Our traditional Easter holiday break is spent camping with family around an open fire, marshmallows, and no showers. Normally, I wouldn’t have it any other way, but this year is different. We’re ditching the tents for a family wedding.
Knowing the Easter period is notoriously busy, I started planning months ago. I constantly checked flight prices waiting for a special to pop up. On the other hand, my wife was more inclined to hold off and snag a last-minute deal. We weren’t sure what approach to take: book early or wait?
After much toing and froing, I finally decided to book. As I progressed to securing seats, I hesitated for a moment, and came back only to find the price had jumped. Although it was frustrating and felt unfair, I locked it in. That decision felt right at the time. Since then, the fluctuations continued. Prices well above what we paid, followed by dirt-cheap specials.
With our trip now just around the corner, my annoyance with airlines is still growing due to the unpredictable nature of their processes. Funnily enough, I’ve realised my frustration isn’t just about the money. It’s equally as much, if not more, about the inconsistency, uncertainty, unpredictability, and perceived fairness… or lack thereof.
There is some good in all this – the lesson I learned is important to take into our classrooms next term.
If we are unpredictable and inconsistent, students feel that same sense of distrust. As a result, engagement is low, and classroom culture is compromised. Of course this can lead to behavioural issues emerging and kids checking out – both metaphorically and literally.
Don’t worry, the opposite is achievable. When we are consistent and predictable in the classroom, it reduces frustration, which, in turn, reduces anxiety. Importantly, consistency builds trust. How do I define trust? Simple – I say what I do and do what I say.
Most teachers strive for consistency, but it’s difficult to achieve all the time. To help foster a predictable classroom, start here:
- Agree on a way of working across your school, or at least across your team – our way is restorative practice.
- Co-design expectations and make sure they’re crystal clear – student input goes a long way to them owning their behaviours.
- Modelling – the easiest way to teach the behaviour is by modelling the behaviour you want to see. Don’t say one thing and do the opposite.
- Strive for consistent predictable responses – respond calmly and in a structured way. Emotional reactions can be contagious.
- Minimise surprises… especially when using consequences. If a student messes up, help them take responsibility to clean it up.
Specifically, when it comes to managing student behaviour, the mistake we often make is wanting consistency in the outcome. A better investment of our time is striving for consistency in the process. To do this, follow the basic restorative practice three step past, present, and future process. This significantly increases the likelihood of getting the right outcome.
Finally, just as I would have preferred price stability over chasing a deal, students value reliable structures over inconsistent reward or consequence.
The goal isn’t rigidity—it’s reliability. At the end of the day, that’s what our kids need.
