This article intends to highlight a series of easy to implement behaviour practises to help young people both at home and at school. Teachers may find this useful when thinking about their students and lesson planning. Parents may also find it useful when working through behaviours at home or as a conversation tool between parents and school.
How behaviour and communication are linked
Firstly, all behaviour is a communication of need. We need to consider what need is being communicated before reacting to the behaviour. It's worth referring to child psychology here. Attachment Theory was first coined by John Bowlby. Bowlbyâs attachment theory highlights the impact of family experiences on childrenâs emotional and behavioural well-being.How children bond with their care giver during their developmental period (0-3 months) will dictate how they form and maintain relationships for life. Even before environmental factors have had an impact on a child, their attachment style will dictate how they manage social interaction. It's important to note that these attachment styles may dictate likely behaviours, but they are not an indicator of neglect/abuse/safeguarding concerns once the child is older.Different types of attachment
There are four types of attachment:- Secure
- Avoidant
- Ambivalent
- Disorganized.
5 steps for having an Inclusive Behaviour Conversation
I have put together a step by step guide on how to have a âInclusive Behaviour Conversationâ:1. Acknowledge wrongdoing â Highlight to the child that their behaviour is not okay e.g. I have been called here as you were disrupting the learning of others2. Give thinking time â Give the child 2 minutes of thinking time. e.g. I am going to give you 2 minutes now just to breathe3. Identify emotion â Thinking about thinking, helping children understand what they are feeling and opening up a supportive discussion. e.g. âIâve noticed you are tapping your foot. Iâm wondering if this means you are anxious to be back in schoolâ4.Scaling Questionsâ Helping children grade their emotional response. e.g. âHow is your anxiety? Imagine a scale of one to ten. Ten being the highest, where are you? (child grades emotion). What can we do to bring it down to a seven?5. Behaviour as communication of need - If a child needs longer to calm down or cannot articulate a response to your questions take them to the intervention room for a longer discussion or to write their feelings down.e.g. I think it would be best if you came with me so we can unpick this further Mindful watching â Watchful waiting, do not jump in straight away with a dramatic response to a childâs emotive response. Do not âdiagnoseâe.g. Take some time to watch and wait, this will allow you time to assess the situation and may allow the child to self sooth. Avoid catastrophising studentâs worries with your response.So next time you feel you need to address a childâs behaviour, think back to this article and try to follow the five steps. As with any new strategy it will take time to perfect and embed. But giving this method time is worthwhile.As with support over time your students or children will be the ones leading the conversation which will not only make your lives as parents and teachers easier it will also provide your children with a vital life skill. To be emotionally literate is one of the greatest skills with can develop in our young people to ready them for adulthood.
To continue viewing...
You must sign up to view more content and gain full access to bloss!
Sign up todayAlready have an account? LoginSign up today for unlimited access:
- Book appointments
- Expert advice & tips
- Premium videos & audio
- Curated parenting newsletters
- Chat with your bloss community
- Discounts & competitions
- Special events

Leave a Rating / Review
You must be logged in to post a comment.