Student behaviour has been a hot topic for many years, and many teachers cited it as a key source of stress in our recent Wellbeing Survey. There will never be a perfect resolution to behaviour challenges â€“ however, there are some things that can be done to help manage the situation. 

Setting clear expectations with rules, routines and structures is a tried and tested method in classroom management. In this blog, we outline the benefits of working this way, as well as offering a few tips on setting and maintaining routines. 

The importance of setting expectations, structures and routines 

Structure and routine are at the heart of successful classroom management. When used consistently, they help support students’ learning by making basic behaviours automatic, freeing up their focus for teaching and learning. However, to do this, you must clearly set expectations.  

Rules are the most common way of communicating behavioural expectations to the class. However, if not communicated effectively, it will not have the desired effect.  

Students need to understand that rules are important and fundamental to the way that their class operates. Additionally, they need to understand that breaking rules has consequences. 

Some tips for setting clear expectations in the classroom: 

• Explain the rules to students on day one and communicate the importance of the rules 

• Have the rules written somewhere easy to access as a reminder 

• Help students to understand the benefits of following the rules 

• Refer to the rules constantly. It may feel a little strange at first but stick with it as students need to hear them often. These rules should very quickly become second nature, allowing you to continue with a lighter touch 

• When rules are broken, follow up with consequences 

• Repeat until students realise that you will not throw the rulebook out of the window, and they begin to understand the importance of structure 

The benefits of classroom routines 

Without having clearly defined structures and routines, you will find yourself correcting behaviours constantly throughout the day, taking valuable time away from teaching.  

Constantly stopping and starting lessons like this can be disastrous on lesson plans and may cause well-behaved students to switch off whilst teachers deal with rule breakers. 

When teachers get their routines right: 

• Less time is spent dealing with rule breaking 

• Learning is maximised  

• Students remain engaged 

• Less time is spent repeating instructions and expectations 

• There is more freedom to plan and deliver bolder, more challenging lessons 

How to set strong classroom routines 

It’s your responsibility to determine how much structure and routine a class needs. Some will need more than others, but a good place to start when considering routines is thinking about covering most circumstances that are likely to occur. These may be: 

• The beginning of the lesson â€“ do you expect students to line up outside? Do you require them to stand behind their seats before being told to sit down? 

• Procedure for handing out lesson materials â€“ should students collect them from a designated area, or will a specified person hand them out? 

• Procedure for being allowed to speak â€“ do students need to raise a hand? How do you want students to gain your attention politely and calmly? 

• Toilet breaks, food and drinks â€“ will you allow toilet breaks that aren’t an emergency? Will you allow food and drink in class, or just water? 

• Language and conduct â€“ how do you expect students to treat each other and their environment? 

• Effort and concentration â€“ is there a minimum amount of work expected before they can move on to the next task? Will you set consequences for not finishing work? 

How to maintain a structured classroom environment 

It’s not enough to simply set routines, it’s also vitally important to maintain them â€“ but this is where it becomes particularly challenging for some teachers.  

It’s relatively easy to tell someone how to behave but ensuring that they actually do behave over a prolonged period of time is much harder. 

This is why repetition is so important. Every time a student forgets or breaks a rule, remind them. It might seem very repetitive, but if you persist, it becomes increasingly less so as students remember your expectations.  

Over time, rules become second nature and less effort will be required to enforce them. 

It’s also important to follow any school-wide rules such as those set out in a behaviour policy, as students will be expected to follow those standards in every class, not just yours.  

It’s incredibly important that your individual class rules do not contradict school-wide behaviour policies. 

Learn more about behaviour expectations with our Class Charts Behaviour Guide 

A well-defined behaviour policy is crucial for setting the standards of good behaviour in schools. But what stops a well-intentioned policy from sitting on the shelf? How can you breathe life into your policy and make it work in all levels of your school? 

Our in-depth guide is designed to help schools bring their behaviour policy to life, creating consistency for both teachers and students. 

Download guide