Classroom management is one of those never-ending topics of conversation for teachers, whether they teach elementary, middle, or high school. Even university professors sometimes need strategies for classroom behaviour. Learning how to reward positive behaviour in the classroom is not only beneficial for classroom management, but it can have a welcoming effect on students, as well.
With classroom management, it’s never a “one solution fits all” approach. Instead, it’s about using various tools and methods to encourage positive behaviour in the classroom.
Whether you’re a new or experienced teacher, classroom management will still be one of the primary focuses of your work. In the past few years, student behaviours have been all over the place in ways we haven’t dealt with before. Students spent time learning at home without the rules and regulations of a classroom environment and without the constant supervision of their teacher and the distractions of their peers.
If you’re looking for ways to encourage and reward positive behaviour in the classroom, this article is here to help. You can also join the Teaching Middle School With 2 Peas and a Dog Facebook Group, a good place to ask questions, get advice, and find answers from like-minded teachers.
Encourage and Reward Positive Behaviour in the Classroom
When you want to encourage and reward positive behaviour in the classroom, it starts with day one and how you present yourself to your classroom.
You Set The Tone
The language you choose and your actions from the first time you meet your group of learners for the year will establish a baseline. Positive and respectful talk about yourself, the school, and others might seem like a no-brainer, but it can be difficult at times, especially when life outside of school might not be so positive.
This blog post, Great Classroom Management Strategies For Middle School, has many strategies you can use from the start of the year as you begin to encourage and reward positive behaviour in the classroom.
As teachers, we always want to create a positive learning environment, so taking the time to sit down and think about how we want to start the school year can be beneficial.
Build Relationships
The next step toward building a toolbox to encourage and reward positive behaviour in the classroom is to build relationships. Relationships help create a positive classroom dynamic. Sure, there will be ups and downs in the relationships you build with students, but ultimately, a transparent, communicative, and fair teacher will be able to navigate those ups and downs.
One way to start that positive relationship is to do whatever you can to meet your students at the door.
You may have seen viral videos with teachers who have a choice wall for greeting students in the classroom, or even the special handshakes/greetings they have for each student. While this can be fun, it’s unnecessary (and could feel overwhelming for a new teacher). Instead, a greeting can be as simple as a hello, a fist bump, or asking students questions about themselves and what’s going on in their lives.
For example, maybe one of your students mentioned that on Thursday, they’d be away Friday and through the weekend for a hockey tournament. When they return on Monday, ask them about their favourite part of the weekend tournament instead of jumping in with what they’ve missed. It’s a small thing, but it goes a long way.
You can also use questions to show interest when greeting any students who have been away; recognize them on their return, and let them know you’re glad they’re back.
For more advice on building classroom relationships, you can read these posts:
- Building Classroom Relationships Through Conversation Part 1
- Building Classroom Relationships Through Conversation Part 2
You can also incorporate a warm-up activity, like a question a day, to get students ready to learn and get to know their interests. To learn more about this, check out this blog post: 22 Interesting Ways to Use Daily Attendance Questions.
Co-Create Goals And Behaviour Requirements
When starting your strategy to encourage and reward positive behaviour in the classroom, create classroom goals and requirements for acceptable in-class behaviour at the beginning of the year. Co-creating these alongside students ensures a strong understanding from the very beginning. It gives students ownership of their behaviour and ensures their voice is important in the classroom community.
After discussing classroom goals and acceptable behaviours, display them as a visible reminder of the expectations you and your students created.
You can also have students create posters or visual aids that reflect key classroom values (like respect, responsibility, or collaboration) or agreed-upon behaviours. These visuals can serve as reminders and give students a sense of ownership over the space.
It is also essential to incorporate regular check-ins where students reflect on their behaviour and whether they’re meeting the goals and expectations of the classroom; this can be as simple as a quick class discussion or even in the form of an exit ticket.
To learn more about using exit tickets in the classroom, check out this blog post: Entrance and Exit Tickets Teaching Strategy.
Call Out And Praise Positive Behaviour
As teachers, we know it’s easy to point out bad behaviour, but did you know that positive reinforcement can help boost students’ academic performance?
It is one thing to point out behaviours that are problematic to the success of classroom learning; however, if you want to encourage and reward positive behaviour in the classroom, it is essential to focus on positive reinforcement.
Small statements highlighting how specific students follow the classroom goals go a long way with classroom management. For example, you’ve asked the class to take out their independent reading novels, and you spot one student doing this immediately.
It’s easy to say, “Thank you for getting your books out,” rather than focusing on the chatting student who is not even near getting to their book yet.
Other phrases you can use to praise positive behaviour can include:
- I appreciate how quickly you got started on your task – it really shows focus.
- Thank you for raising your hand and sharing your ideas!
- I noticed how well you’re staying organized with your materials. Great job staying on top of things!
- Thank you for listening quietly while your classmates share. That’s a great way to show respect.
- I appreciate how you came prepared for class today. It shows your commitment to learning.
- It’s wonderful to see you trying your best, even when the work is challenging.
- Great job being a leader in today’s activity!
- You made such a kind choice by offering to help a classmate.
- Thank you for being so respectful with the classroom materials.
Responding to positive behaviour with statements like these helps to reinforce the behaviour you want in your classroom. It allows students to see how their actions contribute to a positive classroom environment. It is also a way to reinforce the behaviour expected of other students without calling out negative actions.
Set Up A Rewards System
A further opportunity to encourage and reward positive behaviour in the classroom might include a reward system in class. A reward system doesn’t have to cost money but can be a fun experience, a bulletin board devoted to positive actions, and more.
Maybe it’s 30 sticky notes on a Bristol board, and for recognition of individual good behaviour, a student will reveal a reward on the back of the sticky note. When the class reveals all 30 notes, they can earn a whole-class reward. Or maybe it’s a simple bucket they can fill with pompoms.
Students love to do digital escape rooms, so they could earn an escape room once the board is ‘revealed’ or the bucket fills up. You can find digital escape rooms that students will love that encompass different holidays and topics on Shopify CAD or Teachers Pay Teachers USD.
Students could also receive an extra 15 minutes of outdoor or computer time. It’s really up to you what your reward system is.
The notable element of a reward system is that it collectively rewards the class for meeting class expectations rather than punishing a whole class for not meeting the expectations. For more information on reward systems, read this post: The Benefits of Using Student Reward Coupons for Classroom Management.
Avoid Escalation As Much As Possible
Setting up a strategy to encourage and reward positive behaviour in the classroom leads to a final point about managing challenging behaviours. Of course, you want to praise positive actions, but you still need to address more challenging behaviours; unfortunately, ignoring them won’t make them disappear.
However, it’s important to avoid whole-class punishments for individual or small-group behaviours and escalation as much as possible. A minor issue often turns into a big one when a power struggle occurs, but teachers can prevent this by avoiding unnecessary escalation.
If you want to avoid unnecessary escalation, this is where classroom management comes in. This post, 6 Tips for Classroom Management in Middle and High School (That Actually Work), from We Are Teachers, has practical and easy-to-implement strategies.
You can also check out these articles:
- Top Classroom Management Tips
- Effective Middle School Classroom Management
- The Importance of Effective Middle School Classroom Management
- Effective Middle School Classroom Management Resources for Teachers
- Classroom Management Routines and Procedures For Middle and High School Classrooms
There is a classroom management framework where you address the behaviour in small steps.
This is a small action that makes it clear to the student that you’re aware of the behaviour, to stop the behaviour.
Some examples of a small action include:
- Proximity (moving closer to the student but not saying anything)
- A hand on the desk to indicate you’re still noting the behaviour, as well as distracting the student back to you.
- Using the student’s name in a neutral tone.
If the behaviour continues, it comes to the point of offering a choice. This choice puts the action back into the student’s hands: “[Student’s Name], please take out your novel, or you can grab a copy from the back pile to start reading.”
In each ‘bump,’ there is no raised voice, no calling the student out in front of everyone, and no attempt to wrestle with power. Instead, it provides opportunities for the student to self-correct. It also creates classroom management that is personalized and generally subtle.
It’s important to note that this and the other strategies won’t work for all behaviours. Every class and every student is different, and while these strategies can work for some classes and students, another class may need something different; this is the time to seek the support of your school team – CYW, admin, special ed teacher, guidance, etc. – as well as the student’s caring adults.
Incorporating strategies to encourage and reward positive behaviour in the classroom is a powerful tool for building a positive learning environment. Focusing on the positive through praise, relationship-building, or a reward system can create a welcoming space for students and teachers.
Every year brings a new group of unique students, which means that classroom management requires consistency and adaptability. When you encourage and reward positive behaviour in the classroom, you can create a space where students feel valued, motivated, and encouraged to contribute positively each day.
An Easy-to-Use Reward System
If you’re stuck on a reward system when striving to reward positive behaviour in the classroom, these student reward coupons for classroom management are a good start. Simply print the coupons, store them in a clear plastic bag and hand them out to students as needed.
These rewards are free for the teacher to implement and maintain. Keep students motivated by using these engaging classroom reward coupons. They are great for all students and keep them motivated and engaged in their learning.
To make printing more accessible, six passes of each student reward coupon are on each page. If you want to reuse the passes, laminate them and when students redeem them, they will be easier to use again.
Here’s what teachers have said about these student reward coupons:
“Students earn these by gaining rewards and they have been a great incentive in the classroom.” – Rachael G.
“This is just what I was looking for. They are just the right price and saved me so much time not having to make my own! Thank you!” – Emily W.
You can find these Student Reward Coupons / Reward Passes on Shopify CAD or Teachers Pay Teachers USD.
Classroom management does not have to be difficult, no matter the grade you teach. When you learn how to reward positive behaviour in the classroom, you will notice a positive change in your classroom management and your students as well.
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