Build a positive, connected COMMUNITY

Mindset

Adopt a restorative mindset to students and their behaviours

In any school, a culture of respect starts with the leaders of the school and their professional interactions and the relationships they build with all of their staff. As adults, we can model and influence the behaviour of our students.

When we are burned out, unhappy, stressed and resentful, it often leads to being impatient of others and disrespectful to our colleagues and our students. Our students see this and they feel the animosity. In some ways, it gives them permission to behave in a certain way.

To increase the respect levels amongst the young people we work with, the easiest starting point is to lead by example with the interactions we have with other adults. Basically, the best way to teach respect it by modelling the behaviours and interactions that we want to have with our young people.

The likelihood of the brain responding with positive affect to respectful interactions is extremely high and can be very rewarding for everyone.

Building a culture of respect doesn’t happen overnight and there is no quick fix. It takes lots of little positive interactions, everyday

Conduct

Encouraging expected behaviours

Providing students with feedback when they display desirable behaviours promotes a calm and orderly environment, supports increase sense of connectedness and belonging and promotes learning. It also helps to build quality teacher-student relationships through building respect.

What this principle looks like for:

Staff

·         Develop systems (with students and support) to monitor and incentivise desired behaviours using the SWPBS matrix

·         Use priming to encourage students to display the expected behaviours

·         Explicitly teach students the expected behaviours

·         Provide positive feedback to students regarding performance against the expected behaviours using affective statements and language

·         Use reflective circles to get students reflecting on their own performance

·         Model expected behaviours

·         Use tangible reinforcers such as verbal praise, merit awards (Compass) and values postcards to acknowledge students who are doing the right thing

·         Use structured time (meetings, yarning circles, etc.) to analyse the data and develop strategies to support positive student behaviour (postcards)

Students

·         Attend to explicit modelling and teaching of expected behaviours (SWPBS matrix)

·         Encourage peers to engage in the expected behaviours and remind others when they are not

·         Provide respectful feedback to the teacher when expectations are not clear

·         Be kind to others and show compassion in the learning environment

Families and carers 

·         Acknowledge positive reinforcers from school such as merit awards and postcards

·         Support the classroom teacher by priming desired student behaviours (information to be provided) and encouraging young people to demonstrate the expected behaviours

Discouraging inappropriate behaviours

All behaviour is a person’s best attempt to have their needs met. All students make mistakes in their behaviour, they are children, their brains are not fully developed, and when they do it is our role to use these mistakes as opportunities for learning. Providing students with consistent, timely and calm feedback about their behaviour and teaching them the replacement behaviours leads to a more calm and productive learning environment. Helping students to develop empathy for others, we help them to understand the consequences of their behaviour and to develop the motivation to change their behaviours for the better.

If we respond to inappropriate behaviour using consistent cues and responses, we also magnify the impact of our efforts to change student behaviour and enhance motivation for learning.

Staff

·         Identify appropriate stored responses for when students demonstrate key inappropriate behaviours and implement these responses consistently

·         Develop responses in collaboration with students for each class

·         Provide feedback to students to correct behaviour in a calm and consistent manner with a focus on the impact of the behaviour on others (restorative practice)

·         Use affective statements to help students identify the impact of their behaviours and to develop their empathy for others ‘

·         Use P3, P3, F3 conversations and conferencing techniques

·         Communicate proactively around breaches in student behaviour to build a strong sense of collective responsibility

Students

·         Reflect on behaviour when a staff member (or another student) identifies that behaviour is not in line with school values

·         Engage with restorative processes such as the withdrawal system to support developing positive relationships with others

·         Repair any harm that is done through conferencing

·         Work collaboratively with members of the community to identify self-regulation strategies by identifying triggers and developing alternative responses to these

Parents and carers 

·         Work in partnership with teachers to support changes to student behaviour when needed

·         Where appropriate, provide information to classroom teachers regarding potential triggers or additional supports needed for students to be successful in their learning.

Language

Communicate clearly and with care

With students

Use a ratio of 5:1 positive vs critical interactions in the classroom. Be careful not to label the student, focus on the behaviour. Choose your words carefully and use priming techniques to encourage students to demonstrate the expected behaviours. Make sure that your recognition and praise language is received positively.

Use partial agreement statements to diffuse debates and avoid power struggles. Have one on one discussions with students away from peers to discuss inappropriate behaviour where this is possible. Use the withdrawal process when it is not possible and to provide the space for a calm and productive conversation about the behaviour and its impact. Ensure that you make the time for conferencing with students, particularly after a withdrawal but also anytime that there is a conflict.

Build and maintain positive relationships with parents and carers

Building positive relationships with parents/carers is an important part of creating a supportive learning environment for students, and is essential for a holistic approach to behaviour management. By connecting with parents at the start of the school year, whether that be through email or positive phone calls home, teachers can establish collaborative partnerships and gain valuable insights into students' individual needs and circumstances.