Integrating new students

Integrating new students during the year is always an interesting experience.

Being in a smaller school, the children we have in each year group are usually 'stuck' with each other from class to class. They develop firm relationships with each other, know each others gifts and quirks, and are accepting of each other.

The students and their new teacher at the beginning of each year develops routines, expectations and values - with the teacher reinforcing and rewarding target behaviours. There is an essential understanding that is developed in the relationship of the student and a teacher.

Then a new student arrives. It's a good opportunity to observe your 'old' students - their interactions and ability to share knowledge, guidance and themselves.

Usually it goes well. The old students are keen to form new friendships (sometimes to the point where the new feels over whelmed for a little while) and the new one is happy to accept. After all it's scary to start a new school and developing friendships helps them to feel good about themselves and comfortable in their new environment. Sometimes there's a little settling period as they get used to new routines and expectations but usually they find their way pretty quickly.

However, what happens when that new one isn't happy to accept new friendships, routines and expectations? They are headstrong and push the boundaries, not only of the class, but the school wide expectations. You want to be positive - you ARE positive as much as possible, but you feel that you have to constantly be on top of them to get any productivity out of them, that they are disrespectful and disruptive to other students. The rest of children feel frustrated, 'gob-smacked', and a little threatened.

The journey only begins there. Rapport, and really knowing that child is going to be key. What else has worked for you?

Restorative Justice

My school is looking into putting restorative justice principles into place. I'm undecided what I think about this - I think it's more the name than the principles that put me off. It's going to be an interesting process for me and I know that I need to go into this with an open mind and some idea of how it could work for me. (Maybe just call it something else?!?!)

My current beliefs on behaviour management are (and I feel most teachers are similar):

• Put into place good structures and expectations
• Positive praise for target behaviours and celebrations
• It's all to easy to forget the 'good' children, when the 'tough' ones demand more attention - it's important to make an effort to balance this
• Re-direct children before the behaviour occurs (if possible)
• Give children a chance to be responsible and make choices
• Teach what good/expected behaviour is at school (maybe it's different at home)
• If a punishment is absolutley neccessary, make it relate to the 'crime' (eg, if Johnny is climbing the trees when he shouldn't be, the next play time he needs to play in a particular area where there are no trees)

I have found this article which is the start of my research.
http://www.teacherswork.ac.nz/journal/volume2_issue2/carroll_lind.pdf