Behavioral management in the classroom
Paper

Presenter(s): Janja Javoršek
Author(s): Janja Javoršek
Presentation will be in Slovene language.

In this article, the author presents an example of good practice, how we can influence the appropriate behavior of students through a pre-set structure and clearly defined rules of appropriate behavior. The author introduces students to the concept of ego states, the table of criticism, the table of praise, the system of rewards and the system of action against inappropriate behavior through posters, which they design together on their first hour together and hang on the wall in the classroom. Throughout the school year, they return to these concepts over and over again in various, especially conflict situations in the classroom. It encourages students to find out from which ego state they were reacting at a given moment and from which ego state it might be easier to avoid conflict. When giving criticism and praise during the lessons, they analyze the adequacy of these and their possible improvement for the purpose of more appropriate communication. The well-known way of rewarding by the teacher and the knowledge of the escalation of action against inappropriate behavior motivate students to use more appropriate behavior. Such a designed and clear structure gives students a sense of order and security in the classroom, as they understand what consequences they can expect. At the same time, the likelihood of inappropriate behavior decreases. At the same time, students learn self-regulation of behavior and develop emotional, personal (intrapersonal) and interpersonal (interpersonal) intelligence. All of these, however, are extremely important skills needed to live in the world they are entering.