Behaviour management

A focus on learning

For optimal learning to occur, students need to feel safe, engaged and valued. Behaviours that disrupt learning must be addressed quickly, systematically and consistently.

There are two modern approaches to managing student behaviour, positive discipline and restorative justice. A combination of  the two is probably the most effective, with positive discipline being the dominant model.

Positive discipline

This is a conventional approach, where teachers achieve control through body language, class organisation and parental support.

When a student escalates behaviour, escalating sanctions are applied.

Restorative justice

Restorative justice involves three big ideas:

  1. repair: offences cause harm and justice requires repairing that harm

  2. encounter: the best way to repair harm is to have the parties decide together

  3. transform: fundamental changes in people, relationships and communities.

Tips for implementing restorative justice are given on the Edutopia website via the following link.

For examples of a policy and procedure for managing disruptive, abusive or unsafe student behaviour, please select the links below.