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What Are Classroom Behaviour Expectations?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Behaviour expectations<\/strong> are tools that encourage positive behaviour \u2013 they are standards of conduct which might take the form of \u2018dos and don\u2019ts\u2019 or procedures to follow in certain situations. For example, you might have an expectation that students always try their best, or you might expect them to be on time, or to line up outside in single file when they arrive at your classroom. Other examples of behaviour expectations might centre around routines for answering a question in class, transitioning between activities, or going for a toilet break.<\/p>\n\n\n\n It\u2019s important to set out your behaviour expectations at the beginning of the year \u2013 and reinforce them regularly afterwards \u2013 because all students have different backgrounds and experiences. You cannot assume that they know what you mean by \u2018good behaviour\u2019, or that they have the good habits ingrained to be able to behave positively. By teaching them exactly what you would like them to do, you can make it clear to students what they need to do in order to be successful. This reduces the time you spend addressing behaviour during lessons.<\/p>\n\n\n Additionally, research<\/a> has found that having clear, consistent, high expectations in the classroom can positively affect students\u2019 abilities, opportunities to learn, motivation, and learning outcomes. If you set out expectations, they are likely to meet them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Our Challenging Behaviour training course<\/a> is recommended for professionals who want to have a better understanding of how to respond to the behaviour of the children and young people that they work with. It emphasises proactive strategies to prevent behaviour incidents, as well as going through research-based reactive strategies (including reacting to extreme behaviour) and putting support in place after behaviour incidents. Visit our course library<\/a> to have a look at this and our other available training courses.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n There are many different potential causes and functions of behaviour that challenges in the classroom.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Functions <\/strong>of challenging behaviour might be:<\/p>\n\n\n\n However, the behaviour often \u2013 though not always \u2013 has an underlying cause beneath the function.<\/p>\n\n\n Causes of behaviour might include:<\/p>\n\n\n\n Setting behaviour expectations in the classroom can reduce the likelihood of this sort of behaviour occurring, but if it does still occur, have a look at our article on dealing with challenging behaviour here<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n Behaviour expectations should be set at the beginning of a school year, but you will probably need to review them every term (or more, especially at the start of a year!). This helps to refresh your class\u2019s memory of what they need to do and why it\u2019s important. You could set aside five minutes every now and then to go over the expectations, ensuring that you never let them slip.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Your expectations will be most effective if they are consistent with expectations across the school. If your school already has preferred ways for students to behave, follow their lead \u2013 coming up with something different could be confusing and devalue the importance of the expectations. Check your school\u2019s behaviour policy<\/a> first.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Try to keep your list of expectations as short as possible \u2013 ideally no more than five. Limit them to the key behaviours that are required in order for your classroom to function effectively. You could display the expectations visually, on posters inside the classroom, as a constant reminder.<\/p>\n\n\n\n When talking about your expectations, be specific \u2013 it\u2019s not enough to simply say \u2018be on time\u2019 or \u2018come prepared\u2019. You need to explain what this means to you so that students have the greatest chance possible of getting it right. Is being on time within one minute of the bell? Is being prepared having paper, pens, and books with them? If so, say that.<\/p>\n\n\n\n You\u2019ll need to teach your behaviour expectations in the classroom the way you\u2019d teach any other topic in school. Talk about the detail \u2013 what they are, why they\u2019re important, the consequences of breaking them, and any exceptions to them \u2013 and give your class a chance to practise. Below, we\u2019ll give you an example of how to teach expectations effectively.<\/p>\n\n\n![\"Teacher](\"https:\/\/www.highspeedtraining.co.uk\/hub\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/science-lesson-with-teacher-explaining-rules.jpeg\")
<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\nOther advantages of behaviour expectations include:<\/h4>\n\n\n\n
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<\/div>\nNeed Challenging Behaviour Training?<\/h3>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
\n\n\n\nWhy Might Children Misbehave?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Functions of Behaviour<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
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![\"A](\"https:\/\/www.highspeedtraining.co.uk\/hub\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/mod-3-title.jpg\")
<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\nCauses of Behaviour<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
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\n\n\n\nHow Can Teachers Set Behavioural Expectations of Students?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Teaching Behaviour Expectations<\/h4>\n\n\n\n
![\"Classroom\"](\"https:\/\/www.highspeedtraining.co.uk\/hub\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/school-classroom.jpeg\")
<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\nExample<\/h4>\n\n\n\n
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