Teach Primary Issue 18.4

www.teachwire.net | 33 Sue Cowley is an author and early years teacher. Her latest book is the sixth edition of Getting your Class to Behave , published by Bloomsbury. a line, for instance to walk to assembly. Taking an imaginative approach at these times, by creating a target for the children about how you want them to move, gives them a stronger sense of focus. For instance, you could ask them to imagine that there is a giant, asleep under the floor, and they must creep to the line so as not to wake himup. Alternatively, you could ask them to move in slowmotion, like actors in an actionmovie. By planning ahead, you give them something specific to focus on and encourage them to work as a team to achieve it. Planning ahead for individuals It’s clear that many teachers are currently seeing higher levels of needs in their children, especially around emotional regulation, than was the case before the pandemic. Some individuals are really struggling in the classroom environment, and we need to make reasonable adjustments to help them succeed. Where a child struggles with a particular situation – for instance, whole-class input – consider giving them a specific role to help regulate their behaviour. For example, if they struggle to sit still during teacher-led times, they could act as your ‘helper’, wiping the board or handing out resources. Similarly, if you have a child who has problems with sensory overload, aim to catch them before they get to the point of melting down. Once a child is already experiencing overload, it is much harder to My f ive key strategies 4 Observe pupils’ behaviours and think about what they are communicating. This will help you figure out what they need. If children are wriggling while sat on the carpet, that behaviour suggests they need a chance to move. Get them up and active, for instance ‘acting out’ part of the class story. 4 Consider the times of the day when behaviour issues most often occur, and find strategies to manage those times. Typically, some of the trickiest moments are during transitions, so it is useful to explore creative options for managing these. 4 Find ways to adapt your curriculum to help you support children in learning behaviours. Be flexible about what you teach and when you teach it, to align with the children’s body clocks and their physical/emotional needs. If the children are not focused, they are not learning, so adapt to support self- regulation skills. 4 Encourage the children to use imagination to support their behaviour. When children encounter a playful, creative strategy or technique, they are more likely to pay attention and consequently to behave as you need. 4 Identify useful strategies for individual children ahead of time, making reasonable adjustments to help them regulate their behaviour. The standards need to remain consistent, but we can use flexible strategies to help all children reach our goals. encourage them to self- regulate. So, when you notice the child start to struggle, ask a teaching assistant to take them outside for some fresh air, or get the child to take something to the office for you. By pre-empting the problem and getting in front of the situation before it escalates, you will better support children’s needs and in turn get better behaviour in your classroom. TP F EATURE S C L A S SROOM MANAGEMENT