What are behaviour charts for the classroom?

Behaviour charts form part of a classroom management system that utilises positive
reinforcement to maximum effect. They involve visually tracking the actions of pupils in a class
over a period of time, with incentives for good behaviour and penalties for poor behaviour.

Behaviour charts for the classroom are widely used in schools for many reasons. Firstly, they
enable you to see at a glance who has behaved poorly not only that day but also possibly on a
longer-term basis.

Another advantage of using behaviour charts is that your pupils will have an increased
awareness of their behaviour and the possible consequences of their actions if they can
physically see them in chart form.

Behaviour charts for the classroom: different

types
There are many different forms and layouts to consider when designing behaviour chartsfor
the classroom.
More visual charts are useful for pupils in younger age groups, whereas more abstract ones
suit older pupils.

Behaviour charts are usually physical but they can also be digital; there are many applications
to support this if it would suit your classroom needs.

Many behaviour charts are colour-based, with children being assigned colours that reflect
their behaviour – beginning in a neutral yellow and being assigned green or red for good and
unwanted actions in the classroom respectively.

It is also useful – particularly with younger children – to use pictorial symbols to represent
their behaviour, such as a sun for good and a storm cloud for poor. You could also use
pictures of faces, with children beginning with an expressionless face and moving up or down
to smiling and scowling faces depending on how they behave.

If you don’t want to track each child’s behaviour individually, it is also easy to adapt behaviour
charts to cater for an entire group of children and reward them collectively. This provides a
good incentive to behave well, as it directly impacts pupils’ peers.

Bring in a large jar and plenty of marbles, then let your pupils earn team points as a class by
putting a marble in the jar whenever a child demonstrates particularly good behaviour, such as
generosity, leadership or maturity, or when they excel at their work.

Once the jar is full, reward the children by giving them a treat such as watching a film. You can
make this process more nuanced by offering children progressively bigger rewards the further
up they fill the jar, with lines drawn on the outside to mark when different rewards are owed.

Reserve a special reward for the very top of the jar – such as a class party. If you’d like to make
the process even more individualised, hold a class discussion about the treat they want to
receive. Not only will this enable communication between all of you, but by giving your pupils
the chance to have an input shows that you value them.

When not to use behaviour charts for the

classroom
Although the use of behaviour charts as a form of behaviour management within the
classroom has many positive effects, there are some situations in which they can cause more
harm than good.

It is not uncommon to find that behaviour charts for the classroom cause tension and
animosity when collective punishment enters into the equation.
If well-behaved children always have marbles added to the jar, but are constantly seeing their
efforts undermined by others, they may lose motivation and become resentful. This is not
productive for you or your pupils.

FIONNAMACMILLAN

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