New Positive Behaviour Management Course for Supply Teachers

Throughout Prospero Learning’s Positive Behaviour Management course, we discuss how teachers, teaching assistants or supply teachers can manage behaviour in a positive way so that they can support students to feel comfortable, safe and confident at school, enabling them to access their work and make the best progress possible.  

As a supply teacher, it can be difficult to manage behaviour in an effective, positive relational way: you typically don’t have the same time to be able to build relationships with the students that you’re working with in the way that their class teacher might, especially if you’re doing day-to-day supply. Although it is difficult, it’s certainly not impossible. There are key strategies that you can use, and effective systems you can put in place that can support you when you enter a new class.   

Positive Behaviour Management for Supply Teachers: Know the Behaviour Management Policy  

This might seem obvious, but making sure you have taken the time to get to grips with the school’s behaviour management policies and procedures before you meet with your new class (or classes) for the day is so important. Schools often have their policies published on their website, so have a look for it before you get to the school in which you’re suppling so that you have a good idea of their systems for sanctions and (most importantly) rewards. Try to speak to other teachers in the school about how to effectively use the behaviour policy and find out if there are any additional systems that the class teacher has in place for their class. If you know what the students are used to, you will be able to easily replicate this and provide consistency for them.  

Be Positive 

Again, this may sound simple, but it’s one of the most important and effective ways in which you can manage behaviour with a new class. If you are hyper-vigilant in your approach from the moment that you meet your class, then they are likely to meet that energy. Instead, try to focus your attention on what they are doing well and on the students who are meeting your expectations. This will give a positive model for all the other students to follow and set them up to be able to succeed with you.   

Have High Expectations 

Whilst you want to ensure that you take a positive approach to your behaviour management, this does not mean that you should ignore challenging or disrespectful behaviours if they occur. Make sure that your students know and understand what your expectations are and how they can meet them. Try to refer back to those expectations if challenging behaviour does occur so that students are being constantly reminded of what it is they should be doing. 

Restorative Conversations 

If a breakdown in behaviour does occur, and sanctions have to be applied, then it’s really important to take the time to have restorative conversations with those students. Even if you have only been booked for a day at the school, you can never be sure that you won’t be back there again in the future. Restorative conversations seek to give space for both you and the student to be able to communicate in a constructive way: discuss what happened, without seeking to place blame or apply judgement, and give the student the opportunity to share why they behaved in that way, what could have been done differently (by them, and by you) and how they will ensure that the rest of their day is positive and successful.  

If you want to find out more about positive behaviour management, head to Prospero Learning to take a look at our dedicated course for supply teachers. It’s filled with the theory behind behaviour management, advice, and key strategies for managing behaviour in a positive way.  

For more from Prospero, head over to our website to register with us, sign up to free on-demand courses, check out our library of blogs, or find out about the live CPD courses we have coming up. As ever, the cost of our online webinars and in-person courses is fully refundable (minus the booking fee) for attendees who register with Prospero Teaching.