In order for a child to behave appropriately in the elementary classroom, she must first understand the rules and consequences set forth by the teacher. If she does not understand that hitting another child is against the rules and is consistently followed by a strict consequence such as a referral to the principal's office, then she will not be able to understand that her behavior is inappropriate. If she persistently misbehaves in the classroom, she needs consistent reminders of what is appropriate conduct. Clearly defined rules for her behavior should be provided by the teacher as a reminder when she misbehaves.
Clear limit setting in a nonthreatening manner should be used with elementary children. The teacher should avoid power struggles with the students and avoid arguing because it usually does not lead to any positive outcome. Minor inappropriate behaviors, such as standing up in his area or tapping a pencil, can be ignored as long as it is not disrupting the learning of the rest of the students in the classroom.
Some children are oppositional by nature. They will tell you the sky is green after you explain to them it is blue. They will purposefully avoid doing what is asked for them and tend to complete tasks at their own time. For these types of situations, the teacher can provide two clear choices with clear consequences. Order the choices so that the student hears a preselected negative consequence as the first choice and the teacher request as the second choice. For example, "Do you want to stay after school to complete your work or will you choose to sit quietly at your desk?"
Children enjoy their free time and some wish they could spend all day playing rather than reciting mathematic computations. Limiting their free time could be used as a consequence for misbehavior. This can be done by using a work-first-and-then-play rule enforced during seat work. For example, if a student has difficulty staying on task for long periods of time, she could be asked to work on an assignment first before being allowed to play on the computer. This allows her to work first before being allowed to wander off to the computer area of the classroom. Should she get on the computer before she has completed doing her work, the teacher could redirect her and remind her she has to complete her work first before she can play.
Time-out can be a logical consequence to use in the elementary classroom, but it is less effective when the child does not understand why he is in time-out. Furthermore, if the time-out area is surrounded by colorful pictures, toys, or activities, he will not grasp the idea that the time-out area is a place to contemplate his misbehavior. Therefore, the teacher must ensure she teaches her students about the rules of the time-out area. Time-out should not be punishing or cause any type of humiliation. Students should use their time-out effectively to brainstorm a way to approach a situation and avoid misbehavior. Time-out should be timed in one minute increments according to the child's age. And, when the child has completed his time-out, he should return to the teacher and provide his strategy to use the next time he is in the situation that caused him to misbehave.