ABSTRACT
So far we have largely concerned ourselves with the promotion of positive behaviours within the first school classroom and looked at what might be done to prevent potential difficulties arising or escalating. This final section is intended to clarify concerns for teachers who continue to be worried about the behaviour of some individuals. Despite clear and consistent expectations, a warm and accepting approach and teaching of routines these are children who remain exceptionally hard to understand and manage. Although we naturally want answers to the question ‘Why?’, and knowing more about a child’s situation often does increase understanding and empathy, it is not always necessary to know detailed reasons in order to begin to identify the child’s needs and ways to go about meeting these. The ideas found in this chapter are not intended to replace what has already been said but to contribute to developing a closer focus on what is happening for the individual in difficulty.
Teachers sometimes feel at a loss when faced with difficult behaviour and may tend to manage all unwanted behaviours in the same way. This chapter offers a taxonomy of behaviours which is intended to help teachers think through their approaches to children and decide which actions are most appropriate to take, at least initially. Although acknowledging the overlap between sections this chapter provides the framework for an analysis which facilitates a more subtle and specific response to the child who is hard to manage. This is more likely to achieve a successful outcome.
We also address the important difference between immediate management strategies in the classroom and meeting the longer term needs of the child.
