5th grade doesn’t have much of a behavior issue most of the time. This is because each student has a behavior log for the week that they carry around with them either individually or a class set. Each student brings home a behavior log on that Friday which has to get signed and returned the next Monday. 5th graders are cute and tough young teenagers, but can’t be because they have to answer to mom or dad when behavior log is sent home on Friday. This means that students aim for positive notes, if any, and few misbehavior notes.

Classroom rules are that if a student is misbehaving, they get a verbal warning once. After that, its a write up in their behavior log. After that, they are sent to the principal’s office. Students usually stop after a write up or sent outside of class in the hallway. 

How do I approach student misbehavior as a student teacher?

If a student is misbehaving I write a sad face and student/s name/s next to it on overheard. I do this because I don’t want to stop my train of thought while teaching or going around classroom checking up on student’s individual work. Usually the student understands their misbehavior and right away gets to work appropriately. Sometimes that student will ask why I wrote their name. I relpy, “It made me sad when you weren’t listening to my instructions.” That gets their attention right away. Another approach is to leave a sticky note on their desk, “If you do misbehavior again, I’m writing you up.” I do this so that their misbehavior doesn’t attract attention. After that I ask student to bring me their behavior folder. By then, the student is on the verge of crying or crumbles folder as they walk towards me ready to hand their folder over.

How do I approach positive behavior as a student teacher?

Again, I use the overhead. When students are working independently or listening to me teach, I will write a smiley face and student/s name/s next to it, as well as Thank You. Once students see that I am looking for positve behavior, students sit up straighter, concentrate on math/science as if they are professors and listen to the teacher like I’m a famous movie star. Its quite cute. The students who always have good behavior know that its expected for their name to be written. Thats not always the case. Most of the time, I write names on the Thank You wall so that the misbehavior students can behave in the same appropriate manner as their peers.

So far this has been working beautifully. With behavior logs I don’t have to bribe student’s with candy or extra credit. Oh, the beauty of teaching 5th graders.