Have you ever noticed that student behavior gets more challenging at the end of the school year? You spend almost 180 days being consistent with expectations and consequences and you’re so proud of your students when you start to see a decrease in disruptive behavior.
But then, when there’s only a few weeks of school left and you think you’re finally going to make it to the finish line, disruptive behavior starts popping up again. Things you haven’t seen in a long time- work refusal, constant interrupting, meltdowns, students leaving the classroom. You look around and think, “WTF is happening?! I thought we had this all under control?!”
If you’re nodding your head, this is completely normal (even though it might feel like you’re the only one in the world that this happens to). Keep reading to learn 3 proven behavior management strategies to minimize disruptive behavior until the last day of school.
Why does this happen?
First, let’s talk about why we see an increase in disruptive behavior at the end of the year. There are 2 main reasons. First, the end of the school year always brings about a change in routine. There are celebrations, field trips, end of year testing, and special days. While those things are fun and exciting for most students, they’re also less structured and out of routine. Expectations are different during these events, and for some students, just relaxing expectations a tiny bit can lead them to feel like there are no expectations at all.
Second, your students know that the school year is almost over, and for our most challenging students, the thought of leaving the safety and boundaries of your classroom is very unsettling. As a result, many of our students wind up intentionally self-sabotaging themselves so they don’t have to feel the uncomfortable feelings of “leaving” someone they’ve built a relationship with. It’s easier for them to leave at the end of the school year if they think that you don’t like them anymore because of their behavior. Crazy, right?
So, don’t take it personal, friend. Let’s dive into 3 behavior management strategies that can help support your students at the end of the school year.
1. Stick to your schedule and routines
Even though you might have special days or events at the end of the year, it’s important to stick to your regular schedule and routines as much as possible. Sure, there will be times when it’s simply not possible, but don’t throw your routines out the window just because it’s the end of the year.
One really easy way to do this is to incorporate end of the year crafts, activities, or celebrations into your already existing schedule. For example, have your students complete memory books during small group reading rotations, or have a special snack during snack time.
Even on days with big events like field day, you can still start with a morning meeting to review expectations with students. Sticking as close as possible to your regular daily schedule will help communicate to students that your routines, procedures, and boundaries are still in place.
2. Be consistent with expectations and consequences
We all know that consistency is key when it comes to behavior management. Even though the year is winding down, it’s important to stick to your expectations and consequences with students. This can be extremely hard when disruptive behavior that you haven’t seen in a while is popping up again, but stay the course!
First, make sure that you review and model expectations for students even before a fun event. Just because you’re not teaching a lesson doesn’t mean there are no expectations!
Second, when a disruptive behavior does pop up, stay calm. Remember, you can only help your students problem solve when you’re calm yourself.
Next, think back to how you handled this disruptive behavior in the past. Try to replicate your response as closely as possible. Don’t be afraid to bring back an intervention that you haven’t used in a while.
And last, follow through on consequences, even if it’s not during your regular, structured learning time. If we’re not consistent in our responses, we will be addressing this behavior every single day until the last day of school!
3. Strengthen relationships
For all of our students, but especially our most challenging ones, there’s a lot of anxiety that surrounds the end of the school year- leaving your classroom that they consider to be a safe space, not seeing many of the people they’ve grown to trust every single day, and the unknown of what the next school year will look like for them. As a result of this, we often see an increase in self-sabotaging behavior.
It’s so important to let our students know that we will always be there for them, even outside the four walls of our classroom. Have conversations with your students where you invite them to share how they’re feeling about the school year ending, and let them know that although you’ll miss having them in your class, you’ll still be there for them.
Make a plan for them to stop by in the mornings, say hi at recess or lunch, or even to come down and help in your classroom. Knowing that this isn’t “goodbye,” is a big help to many of our students and can help curb self-sabotaging behavior.
Conclusion
As exciting as the end of the school year can be, it can also be extremely stressful when you see disruptive behaviors begin to pop up again. Luckily, there are a few behavior management strategies that can help you minimize these disruptions.
How will you be consistent in your expectations, routines, and relationships through the end of the school year? Leave a comment to share!
