Every new YL and VYL ESL teacher soon learns that they need an ESL Behavior Management System (BMS) to survive their lessons. This is especially true in large public school classes, but there’s a world of difference (and your stress levels) between having one and using it well. Read below for some hard-earned tips of what to do and what not to do in this key ESL classroom management technique.
ESL Behavior Management System Do’s
1. Explain it
Invest 5 to 10 minutes in your first lesson to introduce your BMS to your students. Make sure to use gestures and simple language to support their understanding. I always show the rewards (in my case, stickers or stamps) to the students so they know what’s at stake.
2. Make it Visually Engaging
There are a lot great options for ESL Behavior Management Systems out there, including ClassDojo, Star Charts, Team Points, and Shark & Swimmer (or Dinosaur and Runner). The best all have great visuals in common. Whatever system you choose keep it colorful and visible to everyone. Especially in large classes even small steps like using differently colored chalks can make it easier for students to see, understand, and engage with the BMS.
3. Review Every Lesson
Introducing your BMS in the first lesson is a great start but it’s often not enough. Even a few days between lessons can lead many young students to forget some things. Children, as a rule, also need several rounds of exposure before they fully understand something. They even get enjoyment through this repetition as it increases their confidence. Invest a minute or two each lesson to review how your BMS works to improve it’s effectiveness.
4. Use it Frequently & Positively
A great ESL Behavior Management System is one that gets used often. Students get quickly discouraged if they don’t see that they’re making good progress towards their goal. I’ve often observed teachers who complained that their BMS didn’t work, only to see them use it just once or twice per lesson. Their students had quickly figured that they didn’t have any chance at getting the reward, so why bother? A good rule of thumb is to refer back to the BMS after every activity or about every 5 minutes on average. Front-loading positive use in the first 10 minutes also helps.
5. Give Clear Reasons
Whenever you use the BMS, clearly explain why you are either rewarding or punishing the students. Many new ESL teachers simply say “good job” or “well done” but this is mostly meaningless to young learners. What was the good job? Instead, talk about specific actions using level appropriate language, body language, and gestures so students know clearly what they should or shouldn’t do in the future.
- “Students, you sat down quickly and quietly. Good!”
- “Everyone played nicely and used English so I’m very happy.”
- “I’m not happy. You were very noisy and you didn’t raise your hands.”
6. Summarize at the End
Make your BMS more powerful by briefly discussing the students’ performance at the end of the lesson. Let them know how well they did or how they could do better. Asking them to review themselves with questions like “Did you listen nicely today?” or “Did you use English today?” also works well.
7. Keep it Fun!
The best classes are those where the kids want to participate and have fun using English. Try to use your BMS as a positive tool instead of as a cudgel to beat the students with. Work in some humor where you can as well. Always keep in mind that honey attracts more flies than vinegar.
ESL Behavior Management System Don’ts
1. Don’t Change It Often
It takes a few lessons for students to understand an ESL Behavior Management System. If you change systems every few weeks or months you’ll confuse your students and reduce its effectiveness.
2. Don’t Use It Inconsistently Or Unfairly
Always treat everyone in class equally otherwise you will undermine your students’ willingness to follow your BMS. Some teachers also reward a behavior one day, but then not the next. Try to remember exactly what behaviors you’re looking for and what you don’t want to see. If your kids really buy into the system they might even call you out when you’ve missed something. Don’t get offended – this means they care.
3. Don’t Make Reward Periods Too Long
Young Learners experience time more slowly than adults, so they struggle even more with long-term reward systems than we do. Don’t design a reward system that takes longer than a couple weeks for a class to normally earn its prize. Time-spans longer than a couple weeks are meaningless for young children and even teens. Keep the prizes small as well so you don’t need to worry about tears if the students fail.
4. Don’t Use it Quietly
If students don’t see you use the BMS or explain why they’re getting points then it’s not effective. I’ve sometimes seen teachers silently add points while students were working nicely. The teachers were trying to give immediate rewards to their students, but nobody noticed them do it. Once the students were finished and did look up they were either confused or oblivious. Have everyone’s attention while you use the BMS.
5. Don’t Fail to Give Negative Feedback
A lot of new teachers fail to set clear boundaries or give negative feedback to students. They want to be liked by their students so they let small infractions slide. Some even give rewards to classes or groups when they were clearly misbehaving – just to avoid a confrontation. Almost inevitably the students’ behavior will get worse until the teacher loses their cool and starts yelling. Remember that it’s OK to give students negative feedback as long as you’re prompt, clear, fair, and consistent.
6. Don’t Spend Too Much Time Using it
Some teachers get bogged down while giving stars, checks, or points to the students or teams in class. Choose a BMS that’s ideal for your lesson environment to avoid this. It’s generally a bad idea to select an individual-focused system for classes larger than 20 or 25. I’ve watched teachers lose minutes, momentum, and their students’ interest while giving ten teams or 20 kids their stars. Use a large team or whole-class BMS for large public school ESL classes.
7. Don’t Reward Correct Answers
Many new teachers make the common mistake of using their BMS to reward students for answering questions correctly in an effort to encourage participation. Unfortunately, this isn’t supportive for weaker students who often feel further left behind their stronger classmates. It can also give strong students the idea that they can get away with bad behavior as long as they’re correct. Instead, give rewards for attempts at participation and actual good behavior.
8. Don’t Rely Solely On It
Successful teachers have to manage many things at the same time. I’ve had many teachers come to me saying that their perfect BMS wasn’t working; the kids were still poorly behaved.
Observations often revealed the problem wasn’t with the system, but with other aspects of their teaching. Some teachers had too difficult or too much teacher talk time. Or their lessons were filled with low participation activities and no opportunities for movement. Other teachers gave unclear instructions or just had poor teacher presence. Oftentimes these led to the students missing one or more of their Basic Needs.
A good Behavior Management System can make an average class good, or a good class great – but it can’t make a bad group great. If your BMS just isn’t working then take a look at other aspects of your teaching. Great teaching is a holistic endeavor.
What’s your favorite Behavior Management System for large classes? Did I forget any further tips? Don’t forget to like, share, and comment!
