THE BEHAVING SCHOOL

Cheryl Doig Fendalton School, Christchurch

An effective behaviour management programme must focus on the behaviour of the whole school, not just the behaviour of students. A school’s culture and philosophy affects the way in which staff behave. Their behaviour in turn affects the way in which students behave.

To be effective, a school needs to combine good management practices and high quality leadership, within the framework of a learning organisation. One effective strategy (see Doig, 2000) is to refocus on the school’s core values, using a Quality Schools model. The model used here (see Fig. 1) has been developed over a number of years, using ideas from the literature on quality, effective schools, school improvement and excellence (Doig, 1999).

There are three parts to this model: management, leadership and learnership. It is the combination of all three that makes the model so powerful. A school that has elements of these three would:

•&&Provide clear management systems, developed in consultation with all members of the school community. Policies and procedures would support teaching and learning, and would not be excessive or constricting.

•&&Allow opportunities for leadership throughout the school and celebrate the people within the school on a regular basis.

•&&Be a learning organisation with a clear focus on lifelong learning. Teaching and learning would be at the heart of every decision made within the school.

The model also emphasises a move away from dependence on others (as in extrinsic motivation) to independence, and ultimately to interdependence. When interdependence is achieved, the school will be working as a system, intrinsic motivation will be evident, and power will be gained from the interconnectivity of relationships.

Management Level

Management of “things” is a priority at this level. Good documentation is a way of preparing for difficulties and aiming to prevent or minimise problems. However, if schools are totally dependent on documentation, this can hinder change or risk-taking. The purpose of documentation needs to be to enhance teaching and learning. It should not be cumbersome or overwhelming. To be useful, it needs to be owned by the staff, with stakeholder input.

Good management systems may include:

•&&monitoring – the school behaviour record system, attendance

•&&observations – of student interactions and referral through the school’s equity or special needs committee, regular communication systems for staff to discuss students of concern

•&&feedback mechanisms – questionnaires to students, parents, staff; parent interviews and workshops; data collection or research, e.g. postbox exercises, focus groups

•&&classroom programmes – use of an appropriate anti-bullying programme and other health/social studies programmes.

Preventing problems

In addressing school behaviour, good management will aim to prevent problems from occurring in the first place. Three ways in which school leaders can develop preventative systems are outlined below.

1. Documenting the school’s belief systems

This is essential when designing a behaviour programme. Time needs to be taken to get it right. The staff has to be coming from the same conceptual framework and this has to be frequently articulated. Beliefs may vary substantially from school to school, depending on factors such as the school culture, student base and type of school. Once established, these beliefs should be constantly referred to and regularly reviewed. Good planning, focused on improvement and on meeting the core values of the organisation, is essential. In the school setting, this means a strong focus on teaching and learning.

Winfield (1994) outlines the importance of changing a school’s belief systems so that teachers focus positively on children at risk. In particular:

these belief systems can be changed by implementing sustained professional development, adopting school policies, and developing school cultures that promote learning and achievement for both students and teachers… factors such as school goals, expectations, discipline and reward systems within a school can either advance or hinder student success in school (p.3).

One of the ways in which a school can examine its direction is by focusing on the school’s needs, and identifying the barriers that make it difficult for these needs to be met. Table 1 shows one way in which a school can classify barriers, by identifying those barriers that can be controlled, or over which the school can have an influence. It is useful tor teachers to brainstorm all the barriers to learning, then place them under the relevant headings. This allows the school to focus on those factors over which they do have some control, especially in relation to the way the school behaves (for example, timetabling, teaching methods, student welfare). This exercise can provide direction for the school in meeting the needs of its pupils.

2. Providing information on the school’s beliefs and aims regarding behaviour management

This could include the development of documentation systems, such as:

•&&definition of terms

•&&preventative policies, procedures and systems

•&&rights and responsibilities

•&&corrective practices/problem solving

•&&school/class rules

•&&explanation of actions for significant disruptive behaviour such as bullying, e.g. time out, suspension

•&&community involvement

•&&repairing/rebuilding, e.g. parent input, counselling, outside agencies

•&&legal obligations.

3. Outlining how the school will deal fairly with students

There is no one way of developing a schoolwide behaviour management programme. However, schools need to have a flexible system to meet the needs of students, rather than using a “steps” approach that can tie a school to a particular series of responses. Different children may have different needs, and good support and communication is vital. The programme should outline specific and detailed recording and monitoring systems that allow for accurate collection of data and close monitoring of pupils’ behaviour. These provide a sound basis for managing individuals and their behaviours.

In looking at the issue of bullying, for example, the school should develop a statement specifically relating to bullying/harassment and its application to staff as well as students; a clear definition of bullying with examples; strategies for prevention; a clear description of how the school deals with the bully/victim problem; and encouragement for both students and parents with concerns about bullying to tell the school.

A system should focus on being positive and comprehensive, as well as offering flexibility and responsibility. Such a system should:

•&&assist children to behave acceptably in the first place

•&&help them to identify and develop appropriate behaviours

•&&allow the school to monitor and report on the behaviour of individuals

•&&empower staff to deal appropriately with misbehaviour when it happens

•&&collect evidence on which to base interventions for individuals

•&&provide a system for higher level interventions where required

•&&teach children that they choose their own behaviour.

Leadership Level

At the leadership level of the quality model, the focus is on “people” rather than “things”. Teamwork is emphasised and all are involved in creating a better school, doing their job well and contributing to the system improving as a whole. People are expected to be constantly seeking ways to improve their practice. Staff can work independently, but do so while working towards the same vision. They understand their place in the system and the impact that they have on others within that system.

Leadership by all members of the school community is encouraged. If leadership works in isolation, the school may not be working effectively for the benefit of students. People may be working on their own without there being a sense of school-wide vision, leading to variation in quality across the school. This is often where behaviour systems break down.

Five of the key points identified in the leadership level of the model are outlined below.

1. Those closest to the problem should play a major part in the change

To develop a successful model for student behaviour that is going to be used by all staff, it has to be developed by them, not imposed by senior management as a fait accompli. For students to be involved, they have to have a regular say in what is working for them and what is not. They must be fully involved in the development of school rules, as they are the ones who need to follow them. If parents are going to be part of the model, they need to have a say in how the systems will be implemented. They need to be given input into the systems and to be kept informed. Change that is imposed leaves people feeling powerless. Change needs to be driven by those in the organisation if it is to have a long-lasting effect on school culture.

2. Leadership

Leadership involves students as much as anyone. In classrooms, this suggests a greater focus on individuals making their own choices. The key questions that are asked under this system are:

•&&What are you doing?

•&&Is it working for you?

•&&What’s your plan?

3. Use of metaphors

Research into the use of metaphor in the school setting is extensive (Grady, 1996). These metaphors can give clues as to whether a school is coercive and teacher-driven, or student-centred and celebrating choice. There is no doubt that the way we talk about our students influences the way we act towards them. For example, changing “duty” to “interaction time” alters the emphasis from a binding, unenjoyable activity to a time for mixing and sharing. Changing a “time out” area to a “thinking” area places more emphasis on a change in behaviour.

4. Schoolwide staff development

A behaving school needs to be driven by people moving in the same direction, and having a feeling of belonging, acceptance and empowerment. This requires a supply of adequate resourcing to meet the needs identified, with a strong focus on staff development.

People are the school’s greatest asset. Professional development needs to be a focus, in order to continually update knowledge and reflect on practice. It is essential if change in school culture is to occur. Doig (2000) identified the following benefits of whole school development:

•&&Staff were enthused before the students returned to school and could not wait to put their new training into action.

•&&Staff began using the same language, for example talking about their scales being out of balance with other staff and with students (this relates to comparing what was wanted and the current situation, and seeing that they did not balance).

•&&Staff had a better understanding of key ideas (such as choice theory and reality therapy) which they could discuss with colleagues, and with parents.

•&&The same message was being given to parents and students by all teachers.

•&&The training provided a framework on which teachers could hang their learning.

5. Resiliency

The importance of community, of people and of belonging is emphasised in the research undertaken in the area of resiliency. Milstein and Henry (2000) describe resiliency as “the capacity to meet challenges and become more capable as a result of these experiences” (p.11). They outline six key factors that make up resiliency:

•&&Prosocial bonding – healthy relationships and connections

•&&Clear and consistent boundaries – defined and agreed-on expectations which are enforced regularly and fairly

•&&Life skills – the development of the Essential Skills in the New Zealand Curriculum Framework

•&&Caring and support – unconditional positive regard, trust and encouragement

•&&High expectations – achievement of goals based on ability and potential.

Research by Nettles and Pleck (1993) indicates that the role of the teacher can be crucial in developing resiliency. The adolescents studied could remember at least one teacher who gave them time, attention, and nurturance during their primary schooling. These personal relationships, where pupils and school staff communicate well together, help the students to believe in themselves and the work that they do.

In the behaving school, teachers understand the major role they play in making a difference to students, and that relationships between all members of the school community are not something that should be left to chance. The development of positive relationships and open communication are deliberate focuses of a behaving school. The needs of students will best be met when home, school and student work collaboratively.

The research on resiliency indicates the importance of relationships. A sense of turangawaewae (a place to stand tall; a place of belonging) and a belief that teachers care about them are important features of a behaving school. The staff at a school must model social behaviour. Teachers, in particular, must not be bullies. Sometimes that is hard, especially when student behaviour has not met the school standards. But teachers should keep in mind that what they do should be fair and reflect minimal intervention for the infringement.

In his study of bullying in Scottish secondary schools, Mellow (1990:4) suggests three prerequisites for a successful anti-bullying policy:

•&&Recognition by the school that a problem exists. Again, this relates to the whole school culture.

•&&Openness – victims will only “tell” when bullying is clearly condemned by the school, and when individuals are encouraged to discuss their problems freely without fear of retribution. They need to feel that staff will listen to them.

•&&Ownership – the policies and procedures need to be developed by staff, parents and students in partnership. This goes right back to the principles of a quality management environment, where those closest to the problem should have a major part in developing programmes that address the issue. This gives people a sense of ownership and makes the programme more likely to succeed.

Every situation should be treated on its own merits. Schools need to reinforce the need for people to take responsibility for their own behaviour, to be intrinsically motivated and to be a fully functioning member of society. Students need to be taught how to cope with bullies because they will face them even in adulthood.

Learnership Level

Student attitudes, values and thinking skills are fostered at this level, with the realisation that we are all interdependent, and must work cooperatively for the benefit of the school and the wider community. The school is a learning organisation which fosters interdependence. Management and leadership help to provide the framework from which learnership develops.

In everything we do, we need to keep the focus on students and ask ourselves whether what we are doing in our school is having a positive effect on student learning. Sometimes it is easy to focus on punitive punishments, and we can get into a cycle of negativity which does little to reinforce learning. Educators must constantly re-examine their own values and practices and review the school’s systems in the light of these values. We need to ask ourselves questions which focus attention on whether the systems are making a difference, for example:

•&&What is the quality of what we are doing?

•&&How do we know?

•&&So what will we do next?

•&&How will our findings inform our practice?

•&&How can we do better?

•&&Why do we do it like this?

•&&Where can we find examples of best practice?

However, the key question is:

•&&What difference will this learning make to our students now and in the future?

A behaving school can happen effectively only when teachers have made changes themselves, and when they model intrinsic motivation, goal setting and continuous improvement. If we are living the habit of continuous self and school renewal, then we can start teaching students how to do it for themselves. Our words and actions must be congruent for this to take place.

A growing number of schools are using the work of William Glasser (1990) to focus on school behaviour. One of the advantages of the Glasser training is that it focuses on a whole philosophy, rather than a piecemeal approach. While schools should still adapt these ideas into their own unique situation, some of the most valuable ideas from this approach are useful. Doig (2000) identifies the following ideas as potentially valuable for schools:

Choice theory: Our five basic needs are: Love and Belonging, Power, Freedom, Fun and Survival. We behave in order to meet our needs. The balance varies between people and between different times of our lives.

Personal responsibility: We can control only ourselves – “I am in control of my own life”. It is almost impossible to get anyone to do something they don’t want to do. There is a real emphasis on self development, rather than a blame mentality. At the same time, there has to be responsibility to the group. Responsibility is the willingness and ability of people to follow standards and rules, and ultimately to set their own, without infringing on the rights of others.

Self evaluation: Even from an early age, students should be evaluating what they do, setting their own goals and helping to develop criteria for assessment. This includes the establishment of rubrics, standards and exemplars. Teachers can model this by talking about their own evaluations, and modelling self evaluation through the use of reflective journals.

My job/your job: In the classroom, teachers work on “my job is…/your job is…, my job is not…/your job is not…”. This places ownership with students, who thus have a clearer understanding of their roles. It also outlines limitations, roles and responsibilities. This is important for teachers and students to reinforce with parents too. Comments that such and such told them to do it, x is a bad influence, or y hit him first, are less likely to occur when we concentrate on individual behaviour.

Negotiable/non-negotiable: While we want to give students/staff/parents more say in the school, there has to be the understanding that some things are negotiable and some things are not. These need to be transparent and fair. As an example, school rules are not negotiable. They were developed mainly by the students and they are there to keep people safe and happy.

Quality worlds: None of us sees the world in the same way as others do. We have our own picture in our head, our own quality world. The focus in classrooms has been to get into the quality worlds of others. Setting up and maintaining a positive classroom environment is crucial in a behaving school.

To have a behaving school, we need to focus on teaching styles that promote the teacher as facilitator. Learning needs to be authentic, and students need to have greater responsibility for their own learning. They need to take an active role in their learning, using multiple sources of information, and having longer periods within which to build meaning. They also need activities and contexts that are meaningful to them, so that they will make connections between school learning and the world beyond school.

In the new vision of schooling, it is important to view students’ experience, prior cultural knowledge, and language as strengths – not deficits. Believing and expecting that each student has knowledge and experience to contribute to the teaching and learning process is not enough, however. Students must also have opportunities to demonstrate their strengths and knowledge and to see in their evaluations that these strengths and knowledge are valued. Opportunities must be created for young people to show, tell, and demonstrate what they know and can do in schools and communities (Winfield, 1994, p.10).

Conclusion

Strong leadership in a school is crucial. In particular, the principal plays an active role in leadership and the promotion of all school staff, students and supporters as leaders. W. Edwards Deming believed that 85-95% of problems in schools were caused by management. This puts the onus on principals to look at themselves and the systems they have developed in getting to the root cause of any problem. In this sense, it is important to find out what is wrong, rather than who is wrong.

School leaders must encourage teachers to learn from their mistakes by modelling the use of calculated risks, and by evaluating and analysing performance in an open and honest way. For example, in expecting staff to reflect on their own teaching practice and make improvements, the principal has to lead by example. The staff should play an active role in the principal’s appraisal, and outcomes should be openly shared with staff. In this respect the staff must model what they believe about learning as part of the school philosophy. At the classroom level, students should be involved in evaluating their own learning and the role of the teacher in facilitating that learning. This can be stressful, but teachers need to do it as part of the behaving school model.

A school behaviour programme permeates everything the school does. It is not a stand-alone programme or an “add-on” – it reflects the school’s culture and mission. When developing our school programmes, we must always look at the school in a holistic way, and ensure that whatever we put in place fits within our belief systems. This is one of the features of a school that promotes the health of its whole community.

We must continue to reflect on what we do and try a range of ideas, modifying, adding and constructing until we find something that meets our needs as teachers and also works for students. This requires us to look at our own behaviours when problems arise, as well as looking at what is happening for children. A behaving school looks at student behaviour as part of a bigger picture – that of the learning organisation with a focus on living its beliefs.

References

Doig, C. (1999). Quality in education in a New Zealand primary school. Unpublished Masters in Education dissertation, University of Tasmania.

Doig, C. (2000). Quality the Richmond way: Developing a successful behaviour management programme. Wellington: NZCER.

Glasser, W. (1990). The quality school: Managing students without coercion. New York: Harper Collins.

Grady, N.B. (1993). Images, metaphors and climates. Unpublished PhD thesis, University of Tasmania.

Milstein, M.M. and Henry, D.A.. (2000). Spreading resiliency: Making it happen for schools and communities. California: Corwin Press Inc.

Nettles, S.M. and Pleck, J.H. (1993). Risk, resilience and development: The multiple ecologies of black adolescents. Baltimore, MD: Center for Research on Effective Schooling for Disadvantaged Students.

Winfield, L.E. (1994). Developing resilience in urban youth. Urban Education Monograph Series, NZCREL’s Urban Education Program.