Classroom Behavior Management: Strategies for School Professionals

Effective behavior management is crucial for school professionals to create a positive and productive environment in and out of the classroom. Addressing student behavioral issues can help school staff, such as paraprofessionals, special education teachers, school nurses, and speech-language pathologists, to address conflict and disruptive behavior. While also recognizing that students are learning how to manage their emotions, health conditions, and peer interactions.

By implementing evidence-based techniques and understanding the underlying causes of challenging behavior, school professionals can help foster a supportive atmosphere that promotes student success. Finding the right approach will make students feel safer and help encourage the positive changes that improve students’ health and educational outcomes. 

In this post, we’ll cover the common student behavioral challenges that come up in school and what school professionals can do to manage and address them for the betterment of staff and the entire student body.

Common Behavioral Challenges in Classrooms

School professionals like paraprofessionals, special education teachers, school nurses, and speech-language pathologists all play a crucial role in shaping students’ behavior and fostering their emotional needs. However, it is not always an easy task, as some students may exhibit challenging behaviors and escalate situations.

Whether young or approaching adulthood, students may have some challenging behaviors at school. They can be the result of many factors, ranging from trouble at home to health issues. Regardless of the cause of misbehavior, it is necessary for school professionals to be ready to step in and maintain control of the student bodies in their schools. 

Common examples include disruptive talking or disrespect towards staff and peers, which can hinder the learning environment; defiance, where students openly resist authority or instructions; and off-task behavior, such as daydreaming or engaging with electronic devices instead of participating in class activities. Additionally, some students may exhibit aggressive behaviors, including verbal outbursts or physical confrontations, creating a tense and unsafe atmosphere.

Understanding these behaviors is crucial for school professionals working in and out of the classroom. Recognizing early warning signs will help school staff implement tailored interventions that promote a positive and productive school environment for all students.

Meeting Students’ Physical and Emotional Needs

It is most important that students get their physical and emotional needs met, whether they’re in a classroom, the nurse’s office, or a counseling session. Students’ behavioral issues are not always intentional, but even those that are can be addressed in a positive way. Some of the following approaches will help school professionals working with individuals, groups, or students with special needs.

Using a Genuine Encounter Moment

For example, one method you can try to do is to engage in a Genuine Encounter Moment. This happens when staff:

• Give complete focus to the student
• Maintain eye contact and a friendly, open disposition
• Listen to what the student is saying without judgment

Doing this gives the student the time to discuss a problem and to understand that they can be honest about their concerns. This allows them to genuinely engage with school staff and feel respected while doing so. 

Addressing Rulesetting 

It’s also important to think about the way you approach rulesetting. Setting limits is necessary in any classroom setting, but you can do so negatively or positively. 

An example of a negative limit may include a threat. For instance, “If you don’t finish your work on time, then you won’t get to join the class at recess.” The student would understand that they will be penalized if they can’t finish a task on time, even if they are trying their best to do so. 

A positive limit would be slightly different. It could be, “When everyone finishes their work, we’ll spend 10 minutes on [insert fun activity].” That takes pressure off the student to rush, eliminates fear, intimidation, guilt, or obligation, and encourages them to work toward the end of an assignment for a positive outcome for the group. This same approach can be applied to a single student instead of a group, depending on the scenario, as well.

Using HALT

HALT is an acronym that you can use to teach students about their physical needs. This is an excellent option for teaching a class or an individual student to be more self-aware and to begin engaging in acts of self-care. 

• H — Hungry. Hunger can be both an emotional and physical need. You can help students by offering food to those who are physically hungry. Or, if it’s an emotional hunger, talk to students to try to understand the emotional need that needs to be fulfilled. 
• A — Angry. Anger presents in many ways, some good and some bad. That being said, it is a normal emotion, and it can be healthy. Students should learn about their emotions and name them. If they are angry, they should determine why to start processing that feeling. They can do an activity to help self-regulate, such as doing jumping jacks.
• L — Lonely. Feeling lonely doesn’t just happen when alone—it can also happen when others are around. When students have trouble with peer relationships, have issues with emotional regulation, or have behavior disorders, they may feel lonely and need support. Active listening or pairing students together may be able to help in some cases. 
• T — Tired. Children and adolescents need to get enough sleep. Without it, problems may feel overwhelming, and they may become aggressive, hostile, irritable, or otherwise harder to work with. If a student is tired, consider giving them the opportunity to rest or walking them through breathing exercises to calm down.

By using HALT, you can also introduce the idea of being mindful of emotions or needs. Offering choices on how to handle situations can make students feel more at ease, reducing conflicts overall.

Addressing Escalations: How to Calm the Class

Stopping problems can start with simple tactics such as modeling good behavior to allow students to mimic a teacher or para in the classroom, or catching students behaving well and rewarding them. But, even with the best intentions, there are times when negative behaviors will still occur. 

The way school professionals react to challenging behaviors and conflict is everything. When the staff member is ready to confront a challenging behavior, they need to refocus the classroom or student and ensure the student(s) get the positive redirection they need. School staff also need to consider where the behavior may be coming from: challenges outside the classroom, at home, or in not having the right skills to participate. These can all impact student behavior at school. 

Verbal Intervention

Verbal intervention is best used when you need to speak with a student who is hostile, noncompliant, or combative. In this case, you need to step in and take control of the situation, but you don’t want it to escalate into more aggression or even a physical altercation.

To successfully perform a verbal intervention, take these steps:

1. Stay calm, and don’t react negatively by screaming or raising your voice. The student is already losing their temper and has less control, so you must stay in control yourself to manage the situation appropriately.
2. Take the student to a private area. Isolating a student by taking them into the hallway, for example, means they lose their peers’ support (or criticism) and may be more likely to calm down or back down without peer pressure. 
3. Keep your body language neutral. Try not to get too close, and avoid any kind of threatening gesture, like raising your hand or placing your hands on your hips while leaning over them. 
4. Don’t overcomplicate things. Keep your message short and clear. When a child is emotional, they may not process longer discussions as well as shorter messages.
5. Listen and reflect. This is a chance for you to understand your student and the problem they’re having better. Listen to what they have to say, and repeat it back to them to ensure you understand what they’re trying to communicate. 
6. Be silent. Sometimes, being silent is an appropriate option because it gives the student time to reiterate what they said or even to walk back what they said. In anger or frustration, students may say things they don’t mean, and this is an opportunity to allow them to speak freely while also giving them a chance to clarify their intentions.
7. Keep your tone in check. It can be difficult not to become too demanding, defensive, or firm in your tone, but it’s important to ensure that your paraverbal communication (tone, volume, and cadence) remains consistent with your message.

Diffusion

Diffusion is another option to help you take back control of an escalating situation. Diffusion refers to the ability to distract an individual or class from a specific problem and to refocus them onto another. 

Ways to diffuse a situation can include:

• Refocusing the student(s) on a specific task at hand. For example, if students are talking too much, you may diffuse that behavior by reengaging them in another action, repeating a phrase after you.
• Using simple phrases to acknowledge a student. Saying “I see,” or “thank you for letting me know” both tell the student you heard them and allow you to continue on without further discussion.
• Taking the time to talk to a student when appropriate. Pulling a student aside to discuss an interruption after you finish a task and have the time to do so can help you better understand their concerns while also ensuring your classroom stays on track.

With either of these management and de-escalation techniques, school professionals should not be afraid to ask for classroom support. If staff feel that the circumstances are out of hand, then another teacher, nurse, or advisor may be in a better position to help.

Support for School Professionals Matters

At Supplemental Health Care, we understand how vital school professionals are to the mental and physical well-being of students. Paraprofessionals, special education teachers, school nurses, speech-language pathologists, and other school staff work closely with students every day, providing them with the support and guidance they need to be successful.

SHC believes in supporting our school professionals throughout their careers and that together, we can make a difference in our communities. If you’re looking for a new role or want to get started in schools, search our open job opportunities or contact our recruiting team today!