Managing poor behaviour in the Level 4 Certificate in Education and Training (CET)
The worst thing about teaching is disruptive behaviours. And this is one of the reasons I stopped working in other settings. At least now when I teach the Level 4 Certificate in Education and Training (CET) I don’t really have any behaviours that are disruptive.
How to manage behaviour in the Level 4 Certificate in Education and Training
Communication is the biggest way to manage behaviour. Body language makes up for 55% of communication. First set your expectations, reinforce ground rules, what do you want your learners to do? Get them to come up with as many positive behaviours as possible and then add anything that is missing. This gives learners accountability in the fact they have set their own rules and they don’t want to let down their peers.
Using traffic lights in the Level 4 Certificate in Education and Training
A traffic light system is effective, green light is acceptable behaviours, yellow is moderately acceptable like the occasional swear words and then red light is where behaviour is not accepted like bullying.
Which disruptive behaviours exist in a typical classroom and I’m not referring to behaviours found in the Level 4 Certificate in Education and Training (CET)?
- Learners not finishing work or avoiding doing the set work. This can hold up your class if not addressed.
- Teasing other learners – this is against our code of conduct.
- Interrupting and calling out – we still get this.
- Entering the classroom late, this is a pet peeve, but I will continue with the lesson after a warning as to not affect other learners. When learners come in noisily that’s a different story.
- Constant talking – something you’ll find with extroverts, but a simple reminder is enough, or you just cut in with ‘moving on’.
- Use of phones – adults can use phones; we get them to put phones on silent and leave the room if necessary.
- Swearing or inappropriate language – this will depend on the group you are teaching. If I’m teaching security to youngsters then I expect swearing and if I’m teaching in the NHS, I’m not going to hear it, so you need to set boundaries depending upon the class environment.
- Eating and drinking – I have no problem, but you need to follow organisation policy and ensure learners clear up after themselves. Nothing worse than having to wipe biscuits off of a table at the end of the say.
- And lastly not respecting others personal space and property. You need to speak with the individual and use the saying your mum always says. ‘Treat others the way you would like to be treated yourself.’
We’ve already mentioned using ground rules, but I will try to create rapport with my learners. I earn their respect and when I ask for something in return such as good behaviour, I will normally get it as I’ve established a relationship with the learner. I was a pain at school and my PE teacher was the only one that I felt treated me as a adult, therefore I would always go the extra mile with this teacher.
Ensure that you concentrate on the root cause of any behavioural issues, learners are sluggish after lunch so need an energizer, they get irritable when its time for a snack or a coffee so a lot of the time if you address the root cause, you’ll eliminate the problem. Lastly think about where you seat individuals, I remember being at school where I always sat with my friends, we’d chat and play around and didn’t work, just my moving me onto another table, I automatically behaved myself.
