If a student has trouble staying seated while you're teaching, a behavior chart can help.
When you’re choosing behaviors to modify with students in your classroom, it’s important that they be well within the students’ reach and not at a level of frustration.
Focus on one easy-to-achieve behaviors before increasing expectations. It’s okay if the behavior you put on the behavior chart is one that he’s “supposed to do anyway.”
The whole point in using behavior charts is to help your student get in the habit of doing more of the good stuff that makes your classroom move smoothly and makes it conducive for everyone to learn.
Not only do you need to make sure that the behavior you’re working on is doable, but you need to write it in the proper way on the behavior chart.
Here’s what I mean…
Here are some suggestions for appropriate behaviors worded in ways you DO want to use:
- Raise your hand before speaking.
- Turn in assignments.
- Walk in the hallways.
- Speak softly when working in groups.
- Stay in your seat when I’m teaching.
The important thing about these behaviors is that they are measurable, simple, and positively stated. You want to focus on what you want them to do, not what you don’t want them to do.
Here are examples of behaviors you DO NOT want to use on these charts:
- Don’t yell.
- Stop running down the hall.
- No fighting.
- No interrupting.
- Don’t call out while I’m teaching.
Notice that these are all the behaviors you want them to stop. They draw attention to the bad behavior.
Instead of drawing attention to these, focus on the behavior that you do want. Then it’s your job to “catch the students being good”. In this way, the desired behavior gets reinforced and you’re praising them when they’re doing the appropriate action.
