Deputy Principal (Kelly Anderson)

Learning Environment

Moving towards a Positive Behaviour Support model

During 2020, the staff at BSHS developed a matrix of the positive behaviours we wanted to see across all school contexts.  This Positive Behaviour Matrix was aligned to our school values of Learning, Collaboration, Courage, Diversity and Wellbeing. (see attached)

A Good Standing Policy was also developed by the whole staff, to complement the PBM and enable both recognition for students with excellent behaviour and achievement, as well as provide a mechanism to remove good standing for those who were not demonstrating the expected behaviours.

The Student Services team will use good standing data to identify which students should receive tangible rewards.  Some of this data will be based on the PBM and how well students are demonstrating these behaviours in all school contexts.  Systems to collect this data are currently being explored, as there are some limitations with the use of Academy for this.

CLASSROOM POSTERS

The initial focus for our positive behaviour support model, is on classroom behaviour and our first step is to provide a visual reminder of expected behaviours in each classroom.  These posters have been designed with the BSHS classrooms in mind – long and skinny – to fit between windows or above whiteboards. The content for these posters comes straight from the classroom section of our PBM. Thank you to Ellie Mackay for her work in designing these posters.  Ellie is also currently working on a similar poster to reinforce positive behaviours in our cafeteria (a school context not mentioned as yet in our PBM, as it didn’t exist back then!).

POSITIVE LANGUAGE WHEN ADDRESSING MISBEHAVIOUR

These behaviours should be referenced in conversations with students, especially in recognition of those who are demonstrating these positive behaviours on a regular basis.  By highlighting the positives, we can hopefully prevent misbehaviour.

When misbehaviour does occur, try to frame your response with a reminder of the positive behaviour expected.  For example, if a student calls out and you don’t want them to, you can remind them that “We put our hand up before speaking”.  If you use this instead of the usual “Don’t call out!” it actually communicates the behaviour you do want to see.  Then when they do the expected behaviour, make sure to positively reinforce that – a simple verbal “Thanks for putting your hand up, what would you like to say?”  This approach helps set a more positive tone in your classroom.

This is the start of our school’s move towards a positive behaviour support model.  If you would like someone to come and observe your lessons and give you some more tips on how to be more positive in your interactions, please don’t hesitate to ask your experienced colleagues, curriculum leaders, members of the Coffee Club, and Tina and I.