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Rules and rewards are all very well but tend to lead teachers towards a re-active approach rather than a pro-active approach. Effective classroom management is about keeping all of your students actively involved during all of your lessons. Student boredom is one of the major factors which contributes to disruptive behaviour, so our goal as teachers is to keep students engaged at all times.

To keep YLs motivated and engaged:
- aim at the frequent change of activities
- set up competitions
- opt for kinesthetic tasks whenever possible
- use kinaesthetic fillers to help you maintain a balance of stirrers and settlers

Classroom management is also directly connected to class participation. The more students are actively and constructively participating, the fewer discipline problems there will be. A teacher’s goal should be to have 100% class participation, which does not occur when asking a question and students respond by raising a hand. Strategies such as ‘All write’ and ‘pair and share’ increase students’ participation.

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Reward systems are directly linked to rules and following them, but they make it more visual and act as a reminder for YLs that the rules need to be followed.

With a reward system, it also becomes easier to focus on the positivies - ie reward good behavior rather than penalize the inappropraite.

The simplest reward system is writing the students names on the board is awarding stars to them for correct answers, good behavior, and helping their peers.

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Routines are established patterns of behavior in which everyone knows what is expected of them and what they should do.

Familiar routines help to make children secure and confident in the classroom.

Routines can also play an important role in providing opportunities for repetitive language and as YLs become aware of what is expected of them they provide opportunities for natural language acquisition. Managing classes with lots of routines means lessons become more efficient: children get into groups quicker, tidy up effectively and the language that accompanies the routine is acquired more easily as it is contextualized.

(adapted from Read 2007:12)

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YLs are used to rules, and they are needed so that they are aware of the boundaries; what is socially acceptable behavior and what is not. Rules need to be established as part of the working parameters of the classroom.

Having a few positively phrased rules can be more effective than having long lists of You can’t...  You mustn’t...  Don’t...

Should a child break one of the rules they have to face the ‘consequence’. First, they should be warned that what they are doing is not acceptable. If they continue they will face the consequence, which needs to be stated at the time. Putting the responsibility then in their hands means they have to make the conscious decision as to whether to continue with the behavior or not.

Whatever happens, the teacher MUST carry out the threat (move seats, stand in the corner). It’s important that YLs see fairness and have the same rules for all the members in the group (if pupils are not allowed to eat in class, then neither should you). Each child should be given a clean slate at the beginning of each lesson.