Managing_and_Responding_to_the_Behaviour

Literature review Module 3 Word count 952 This section of the assignment will focus on managing and responding to different behaviours in the learning environment. I will research different views on this in the literature, legislations and policies. Montgomery (1989) describes behaviour which has to be managed as ‘any kind of behaviour which prevents the teacher from teaching and the learner from learning’ (pg 10). These types and levels of the behaviour vary considerably according to teacher’s personal views, beliefs and experiences. Armitage et.al. (2003) and Montgomery (1989) both agree that it also very much depends on a teachers personal levels of tolerance, judgement and mood on a particular day. However Montgomery (1989) adds that the teacher should learn to take control of his/her personal feeling to ensure fair and effective response to the behaviour. There are many types of disruptive behaviour which affect the learning environment such as lateness, shouting, swearing, throwing things, calling others names, sarcasm and in some cases even aggression towards others. Technologies such as mobile phones or MP3 players can cause disruption if used without the permission of a teacher. Cohen et. al. (2004) point out that we as teachers have a legal responsibility to maintain order and discipline within the learning environment, under the School Teachers’ Pay and Conditions Act, 1991. This Act not only sets the arrangements for the pay of all the teachers but also sets out their teaching and learning responsibility. The Education and Inspections Act 2006 gives schools and those working within them legal power when dealing with behaviour and discipline of pupils. Cohen et. al. (2004) point out that all schools are required to have a behavioural policy which sets out clear instructions for rewards, punishments and procedures for handling bad behaviour. It must also include indications on how to deal with bullying in all its forms. This policy must be presented to all staff and students. He also adds that these policies are applied consistently and fairly in the best schools however at the same time he presents a study which indicates that 50% out of 2000 researched schools witness some kind of violence or crime. Misbehaviour in the learning environment can be triggered by many causes. Kyriacou in A Guide to Teaching Practice by Cohen et. al. (2004) suggests these: boredom, prolonged mental effort, inability to do the work, low academic self-esteem, emotional difficulties, poor attitudes and lack of negative consequences for disruptive behaviour (pg 292). To create a smooth and enjoyable learning environment the teacher must learn how to minimise these. One of the first steps in minimising any mischievous behaviour in a learning environment should be creating ground rules. Montgomery (1989) indicates that it is good practice to set clear rules at the first instance of meeting the group of pupils. She also adds that an explanation of the rules helps understanding and gains more compliance. She explains this by saying that ‘often the pupils do not perceive the long term consequences of their actions or the usefulness of some of the classroom rules, and so the explanation can help’ (pg 112). Other strategies suggested by Cohen et. al. (2004) to minimise misbehaviour are: scan and circulate round the classroom to identify learning problems, keep eye contact with students, notice any misbehaviour on the first instance and respond to it (eye contact can be more powerful than verbal reprimand), move or separate the students, change activities or pace of them (pg 297). Armitage el. al. (2003) stress the importance of consistency and fairness to all and add that the teacher has to send a clear message to the students that it is the behaviour which is unacceptable, not the person. To minimise disruptive behaviour teachers should focus on creating a positive and more interesting atmosphere where the students would be more engaged in their learning. Cohen et. al. (2004) suggest ideas such as promoting positive behaviour rather than focusing on the negative, rewarding good behaviour, giving verbal and non-verbal praise, giving the students ‘voice’, avoiding sarcasm, giving the students equal opportunity to contribute and to learn, and many more. Some disruptive behaviour can be present due to undiagnosed learning difficulties of the student. Montgomery (1989) notes that in 1970 a third of boys with behaviour problems in the classroom had specific reading or writing difficulties. Because their work was being constantly marked as untidy or careless they became frustrated and angry which led to bad behaviour in the classroom. I work in a specialised college for young adults with varied range of difficulties and disabilities. Because of this I researched in the literature how disabilities and difficulties affect behaviour in a similar learning environment and how we can manage it. I looked closely into the challenges which teachers have to overcome when teaching students with autism. Jordan and Powell (1995) point out that the majority of individuals with autism have additional learning difficulties, many of them severe. This presents a great challenge to the teacher. As Wendy Brown has said in Understanding and Teaching Children with Autism (Jordan and Powell 1995) ‘the child with autism likes to do what he or she likes to do’ (pg 27). Jordan and Powell (1995) add that it is crucial to remember not to expect the student to learn more than one thing at a time and the levels of difficulty of the problem should not be increased more than one step at a time. They also add that behavioural problems are common in individuals with autism and the kind and level of problem vary according to circumstances and the person’s personality and degree of autism. This proves to me that each student is an individual and has to be treated individually according to his or hers needs to promote an effective and enjoyable learning environment no matter what students I teach.