Behavior Management Ideas

Amazing Behavior Management

For all the different teachers out there, there are as many different behavior management ideas. There is no one magical answer to mastering student behaviors. Some teachers use multiple ways with multiple kids. Some teachers have one simple solution. I know that in my classroom, I had new strategies depending on what week of the year it was. It changed all the time.

I’m writing this blog post to bring many different ideas to you so that you can try out new strategies and techniques! I hope it inspires you to try something new or improve a strategy you’re already using.

Keep them moving

Many times, when kids are moving or acting out, their mind just needs a break. Looking back on my years of teaching, there were many situations where I’ve had to get after a wild child or two, but could have avoided that had I given them more opportunities to move.

Brain Breaks became a staple in my classroom and are one of my favorite behavior management ideas from two years ago when I discovered Adventure to Fitness and GoNoodle.

Behavior management tips and tricks- ideas for great behavior management

Brain Breaks

GoNoodle is a fantastic and free way to give kids brain breaks. You can also pay for the yearly membership, which provides even more content!

Brain breaks in the classroom
Adventure to fitness website

Adventure to Fitness is a wonderful tool to use. It is a little bit longer than a five-minute brain break, but you can save your progress, and the kids can come in and out of their adventures. This is wonderful for indoor recess or a refocusing time after a transition, such as specials or lunch.

Happy teachers cup

No time for tech? The Happy Teacher has you covered! Click her blog post for a fabulous idea.

Create relationships from the beginning

Making a student feel safe and secure can prevent many issues of acting out. If they know that they’re individually loved and cared for, this may decrease the number of situations where a student acts out in order to get your attention. Treat your students like adults. Shakes their hands when they enter your classroom. Look them in the eye. Call them by their names. Make them feel like they belong there.

Focus on the positive

Sometimes, you’ll have that kiddo that this may seem tough for! But trust me, that kiddo is the one that needs your love the most. Try the 4:1 ratio which is four positives to every negative. That way, whenever a student is corrected or called out, they don’t feel overwhelmed with negativity. Keep the same thing in mind for parent communication. Send home 1-2 positive notes or emails home about their kiddos before you call home with anything negative. It’s too overwhelming to only hear about the negative. But reminding them of the things they’re doing right builds confidence and reiterates what you’re looking for in your classroom.

Try the traditional systems

Clip charts and color changes are your traditional behavior management systems. I started my first two years using the color change system. Although I didn’t love the inability for the child to redeem themselves after a color change, it was my district’s behavior plan, and I stuck to it. Then, I talked to my principal and told him about clip charts that I had seen on Pinterest and TPT. He was intrigued by this behavior management idea. He agreed to let me use it, and I never went back. The great thing about clip charts is that the students have the opportunity to redeem themselves after a rough start to the day. It also gives a bit of padding if they’ve had a great day, but maybe melted down in the last half hour of school.

Color Changing Clip Chart – Behavior Management Ideas

Color changing clip chart.

 I first used the Lakeshore behavior chart.

Classroom behavior chart idea.
Classroom behavior chart idea.

(Source Owl Decor and Chalk Owl Decor)

Then I started using the vertical system. On the left is what I used first, then I decided the year after to put it next to my rules so that the students could read through the classroom rules after a clip down.

Try the new technology systems

Class Dojo is a newer technology system that makes behavior management meaningful and fun for the kids! I have never had a class that didn’t love their avatars and earning their points.

Class DoJo
Class DoJo

(Source: FlapJack Education and  Mrs. Cain’s Creations)

Class DoJo tips and tricks.

Whole-Class System – Behavior Management Ideas

Haley from My Silly Firsties has great ideas for how to use this as a whole-class system.

OR try new noise level systems as one behavior management idea. Using apps, you can measure the noise in your classroom and let the students be in control of their own noise level.

Behavior management tips and tricks- ideas for great behavior management
Behavior management tips and tricks- ideas for great behavior management

(Source: Free Tech for Teachers and Secrets of the Second Grade Sisters)

Give them a safe place

If you have some serious behavior issues in your class that can be set off no matter how many behavior management techniques you use, you need safety measures put in place to keep all of your darlings safe. One year, I had two E.B.D. students who had violent tantrums. Luckily, I had an assistant at the time who could help with my class while I helped out my buddies. Sometimes, a cool-down station was all they needed. They met with our counselor and our counselor suggested these students remove themselves from any situation before they feel their anger rise. If the students removed themselves from a situation, the cool-down station was where they went to feel better.

Behavior management tips and tricks- ideas for great behavior management

(Source: Unknown- broken link on Pinterest)

Experiment with the Whole Brain Teaching

Two years ago, I started using bits and pieces of W.B.T. It’s a very big classroom system to take on and learn, but it was well worth it. The call/response kept my kids alert and responsible. My kids were always very attentive whenever they knew they were about to call/respond using hand motions. I knew since it was brand new to me that I needed to ease my way into it, but after a while, it becomes natural!

Behavior management tips and tricks- ideas for great behavior management
Behavior management tips and tricks- ideas for great behavior management

(Source: Mrs. Ricca’s Kindergarten and An Apple for the Teacher)

Grab more ideas for Whole Brain Teaching on my WBT Pinterest Board.

And grab more ideas for behavior management on my Behavior Management Pinterest Board.

Behavior Management Ideas

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Behavior management tips and tricks- ideas for great behavior management
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