Learner behaviour is more or less their response to what they receive from their environment. While we cannot control the rest of the environment, we can definitely control what we provide to our learners as stimulus.
Now, every learner who we teach has a unique personality. Therefore, the dos and don’ts discussed here are more to do with our behaviour than theirs.
Do maintain in your classroom a certain kind of routine
And your classroom, my friend, will become a well-oiled machine
Don’t you think of leaving the disruptive ones behind
They often behave badly as they are mostly sidelined
Do include your learners when setting your classroom rules
Since these rules are made by them, they’ll treat them like jewels
Don’t punish your learners for any kind of defiance
Punishment breeds contempt but praise breeds compliance
Do create such lessons that keep them occupied
It’s fun to see them hooked, their mischief compromised
Don’t allow monotony to creep into your lesson
Change your pace at once, when you spot a bored expression
Do give learner feedback using positive language
More smiles and less frowns reduce their mental baggage
Don’t make your learners ever feel like a failure
Hostility has its own ways of boosting bad behaviour
Do develop a relationship with each student of yours
Love and commitment of learners is what this bond ensures
Don’t make your learners feel undervalued ever
Support them, protect them, and treasure them forever.
If you want to dive deeper into this area of teaching and learning, please feel free to check out our course on Management of Classroom Dynamics.
