Jan
01

What is good behaviour?

Filed Under (learning) by on 01-01-2012 and tagged , ,

Well, that’s obvious isn’t it? Good behaviour is sitting still, doing what you’re told, speaking when you’re spoken to and generally following instructions. And that’s great except for the fact that students are in school to learn, not to behave.

It’s no good bleating about ‘behaviour crises’ if all you’ve got to offer is some rules to follow. Frankly, I wouldn’t follow ‘em. I’m a bugger for asking ‘Why?’ which accounts for my personal struggle with recipe books: I always want to be given a reason why the onions have to be cooked for 5 minutes or why the water has to be ice cold or why you have to keep on stirring. I’m interested in knowing the thinking behind these instructions and really struggle to follow them unless they’re explained. Possibly the reason I’m bad at following recipes is also the reason why I enjoy teaching?

Robert Sylwester, Professor Emeritus of Education at the University of Oregon said, “Misguided teachers who constantly tell their pupils to sit down and be quiet imply a preference for working with a group of trees, not a classroom full of young people.”

All too often we get good behaviour hopelessly confused with good behaviour for learning. Sitting still, following instructions and paying attention might look superficially like every classroom’s holy grail but it’s worth having a look at this list of good learning behaviours from the Project for Enhancing Effective Learning (PEEL)

  1. Checks personal comprehension for instruction and material. Requests further information if needed. Tells the teacher what they don’t understand
  2. Seeks reasons for aspects of the work at hand.
  3. Plans a general strategy before starting.
  4. Anticipates and predicts possible outcomes.
  5. Checks teacher’s work for errors; offers corrections.
  6. Offers or seeks links between: different activities and ideas; different topics or subjects; schoolwork and personal life
  7. Searches for weaknesses in their own understandings; checks the consistency of their explanations across different situations.
  8. Suggests new activities and alternative procedures.
  9. Challenges the text or an answer the teacher sanctions as correct.
  10. Offers ideas, new insights and alternative explanation
  11. Justifies opinions.
  12. Reacts and refers to comments of other students.

How often do you see these behaviours encouraged in lessons? How important are they in your classroom? Try putting them up as a wall display to remind them (and you) exactly what good behaviour for learning looks like.



9 Responses to “What is good behaviour?”

  1.   Lara Says:
      January 1st, 2012 at 10:34 am

    Really straightforward way of looking at it. I feel the biggest conflict is between effective/useful behaviour for learning and a manageable way of facilitating this in a small room with 30+ learners.

  2.   learningspy Says:
      January 1st, 2012 at 10:48 am

    Yes, obviously no one wants students running riot and old fashioned good behaviour is to be desired in many situations but I’m really interested in the fact the the good learning behaviours on the list are often behaviours that get students in trouble, such as challenging a teacher’s point of view. Of course we want to equip kids witht the abilty to challenge politely but still, there’s plenty of kids that get labelled ‘awkward’ when actually they’re just trying their best to learn.

  3.   Lara Martin Says:
      January 1st, 2012 at 1:11 pm

    Students understanding how they learn and making choices about behaviours that help them learn best. No good upskilling teachers without upskilling students in how to affect their own learning and that of others positively.

  4.   @mrphorner Says:
      January 1st, 2012 at 6:44 pm

    In terms of asking “why?” having observed tonnes of lessons I often, inevitably, have a discussion about behaviours or attitudes to learning. While, as perhaps colleagues who don’t agree with me or aren’t happy with their overall grade (there’s AfL in practice for you, comment only lesson observation feedback) are quick to retort with something like “well what do you suggest? I have x amount of content and only Y amount of hours to deliver it” increasingly I’ve become more assured that teacher behaviour is a major barrier to limiting attitudes to learning. While there’s nothing wrong with insisting on high standards or what some might describe as ‘traditional’ values or discipline – once you’ve got it, get on with it! Lots of times I’ve observed teachers expertly demonstrating the ability to control a class… so much so that there is tendency to prolong it, maybe even bask in it a little. A trap many fall into “Look Mr Observer, watch all the ways I get these kids to do as I say, I *must* be a good teacher.” Not so much, show me behaviour’s good (by that I mean teacher behaviour) by being able to take risks, by being able to have something go wrong and as a class run with it in a different direction.

  5.   learningspy Says:
      January 1st, 2012 at 7:41 pm

    Thanks Mr H, I’m a great believer in comment only lesson observations: teachers behave exactly as kids do to grades.

    Also agree about behaviour: tis but a means to an end. Heard a great slogan recently: tighten up for Good, loosen up for Outstanding

  6.   Julia Skinner Says:
      January 4th, 2012 at 8:40 am

    Another great read D! I’m a gov at a couple of special schools and trying to keep youngsters sitting in their bums is not part of a lesson where much learning takes place! I suppose it is also about confidence and the need to feel in control. For some that means quiet. Action can be threatening.
    One of the schools mentioned is in SM & during the recent HMI visit we were told that staff needed to take more risks. Let the kids ‘misbehave’ because that is often when the learning will happen! She is used to special schools so didn’t need to see that sort of behaviour management that stifles creativity.

  7.   learningspy Says:
      January 8th, 2012 at 11:04 pm

    It’s interesting that a lot of what students learn is from each other. We often underestimate their prior knowledge. Nuthall says that students already know 40-50% of what we teach them – problem is, they all know a different 40-50%. Solution? Let them talk to each other.

  8.   Jim Connolly Says:
      February 27th, 2012 at 9:08 pm

    I am interested in how the behaviours you cover in the blog match those identified by Guy Claxton in ‘What’s the point of school?’ as the magnificent eight characteristics of powerful learners. In his view
    1. Powerful learners have curious and open minds.
    2. Confident learners have courage and determination.
    3. They are good at exploration and investigation.
    4. Powerful learners are experimenters who like playing and figuring things out.
    5. They have imagination which they use to test things out, but also to let ideas flow and ‘come to them’ as intuition and feelings.
    6. They have reason and discipline to balance their imagination.
    7. They are sociable in their learning and development. They can also support the learning of others.
    8. Powerful learners are reflective.

    I also agree with the comments above that whilst some of these attitudes are encouraged in contemporary education many of the behavious are outlawed. So what way forward for a teacher who wishes to develop these attributes in students?

  9.   learningspy Says:
      February 27th, 2012 at 9:36 pm

    Thanks Jim

    Not sure whether there’s any need for the PEEL behaviours to match Claxton. I didn’t really get on with What’s the point of school? Have you read the similarly titled but very different Why Don’t Students Like School?

    You say, “whilst some of these attitudes are encouraged in contemporary education many of the behavious are outlawed. So what way forward for a teacher who wishes to develop these attributes in students?” Well, depending on your role in the school, start where you can make an impact. I’m very clear that these behaviours only work in a climate of mutual respect. Students have to know I’m not going to shout at them for challenging me and I have to know that they’re not going to arse about. I’m fortunate to work in a school in which behaviour is judged ‘outstanding’ and the head is clear about the need to encourage B4L.

    Does that help?

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