Recognising what causes the undesired behaviour can help prevent it.
The antecedents refer to the contextual and 'causal' factors of behaviour.
Cameo
Michael takes Sophie's pencil without asking and starts playing with it, tapping it on the table and pretending it's an aeroplane. The teacher asks him to stop however, 5 minutes later he starts doing it again.
The important question the teacher needs to ask themselves is 'why is Michael doing it?'
It could be for a number of reasons, for example:
The work is too hard
The work is boring
The work is too easy
Michael struggles to withhold information
Michael is seeking attention
Michael is purposefully trying to annoy/distract Sophie and other members of the class
It is a form of withdrawal from the lesson
'A helpful way of looking at a pupil's behaviour in school is to see it as a communication of their underlying emotional needs' (Promoting Emotional Health and Well Being 2004:19). As you get to know the pupils in your class, it should be easier to identify why a child behaves the way they do and eventually you may be able to pre-empt any inappropriate behaviour. Part of a successful relationship with your class is about having good relationships with their parents. If the parents are willing to co-operate with you and be consistent with their management at home, the child's behaviour is more likely to improve at school.
Providing children with a choice is a powerful way of responding to the behaviour. It gives them responsibility for their actions and addresses the behaviour rather than the child. However, the consequences to inappropriate choices and behaviour must be made clear and followed through if the desired behaviour is to be learned.
Cameo
Michael takes Sophie's pencil without asking and starts playing with it, tapping it on the table and pretending it's an aeroplane. The teacher asks him to stop however, 5 minutes later he starts doing it again.
The important question the teacher needs to ask themselves is 'why is Michael doing it?'
It could be for a number of reasons, for example:
The work is too hard
The work is boring
The work is too easy
Michael struggles to withhold information
Michael is seeking attention
Michael is purposefully trying to annoy/distract Sophie and other members of the class
It is a form of withdrawal from the lesson
'A helpful way of looking at a pupil's behaviour in school is to see it as a communication of their underlying emotional needs' (Promoting Emotional Health and Well Being 2004:19). As you get to know the pupils in your class, it should be easier to identify why a child behaves the way they do and eventually you may be able to pre-empt any inappropriate behaviour. Part of a successful relationship with your class is about having good relationships with their parents. If the parents are willing to co-operate with you and be consistent with their management at home, the child's behaviour is more likely to improve at school.
Providing children with a choice is a powerful way of responding to the behaviour. It gives them responsibility for their actions and addresses the behaviour rather than the child. However, the consequences to inappropriate choices and behaviour must be made clear and followed through if the desired behaviour is to be learned.