Building positive relationships, setting clear behavioural expectations, and implementing targeted interventions are essential strategies for effective behaviour management at school. While you may already be using many of these techniques instinctively, here are some additional insights from Nancy Roy Halun, a principal in Alberta.
Nancy Roy Halun emphasizes that fostering a collaborative culture within a school can greatly impact behaviour management strategies. “When everyone aligns, it becomes easier to implement global strategies. Group reflection on goals and actions, as a team, yields positive outcomes for students. This ensures consistency in expectations, year after year and across different environments in the school,” she explained during a presentation at the joint event Lever les voiles et Festin pédagogique, hosted by the Conseil scolaire acadien provincial (Nova Scotia) and the Division scolaire Franco-manitobaine (Manitoba).
As the principal of Notre-Dame School in Alberta, Halun’s collaborative model, based on the Response to Intervention (RTI) model, enables her team to develop practical intervention strategies that directly benefit students.
Halun’s school uses the RTI model to define actions for behaviour management. The process begins with universal practices. If these aren’t effective with certain students, specific interventions are implemented in the classroom. Should these interventions fail, more targeted approaches are applied, often involving other staff members. In some cases, the student can even choose which adult will guide their interventions. When necessary, intensive interventions are initiated, which may also involve parents and external professionals.
“The goal is to develop a personalized pyramid, inspired by the RTI model, adapted to your school’s reality. Identify universal practices to prioritize, as well as targeted interventions to implement in each classroom. Keep in mind, 80% of actions should be preventive,” she advises.
Halun recommends starting by taking inventory of existing practices at your school. She provides a Support Continuum Template as a reference document (available here, in French). In her own school, this template serves as the foundation for team discussions during six-week check-in meetings.
Establishing positive relationships with students (and colleagues) is the first essential step. Here are two examples from Halun’s school:
Halun emphasizes the importance of explicitly teaching behavioural expectations for every area of the school and classroom. “Take time to discuss this as a team and create a simple, accessible document. Behaviours should be treated as learning objectives and discussed with students,” she says.
To create a Behavioural Expectations Matrix, consider:
Specific interventions occur in the classroom, often defined at the school level, with teachers collaborating to share strategies that work with different students. The goal is to foster independence and motivation by tailoring responses to individual needs.
Some ideas for specific interventions:
Targeted interventions are provided by professionals within the school, outside the primary teacher or tutor’s purview. These can support individual students or subgroups with similar needs.
Some examples of targeted interventions:
Intensive interventions are customized for individual students and add to previously implemented measures. These interventions often involve parents and may require external expertise. They are typically part of an intervention plan and tailored to the student’s unique needs.
Examples of intensive interventions include:
Nancy Roy Halun shared some frequent mistakes she has observed:
By implementing these strategies and fostering collaboration, educators can significantly improve behaviour management and create a positive, supportive learning environment for all students.
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This article is an adaptation of the original Des outils concrets pour une gestion efficace des comportements.
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