Behaviour Management Plan
Dannevirke South
School
Behaviour Management
Teaching the expectation and rules
To keep our students mindful of the rules and thus to keep our school a peaceful place where everyone can learn, we do the following things when teaching:
· We teach and refer to our school-wide expectations frequently in the course of our classroom teaching program
· We provide students with praise first for accomplishing new tasks, following rules and meeting school-wide expectations, and then correction only where problem behaviour occurs.
· We talk to students with respect using positive voice tone.
· We actively engage everyone in the class during instruction.
· We use pre-correcting, prompting, positive reinforcement and redirection as we teach.
· We look for the positive first, and provide immediate, frequent, specific and positive feedback.
Positive reinforcement and rewards
We use a dual system of rewards in relation to encouraging positive behaviour in all students.
1. Positive reinforcement. Teachers will issue ‘tickets’ to reinforce knowledge and successful practice of rules. These will be frequent and tangible rewards, issued with verbal praise, to students who are successfully following the rules. These tickets will be placed into a classroom draw each week. Two winners will be drawn each week from each class and these students will be able to present their ticket to the Principal for a small reward at 1.30pm on Fridays.
Whole school rewards will be used to reinforce positive behaviour.
2. Personal acknowledgement of consistent positive behaviour and citizenship (This is not to be implemented beginning 2011 but is one idea for consideration. We need to consider what is best for our school and implement something that rewards positive behaviour). This award is in the form of a small certificate called a ‘Gotcha!’ (doing good things!) which teachers will issue to acknowledge and show appreciation for exemplary personal behaviour.
These will be collected by the students, put into a personal journal and maintained as a record of the positive behaviours they have demonstrated throughout their year/s at school.
Certificates will be presented at assemblies for:
· 20 gotchas = a yellow certificate
· 40 gotchas = a blue certificate
· 60 gotchas = a silver certificate
· 80 gotchas = a gold certificate
· 100 gotchas = a double yellow certificate
· 120 gotchas = a double blue certificate
· 140 gotchas = a double silver certificate
· 160 gotchas = a double gold certificate
· 180 gotchas = a triple yellow certificate
· 200 gotchas = a triple blue certificate
· 220 gotchas = a triple silver certificate
· 240 gotchas = a triple gold certificate
↓
· 320 gotchas = a quadruple gold certificate
Students continue to add to their gotcha tally as they move from Year 1 to Year 8.
Our system of recognition of positive behaviours will continue with weekly certificates at Assembly, participation in the newsletter draw at assembly and house points for students’ collective endeavours.
Problem behaviours
Problem behaviours are regarded as learning errors. In the event that a student has demonstrated inappropriate behaviour, teachers will support improvement through re-teaching, pre-correction and corrective feedback where necessary.
Where a student fails to respond to teaching and positive reinforcement or to teacher pre-correction or verbal correction and chooses to continue their problem behaviour, we implement a school-wide system of consequences.
Consequences for problem behaviours in the classroom
Classrooms are places for teaching and for learning and any disruption to either process has negative consequences for all students in the class.
In the classroom, persistent disruption of teaching or learning may result in the following:
· Isolation within the classroom to complete work at the direction of the classroom teacher.
· Relocation to a buddy classroom to complete work and a reflection sheet on problem behaviours. Where this occurs, parents will be notified by letter. (Buddy Class list and reflection sheet attached)
· Relocation to the administration area where students are unable to work in any classroom. This will result in a notification to parents. (We will trial student sitting by the door inside the conference room, the conference door will be open and the Principal’s door will be open so that constant checking can be made.)
Consequences for problem behaviours in the playground
· In the playground, disruption of others’ play or engaging in unsafe play will result in the student/students going to the ‘Time Out Room’ for a short period of time where students can sit to reflect on their behaviour or, in the event of a conflict they are unable to resolve peacefully, to ‘cool off’. The ‘Time Out Room’ is the Senior Teachers Classroom that is rostered on duty.
· Swearing or rough play which breaks our school rules will result in relocation to the ‘Time Out Room’ and completion of a reminder task before return to the playground.
Both of the above types of incidences may only require a short period of say 10 minutes time out because they are mostly only minor incidences.
· Students who engage in bullying, in disrespectful language to staff, who refuse to follow staff instructions, or whose behaviour renders another child unsafe or hurt will go to the ‘Time Out Classroom’ to complete one or more detentions of 30 minutes duration under the supervision of Senior Staff. A letter will be sent home advising parents.
· Any more serious incident will be dealt with by the principal.
Student Leaders
As part of the induction for school leaders, a pledge is taken to; ‘be truthful, obedient, well-mannered and kind; to wear my school uniform with pride; and to respect my teachers and fellow mates. I also promise to help others willingly and cheerfully; and to perform my duties and represent my school in the best way I can.”
All student leaders (Councillors and House Captains) are expected to uphold this pledge and maintain safe, respectful and on-task behaviour.
If a school leader shows by their behaviour that they are not upholding this pledge the following steps are taken:
1. They are given an official warning and advised that they are in danger of losing their badge and a letter will be sent home to inform parents/caregivers.
2. If they become involved in a second incident, their badge will be removed for a period set by the principal, according to the severity of the incident.
A letter will be sent home to inform parents/caregivers and to invite them to a meeting with the principal.
3. If they receive a third warning, their badge will be permanently removed. Parents/caregivers will be notified by the principal.
Recording and reporting to parents
All incidences of Our school uses a form of reporting of student information called a ‘Support Planner.’ This allows staff to record observations and student behaviour and to plan appropriate support and intervention where a student’s pattern of behaviour becomes of concern
Observations of concern are recorded by staff and transferred onto the Support Planner. Information is provided to staff at team meetings. This will provide support and guidelines for teachers to help students through conferencing, pre-correction and re-teaching to children in their class who are having difficulties in staying on task, being disrespectful or keeping themselves and others safe. Parents will be kept informed of staff concerns by means of letters, phone calls or meetings with staff.
The occurrence of three or more incidents in two weeks for any child will result in a letter home to advise parents that staff are concerned about a developing pattern of problem behaviour.
Behaviour Team
The Behaviour Team monitors student incidents on a weekly basis using the information recorded on the Support Planner. When a child’s pattern of inappropriate behaviour is becoming a concern, the team will provide information and if necessary, additional support, to the child and the teacher to attempt to re-direct the child. Where the recorded information suggests that there is a need to revisit the rules for particular settings or devise a teaching program for a new issue, the Behaviour Team will take responsibility for responding to student-centred, group-based or whole school based issues.
The Behaviour Team members include the Principal and all Senior Staff Members.