom-expert.com/http://www.behaviourneeds.com/


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Part 1

The Needs-Focused ApproachSatisfying the need to belong Building classroom community

Hi,

Yesterday I introduced the idea ofsatisfying needs to prevent classroom behaviour problems.Its a sensible idea - to manage behaviour problems the easiest way, by preventing themhappening in the first place. Well be covering methods for actually dealingwith your biggestclassroom management problems later on in the course but for now lets look at preventingasmany as we can.

Were going to start by satisfying the need to belong. Have you noticed that you tend to feelbetter about yourself when youre surrounded by supportive friends? Its the same youre yourstudents. They will work best and cause least problems when they feel they are part of acommunity in which they feel accepted and in which their individuality is encouraged. Bydefinition a community is a group of people who work with one another building a sense oftrust, care, and support. This means that in our classrooms, part of our job is to provideopportunities and structures by which students can work collaboratively and support and helpone another.

Here are two good ways to build classroom community: Student Meetings and Team-Building

activities.

1. Student Meetings

Student meetings are valuable tools for handling issues that arise and for finding out what isworking for your students, and for seeking ideas about how things can improve in areas thatare notworking. They are also perfect for building bonds with your students (which well talkmore about tomorrow). Meetings can be arranged on a 1:1 basis or by assigning students tosmall focus groups of 4-5.

During a student meeting the main objective is to convince students that this is an opportunity

for them to have a voice - a chance to talk about issues which are bothering them and to putforward their own ideas for how things could improve.

Important: The purpose of the meetings is not to apportion blame or complain about lack ofwork, rather to solicit ideas for improvement from the students and to talk about what is


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working (well do more of these activities) and what isnt working (well do fewer of theseactivities.or seek to improve them).

Student meetings should be held regularly at least once a month to get most benefit from

them.

2. Team-building activities

The benefits of team-building exercises and getting-to-know-you activities in relation todeveloping peer relationships and classroom community are well known. They provideopportunities for individual students to develop communication skills, appreciate each othersstrengths and capabilities and, most importantly in terms of community building, bond witheach other. Activities can be incorporated into lessons as aids to learning or can be scheduledas one-off lessons or starter activities. Time spent off curriculum on these activities is neverwasted and will be paid back in terms of increased motivation, improved morale and better

relationships.

To find suitable activities just google the term team-building activities. Most activities of thisnature have been designed for the corporate world but can be adapted to all areas of thecurriculum with minimal modification.

Here are a couple of examples of Team-Building Activities from our Lesson Resource Pack:Lesson-Ology.

Team Builder 8:

Photo Scavenger Hunt

Time:Whole lesson - 60 minutes

Number of People:Any Size

Materials: Digital camera for each group

Preparation:

Write up the Scavenger Hunt comprising of a series of staged

photographs which teams must collect. Some examples might be:Form a

letter of the alphabet with your bodies, create a human pyramid etc.

Directions:

1.Divide group into teams of 4-6 people.

2.Hand out the Scavenger Hunt form.
http://www.lesson-ology.com/http://www.lesson-ology.com/http://www.lesson-ology.com/


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3.Inform students of the expectations/restrictions. Some possibilitiesmight be:

a.Every group member must be in the picture except thephotographer.

b.The photographer must be different for every photo.c.Time limit=40 minutes.d.You must ask for a pass/permission to leave the room. (It may be

easier to bring them outside or to an open empty space.)

e.Stay as quiet as possible in the hallway.f.No entering any other classroom.

4.As the groups finish, download the pictures onto the computer.5.View them as a group or set them up as a display in time for the next

class period.

Variation:

Teams have to take photos of a series of curriculum-related information

such as pictures of pages in text books etc.

Team Builder 10:

Bridge Builders

Time: 30 minutes.

Number of People: Any.

Materials: Per group: 5 sheets of broadsheet newspaper, 1 metre of

masking tape, 1 tin of baked beans.

Directions:

1.Divide students into groups of 4-6 and allocate materials.

2. State the object of the exercise and allow five minutes

planning time.

3. Challenge students to build a free standingbridge, using

materials supplied, that will:

a. support the tin of beans for 10 seconds;b. be tall enough for the tin to pass under (as though it

were a boat).


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4. After the planning session, inform students that they have ten

minutes to complete the task.

5. When time is up, hold The Great Bridge Test! Test the

constructions and find out if they stand up to the cans weightand height tests.

The great thing about these activities is that students find them fun to take part in. Getting yourmost challenging students interested in anyactivity in the classroom (even one not strictlyrelated to the curriculum) is a tremendous first step in changing negative attitudes and oncethey see that the classroom can be interesting and enjoyable, you have a foundation forgrowth and further learning.

Tomorrow well look at ways you can improve the teacher/student relationship and build bondswith hard-to-reach students.

Until then, best wishes,

Rob PlevinDirectorBehaviour Needs Ltd

Documents

Mini Course Part 1