Daugherty 1

1. Frequent breaks- building a few breaks into the normal daily schedule is
good for not only the students but the teacher as well. Sitting for long
periods of time is not good for anyone. Even if it is just a break that involves
stretching for two minutes, walking/moving to a new spot in the room, or
actually going to the bathroom, the change up will be good for your students
and then when they come back they will be more focused(Burke, 2000).
2. Quiet area- having a spot in the room where a student can go if they start
to feel overwhelmed or upset is a good thing to have. They need to have the
option to go there on their own or that the teacher could just simply suggest
it to them. This could save many problems from occurring such as them
hurting themselves or someone else and if they leave and go to this spot in
the room then they are not distracting the other students (Burke, 2000).
3. Allow choices- have some choices preplanned but when it is a possibility
allow the children to make their own choices about rewards or what they
want to do next. It makes them feel like they are in control and feel included
in the classroom decisions. It also makes the teacher look like less of a
control freak over the classroom(Burke, 2000).
4. Supplying food- sometimes students will act out in class simply because
they are hungry. Maybe they dont get to eat breakfast in the morning. Being
hungry can cause students to have behavioral problems in the classroom.
Teachers should keep a few snacks in their room to help these students and

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stop the problems before they occur. Even if the teacher does not provide it
they shouldarrange for the school to do so(Burke, 2000).
5. Verbal praise- when a student does something well they need to know
about it. Encourage good behaviors so that the students know what they
should be doing rather than what they were doing before. Tell a student
when you are proud of them and let other students know it as well(Burke,
2000).
6. Notes- on the top of a test, placing it on their desk or maybe on their
locker- let the students know they are doing well. This is similar to verbal
praise but it is more like silent praise. Tiny actions will go a long way and the
students will remember when you went out of your way to write them a note.
Even if it is just letting them know you care, it shows them that they are
appreciated and that is something everyone needs(Carrere, 10).
7. Explain the rules- some students will forget from time to time what certain
classroom expectations are and how they should be acting. It is important to
remind the students what is expected of them on a regular basis to help stop
behavioral issues. If they do not know or cannot remember then when they
get into trouble it will just escalate and that is not something that needs to
happen if it can be prevented.
8. Preview schedule- go through the schedule every day with your students;
doing this will eliminate extra surprises that may come up throughout the
day. If the schedule is posted and the class talks about it every morning then

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the students will know what to expect and will not act up when something is
different from the day before because they knew it was going to happen.
9. Teach I Messages- this way when a behavior does happen students can
tell the teacher how they feel, they can tell each other how they feel, and the
teacher can tell students how they feel but it reflects back on yourself when
you use an I Message so it does not come offthat it is the other persons
fault. Using I Messages puts the emphasis on you rather than on them
which can help stop problems from occurring.
10. Monitor student behavior constantly- make sure that as the teacher, you
or someone else is always in the room and that they can see every student
all the time. Kids will not try to do as much if they know they are being
watched so simple supervision can help stop problems from arising. This is
also sometimes referred to as with-it-ness(Burke, 65 and 66).
11. Teachers should teach students that consequences will always follow
inappropriate behavior- when a student does something wrong they need to
know that every single time something will happen following the occurrence.
If students know what will happen and that it will happen every time they will
not think they can just get away with it. If they do not like the consequence
that will also stop them from doing the inappropriate behavior in the first
place (Burke, 63).
12. Always handle discipline problems privately- young students are just like
adults. No one really likes getting into trouble and handling discipline in front

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of the whole classroom is not okay. You do not want the student to feel
embarrassed. Handling discipline should always be done in private (Burke,
64).
13. Avoid slow downs- these are delays that waste time between one
activity and another activity. When there is nothing for the students to do
that is structured they will find their own thing to do. Make sure as a teacher
you have a plan for delays or extra time throughout the day or you are
simply asking for trouble(Burke, 65).
14. Involve all students in large group activities- this one relates a lot to
slow downs in the idea that if the students have nothing to do they will find
their own thing. In a large group setting it is hard to keep all the children
involved and focused but finding a way to do that is important so that
everyone is on the same page and so that no one feels like they are being
left out and that they need to do something in order to gain attention.
15. Have a relationship with the students- a lot of behavioral problems can
be resolved before they happen if someone just takes a few minutes to sit
down and talk with the students. Have a brief time where they can tell you
about their weekend or what happened at lunch/recess then they will not feel
a need to blurt it out in the middle of class.
16. Be consistent- whatever is done when one student has an inappropriate
behavior needs to be the same as when it happens to another student. The
children will remember if they got in trouble for doing something and then

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another student does the same thing but does not get into trouble. Stick to
what the rules and consequences are and use them on everyone (Burke, 66).
17. Handle inappropriate behavior promptly- do not take hours to handle
inappropriate behavior. There is a chance that the student wont remember
what happened if you wait too long and it is not good to bring back up the
event. Take care of the situation as fast as you can so that the student knows
what they did that was wrong (Burke, 66).
18. Be on the same level as the student- this is a physical thing, you never
want the student to feel like they are less than you while speaking directly
with them. Squat down so that you are on their level. It will feel less
intimidating and the students will not feel threatened by you. It also makes it
more private (Carrere, 10).
19. Allow good space - you do not want a student to feel trapped when you
are speaking with them. Make sure that you are not too close and that they
do not feel like you are entering their bubble space. Leave a path to the
door and make sure to use appropriate proximity so the student feels safe
(Carrere, 12).
20. Positive classroom environment- being positive and having a positive
classroom environment will help the children to enjoy learning, want to be in
your classroom, and will make them feel safe. Having a positive environment
is good for students at every age and a positive atmosphere is a happy

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atmosphere so the student will not feel as much anxiety or need to act out
(Burke, 17).
21. Practicing routines- if there is a behavior or routine that you want the
students to know and understand practicing them and repeating them will
help create an understanding. The routine will then stick in their brains and
they will know exactly what to do. Then, if they do act out they should
understand what they did wrong because they know what they usually do
during that particular routine (Burke, 17).
22. Rearrange the classroom- if there is a reoccurring behavior or two
students sit together that are not getting along rearranging the classroom
can be done to help. Also, sitting a student closer or farther away from
something might help. For example, placing a student close to the teacher or
closer to the board just so they can simply see better will help them with
their behavior problems.
23. Break tasks into small chunks- sometimes a student will act out if they do
not understand what is going on or if there is just too much for them to do at
one time they will have behavior problems. Making their academic work
smaller and easier to maintain will be better for them to focus longer and get
more done because they will not feel as overwhelmed.
24. Redirect students- when an incident does happen and a student is having
a bad day or just needs to make a new choice redirecting them to do
something different is the best way to go. Have them color a picture or write

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in their journals but do something so that they are focused on something
else and can not only calm down but can stop being a distraction for the
other students(Burke, 2000).
25. Have a sign- having a sign for the students if they feel like they are about
to lose it is a good strategy because it is subtle yet effective. You can then go
to the student and find out what they need in order to make them feel better.
From there you could redirect them or suggest they go to the quiet corner
but at least then you know that they need help and it is not distracting any
other students(Burke, 2000).

References
Burke, K.(2000).What to do with the kid who... Developing cooperation, selfdiscipline, and
responsibility in the classroom (2nd ed.).Arlington Heights, IL:SkyLight.

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Burke, K. (2008). What to do with the kid who... Developing cooperation,
self-discipline, and responsibility in the classroom (3rd ed.). Thousand
Oaks, CA: Corwin Press.
Carrere, D. (2013). Taming the Volcano, Handling Moments of Conflict and
Confrontation.Lebanon Valley College, PA: Power Point.