I recently reflected on the practice of setting and maintaining high behavioral expectations in the classroom. I spent some time reflecting on these concepts through the specific lens of producing responsible behavior in the classroom.

This reflection was prompted after listening in on a few conversations being had by veteran teachers. After listening to several conversations I began to reflect on my approach to handling those behaviors now that I have more than an academic understanding of classroom management.

I seem to begin every reflection concerning behavior with the same question “What is this student trying to communicate through this behavior?” I believe all behavior is a form of communication and decoding the communication of behavior is important. Students are crafty, and they know how to get, or get out of, something by ‘behaving’ in a certain manner (the function of behavior).

The first scenario I reflected on encompassed a classroom narrative by “Ms. S”.

Ms. S has an extremely disruptive class and she is both frustrated and concerned about the students’ classroom behavior. Ms. S has employed a rewards system and tried to follow through with consequences for bad behavior, but the students are still disruptive. Ms. S often becomes so frustrated with the student’s behavior that she admits to sometimes ‘losing her cool’ by yelling at the students. Ms. S has even gone so far as to drop a book on the floor because she thought the loud noise would get the students attention.

Disruptive behavior in Ms. S’s classroom looks like the student’s:

• Calling out
• Leaving their seats,
• Talking with other students during instructional time
• Making inappropriate comments both to the teacher and to other students
• Not following directions

 Ms. S has tried such consequences as:

• Writing students’ names on the board for talking after several warnings,
• Threatening to contact parents for disruptive behavior,
• Threatening to ‘write-up’ students for not following directions,
• Detention for students throwing objects or not complying with instruction; and,
  
• The removal of a student’s desk from the class for making faces and causing other students to laugh.

Ms. S has even gone so far as to hold students after the dismissal bell because she had not verbally dismissed the class and when the students began to leave regardless of her verbal commands to remain seated, she physically blocked the student’s egress.

Disruptive behavior can adversely affect the classroom environment and negatively affect the learning experience of students. Although it is ideal to prevent disruptive behavior before it begins, there are times when active measures must be taken once disobedience has become classroom culture.

Since Ms. S’s classroom exhibits almost every disruptive behavior imaginable and from all students, it can easily be assumed that Ms. S is frustrated, tired, and discouraged regarding her student’s classroom behavior—it can also be easily assumed that her students know this.

To change this classroom culture, Ms. S’s first action needs to be an evaluation of herself. Taking inventory of your own emotional consistency as a teacher is important. When a teacher consistently manages his or her emotions it encourages student learning and achievement by creating a safe environment of calm and learning. Since teachers are the leaders of classroom culture, the teacher’s emotions dictate classroom culture.

There are several strategies to help a teacher maintain emotional consistency in the classroom:

1. Walk slowly towards the problem situation to give a moment or two to regain composure before addressing the problem,
2. Ensure that the words used in a problem situation condemn the behavior, not people,
3. Make sure to take the relationship out of any corrective action;
4. Be conscious and cautious of tone and non-verbal signals; and,
5. Avoid globalizing the problem situation or behavior.

It is important to avoid showing the students that their behaviors have flustered the teacher in any way. While easier said than done, when a close read of one’s own behavior is done, the results can inspire meaningful behavior change for the individual as well as meaningful classroom cultural change.