Strategies for heading off misbehavior before it happens demonstrates educators’ positive regard for students. Techniques like collaborating with students to develop class rules, agreements, or norms can pave the way for future proactive strategies and reflection. When these guidelines are developed with students and become a daily point of dialogue and reflection, it helps to cultivate a safe and predictable environment. The values of the classroom culture become visible and important. Consensus is built around the way the class community wants to experience their interactions with each other. The teacher uses tools and techniques for guiding positive interactions and cultivating mutual support among members of the class community.
Responsive Approach
Responding to misbehavior is a necessary aspect of any classroom setting. People are imperfect and behave poorly at times. Rather than ignoring or punishing negative behavior, a responsive approach lets students know an educator:
- notices their silence, tone of voice, chronic tapping, pacing, anger, disruption, etc.
- cares enough to guide them back to effective behavior.
- supports their reflection and reparation.