Establish your expectations for class behaviours early on, create a My Job, Your Job with the class.
Outline both productive and disruptive behaviours.
Outline the process by which disruptive behaviours will be addressed and the consequences.
Discuss classroom expectations regarding behaviour on the first day of class. Talk about behaviour you want to see (Your Job), as well as behaviour that is disruptive (Your Job is Not). Continually refer to this.
Model the type of behavior you expect from your class.
Use positive behaviour and recognise students when they exhibit positive behaviour. Descriptive encouraging provides feedback to students on their performance, it reinforces class rules, it strengthens the teacher-student relationship and it reinforces appropriate behaviour i.e. it increases the likelihood that the behaviour will be exhibited again under similar circumstances.
Describe exactly the behaviour you want to see. For example: “Steven has started work”. “This group is on task”. “Melissa is doing what you were asked to do”. “Most students have moved to the right place”.
Deliver in a genuine fashion. Some students will prefer to be praised or encouraged privately. Group encouragement and group praise is appropriate on occasions, but look to target individual students.
Use praise frequently.
It will be easy to praise some students because they do their work well and are cooperative. Make a special effort to find things to praise when the student is not a good performer and often misbehaves.General praise statements and words such as good, great, well done terrific etc., have limited long-term benefit. It is more effective to be specific in praise.
Encourage students to praise each other and themselves.