Effective classroom management creates safe and supportive learning environments for all students. This practice resource is part of a suite of observation tools that complement the Australian Education Research Organisation (AERO)’s foundational classroom management resources. These observation tools are designed for experienced teachers and school leaders to use with AERO’s practice guide, Supporting a Colleague with Refining their Classroom Management Practice.
With your colleague, you can use this tool to identify specific aspects of the practice they demonstrate, take notes on what you observe and use these to help identify strengths and areas for refinement.
Before the observation
It’s important you take time before an observation to prepare well. This is essential to clarify objectives and gather relevant, accurate and useful information to support your colleague in identifying strengths and refining their practice. Preparation will also help you become familiar with this tool’s format and content so it’s easier to use during the observation.
Before using this tool
- Read AERO’s practice guide, Supporting a Colleague with Refining their Classroom Management Practice.
- Follow step 1 – Build and maintain a collaborative relationship.
- Follow step 2 – Decide on a specific practice or skill to observe and prepare for the observation.
Before observing
- Read AERO’s Responding to Disengaged and Disruptive Behaviours practice guide to familiarise yourself with the steps.
- Read the information in this observation tool.
- Discuss with your colleague what will be observed, how long the observation will be and how evidence will be collected.
During the observation
Observe your colleague and tick the boxes for any actions observed. To support the feedback discussion, objectively record what your colleague says and does at key moments, as well as how students respond.
The teacher monitors all students
The teacher:
- positions themself to see all students
- deliberately pauses
- scans
- circulates the classroom to:
- support students requiring clarification of an instruction or extra assistance
- acknowledge students meeting expectations and praise students exceeding expectations specific to them.
The teacher uses non-verbal corrections
The teacher:
- uses proximity, moving near the students to gain their attention to correct their behaviour
- deliberately pauses, stopping what they’re doing and looking at the students to gain their attention to correct their behaviour
- uses ‘the look’ to demonstrate their awareness of the behaviour and the need to correct it
- uses a gesture to communicate the expected behaviour.
After using non-verbal corrections, the teacher:
- gives the students time and space to respond to the non-verbal corrections
- acknowledges students correcting their behaviour (for example, thumbs up, ‘Thank you’ or a smile).
The teacher uses verbal corrections
The teacher:
- uses voice control and clear communication to:
- acknowledge students meeting behaviour expectations
- remind students of the expectations or instructions and check
- for misunderstandings
- use an anonymous correction, identifying that there are students not meeting the expectations
- quickly correct students’ behaviour by gaining their attention and stating the desired behaviour
- privately correct behaviour after setting up the class to do independent tasks:
- asking questions to try to identify
- the reason for the behaviour, offering support to address this and telling the student what they need to do next time
- if the behaviour’s not related to a reason that’s been addressed, reminding the student of the expectations or instructions
- identifying the behaviour they’re demonstrating, what they need to do to correct it and why
- prompting for demonstration where appropriate.
- deliberately pauses
- acknowledges the students correcting their behaviour.
The teacher gives a choice
If the disruptive or disengaged behaviour continues, the teacher:
- clearly communicates a choice using non-threatening body language and a calm tone if the student doesn’t identify a reason for the behaviour or accept support, stating the:
- expected behaviour and the impact of the disengaged or disruptive behaviour on others, themself and teaching and learning
- support the teacher can provide
- consequence should the student choose not to correct their behaviour. The consequence is related to correcting the behaviour. For example, moving away from those they are disrupting or placing a distracting item on the teacher’s desk.
- gives the student time and space to make their choice
- acknowledges the student’s positive choice, should they make that choice.
The teacher implements the consequence
For more information on consequences, read AERO’s Responding to Disengaged and Disruptive Behaviours practice guide.
If the student doesn’t make a positive choice, the teacher:
- uses non-threatening body language, clear communication and voice control
- respectfully and privately states that the student has chosen to continue the disengaged or disruptive behaviour and, therefore, has chosen the consequence
- respectfully and privately implements the consequence identified in the ‘give a choice’ step
- gives the student time and space to follow the instruction using a combination of circulation and scanning to monitor the student, while also monitoring the rest of the class
- checks that the student has completed the consequence after a short period of time
acknowledges the decision the student has made to re-engage in learning and positively reaffirms the appropriate behaviour
or
- follows the school’s behaviour procedure to seek additional support.
After the observation
Follow step 3 – Conduct a feedback session in our practice guide, Supporting a Colleague with Refining their Classroom Management Practice.
Before the feedback session
You may want to document:
- What did they do well that you can praise?
- What have they refined since your previous feedback session (if relevant)?
Before or during the feedback session
You may want to document:
- What is their next priority to focus on?
- Is it a single step of a practice, a specific skill or an element of a skill?
- Within the practice step or skill, what specifically needs refinement? What evidence is there to support this?
During the feedback session
Model for your colleague, then support them to plan and rehearse the practice step, skill or skill element they will focus on refining. You may want to document:
- When will they next use the refined skill or step of a classroom management practice?
- What key elements of the refined skill or step will they make sure they include?
- How will they know if they’ve been successful in refining their practice?
- When is a suitable time to re-observe the refined step or skill?
Keywords: student engagement, disruption, disruptive behaviour