Supporting pupils to take responsibility for their own behaviour management forms a key part of the remit of any school educator. Often entrusted with classes of 30 or more children, step one in supporting pupils to take responsibility for their own behaviour must be to ensure that one is demonstrating responsible behaviour oneself. It is basic human nature for people to mimic each other, consequently it follows that pupils will mimic certain behaviours in the classroom. With this in mind, it is vital that from the outset, a confident, constructive and upbeat attitude is adopted in order to instil a positive mentality throughout the education setting. If an educator appears defeated, angry and unconfident the children will sense this and will almost immediately begin to adopt a similar style.
As a secondary school pupil, I studied William Golding’s book Lord of the Flies. An albeit fictional work, the book tells the tale of a group of British schoolboys marooned on a deserted island. In the absence of adults, the boys attempt to govern themselves with quite disastrous consequences. Whether to behave in a civilised manner or whether to be overcome by a more primal ‘survival of the fittest’ instinct, these supposedly well-educated children resort to an almost primitive state. Exploring the theory of ‘pack mentality’ over individual conscience, the book provides food for thought as to the cost of leaving children to cultivate their own sense of right and wrong...
In life, we are compelled to take personal responsibility seriously. As UK citizens we have a duty, a moral obligation to maintain a good character and to behave within the laws of the land. These laws have materialised over time to protect us from harm and to uphold a certain set of moral beliefs. As adults we all know the consequences of breaking these laws which for the majority of people provides a sufficient deterrent from any illegal activity.
This model of society is reflected in school; most schools have a set of ‘rules’ which denote what types of behaviour are acceptable and unacceptable as well as a set of consequences should these rules be broken. This constitutes the foundation for supporting pupils to take responsibility for their behaviour management but thereafter much work needs to be done to encourage pupils to firstly adhere to these and to secondly understand why their behaviour is so significant to their overall life chances.
Rules alone are not enough to instil in pupils a sense of responsibility, some will naturally display good behaviour but at the other end of the scale there are those pupils whose behaviour is likely to be a perpetual cause for concern. Some poor behaviour can be attributed to conditions such as Tourette Syndrome or ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder) but often it can be a reflection of a pupil’s home environment.
Where a pupil’s upbringing has a bearing on their behaviour it is especially important that the school works hard to support those pupils in taking responsibility for their own behaviour. They are likely to have the most to learn and at the same time the most to gain. We need to impress upon these pupils from a young age the benefits that come from behaving well, they need to know what it feels like to receive praise in order to deter their negative behaviour. Benefiting the school as a whole, supporting children to take personal responsibility should lead to calmer classrooms and playgrounds, improved self-esteem and confidence as well as better attitudes and social skills in general.
In supporting pupils to take responsibility for their own behaviour, at the forefront of our minds should be the thought that sooner or later these pupils will be independent, needing to make life choices for themselves; if they have been encouraged within school from an early age to take their responsibilities as an upstanding member of society seriously then they will have every chance to achieve a positive outcome.
S Walker
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