Don’t be an Indecisive teacher: hoping for compliance but not insisting; being timid in the face of a challenge; pleading not directing. These days, Rogers works as an education consultant who specialises in discipline and behaviour-management issues, lecturing widely and coaching teachers about how they can get better at managing behaviour.

We always distinguish between our characteristic use of language in discipline and bad day syndrome. We all have bad days, as do our students. We’re obviously fallible. What our students remember is our characteristic language as a key feature of our relationship with them. Imagine that a pair of students were talking to each other when they should have been working silently. You directthem to work in silence, but they respond with a whining complaint, but we’re not the only ones talking. You refuse to enter the side argument, restate your directionand move away. This exciting new edition of the best-selling and beloved teacher's companion looks at the everyday behaviour issues facing teachers working in today's classrooms. Describing real situations and dilemmas, Bill Rogers provides theoretically sound strategies and best practices to support you in meeting the challenges of the job, as well as building up a rapport with both students and colleagues to enable positive and productive learning environments. Podcasts where Bill explains his ideas and ethos in more detail as well as answering teachers' FAQs note the use of ‘Thank you' rather than ‘Please'. This signals compliance. I mentioned this in a previous post based on a behaviour management PD I attended run by Glen Pearsall)Positive Correction: the basic premise that teachers and schools should adopt a non-confrontational approach to discipline, based on positive teacher-student relationships, respect for the dignity and rights of individuals, choices about consequences of behaviour and encouragement for student self-discipline. You have directed a student to work silently. Soon after, they begin to chat. You then force this student by giving them a choice – you can choose to work silently, or I will have to move you. Repair & Rebuild: the imperative to work hard to build and repair the damage that is done when things don’t work out. Bill suggests we ignore secondary behaviour (muttering under breath, rolling eyes, indulgent sighs), and instead focus on primary behaviour such whether the student is doing work, on their phone, calling out, or actively directing inappropriate language or actions towards yourself or another student. In his book, Classroom Behaviour: A Practical Guide to Effective Teaching, Behaviour management and Colleague Support, Bill Rogers discussed everything from the dynamics of students behaviour and how both teacher and student behaviours effect each other; to how teacher can support each other in the school with issues such as the hard-to-manage class to stress and coping.

The when-then structure offers you an easy way to use conditional permission. When you have finished your notes, then you can search for suitable images for your assignment. When you have eaten your fruit, then you may go to play. As with parenting, the art is getting the balance: not overused or generated from real anger – thus de-sensitising children OR under-used and ineffectual. In both of these cases the boundaries are hit constantly because there is uncertainty about where the boundaries are. With good ‘controlled severity’ the boundary is not hit so often –because the kids know exactly what will happen. Like a low voltage electric fence! You know where it is, without nagging or constant negotiation, and you know exactly what happens if you touch it – so you don’t go there. The key is that the consequence is certain to happen – not the level of severity. Teachers who can never sound cross often struggle. Similarly, teachers who allow genuine anger to build up – also struggle; these are the shouters (note to younger self.) Worst of all are teachers who shout but then don’t follow up with the consequences. All these groups need to seek help and get help. Are you talking ...?” (to students clearly talking, while the teacher is conducting whole-class teaching). Teacher: “Maybe not – but we’re all clear on the rules about that aren’t we..and I’d like you to help me out next time, Thanks. ” School wide positive behaviour support (SW-PBS) is a systematic individualised strategy that is commonly implemented in schools to achieve social and emotional learning outcomes while avoiding negative behaviours (Kwang-Sun et al. 20ll). SW-PBS is split up into three separate categories, including primary, secondary and tertiary. Primary includes strategies that are designed for all student behaviours. Secondary extends deeper, focusing on strategies, which are designed for specific groups of students, classes and individuals at risk of negative behaviours. The tertiary level, are specific strategies, which are, implemented for specific individuals with severe behaviour issues. Sainato (1990) describes this strategy as a strategy that aims to increase positive behaviours and adaptive skills, whilst significantly decreasing negative behaviours that occur.If a student hasn’t got a pen in the first few lessons, I provide him with what he needs. If after several lessons it’s clear this is more than forgetfulness, we will need to work with the student on a one-to-one plan to enable his responsibility (see Rogers, 2011). In the classroom itself we never argue about why a student hasn’t got the necessary equipment. If the student refuses to co-operate with the fair direction, reminder, or directed choice and his behaviour is clearly affecting the learning and safety of others, we will need to be more intrusive and apply clear, firm and calm time-out measures. Marzano has states outcomes for teachers through reading The Art and Science of Teachingand these are: The use of time-out is a necessary option where repeated distracting or disruptive behaviour is affecting the learning or safety of other students. It enables the student to calm down and refocus. A clear, staged policy and practice is required and there should be several ways in which a student can be directed to a time-out area in the classroom. Teachers should be able to call on a nearby colleague to assist a pupil, or a senior teacher if necessary. According to Rogers, the first few sessions with a new class are crucial for setting the right tone, as are the first few minutes of any lesson. If you can get off on the right foot from the moment that your students walk through the door, he suggests, you can improve your chances of staying on top of behaviour throughout the lesson.

In my teacher training prior to my first placement I was told that the students would google me, but I wasn't told how much they'd drill me in person, even to the point of asking ‘What's your favourite football team?' when I'm trying to explain how to do some maths on the board! Do we consciously seek to avoid unnecessary confrontation, embarrassment or sarcasm? Do we consciously seek to cue positive corrective language, “Do ...” rather than “Don’t ...”; “When… then” rather than “No you can’t… because ...” Do we seek to be least intrusive where possible? If we need to be more intrusive, are we able to speak assertively and decisively while communicating a sense of calmness? Necessary assertion and communicating calmness are not antithetical. BR: You’re most welcome and I wish my colleagues all the best for a fresh new year with their students. Whoever happens to listen to this and read, I wish you all the best for your teaching journey this year. Focus on what you want the student to do, not stop doing what they are doing. E.g. it is better to say, work silentlythen stop talking.

Sage: Upper Footer (AU)

Written jargon-free in Bill′s accessible and empathetic voice it includes in-depth strategies, practical examples, case studies and pragmatic hints and tips to put in to practice. This will make for informative and inspiring reading to all those involved in educating our children and young people. I originally thought a day on this topic would have been best held at the start of the year so I could put the ideas in place from then. But I found that hearing this now - I could relate so much more strongly to the things I recognised I needed to change after two terms of trying things my way. This will definitely make me a better teacher.”

Some teachers struggle with this one, but it is one of the most potent behaviour management techniques you could use. He has written a number of books on behaviour management, discipline, colleague support, and teacher stress.So, my colleagues and I put a lot of thought into what we call ‘the language of behaviour management’ and ‘the language of discipline’ so that we can get that reasonably creative tension between leadership and relationship established in those critical first few weeks. A lot of my success with challenging classes was due to the work of behaviour management guru Dr Bill Rogers – a real teacher with extensive expertise in behaviour management. Podcasts where Bill explains his ideas and ethos in more detail as well as answering teachers′ FAQs