A crucial element of being in the right mindset to achieve academic success is through self-discipline and the promotion of ‘positive behaviour management’.
Methods of instilling discipline in the classroom go beyond simply ‘telling off’, detentions or other forms of punishment for poor or bad behaviour.
I actually feel like this reinforcement from teachers and educators can have a negative impact on a student’s mindset.
Indeed, classroom management techniques have been vastly altered, especially since the turn of the millennium in order to recognise that older, authoritarian techniques of instilling discipline actually do not work in the 21st century.
I do believe that the more authoritarian form of discipline on some level is necessary, however, it needs to be articulated in a manner that makes it relatable for students.
Getting to know and understand why they are behaving like that in the first place is often crucial and this can help build bonds with students and helps get students on your side.
Trying to understand them and taking a genuine interest in their wellbeing rather than simply punishing them for poor behaviour has always been a winning strategy, especially with regard to tutoring.
Another step to promote good behaviour and a positive learning environment is to recognise when students aren’t giving 100%.
The main factor behind child de-motivation at school is never down to a lack of intelligence, it is because of a lack of motivation, and this often translates into poor behaviour in the classroom.
With demotivated students who apparently don’t care and don’t ‘see the point’, it is especially important to repeat the first step of getting to know them and finding out about their interests outside of academe and what they want to do when they finish school.
THEN comes the ‘disciplining’ – however, it is not ‘your approach is wrong’ or ‘your scores are rubbish you need to improve’.
I believe more in the approach of ‘if you carry on the way you’re (not) applying yourself with your GCSE English’ this will limit or possibly even extinguish the opportunities you have to pursue what you want to do when you leave school!
This was not just a key strategy for me as a tutor, but a winning one, and it is why linking positive behaviour management and academic success is in fact more nuanced than the title of this article suggests!
It frames a student’s attitude in a different way, and it also translates into an approach to their learning (or lack of it) in a manner in which it suddenly becomes frighteningly relatable for them! More coming on this one…watch this space!
Further Reading: Jojo S. Sebido – Relationship Between Behavior and Academic Performance: Basis for an Intervention (IRE Journals)