Don’t talk to me about behaviour! Students should just behave.

In Greek mythology, Achilles was a hero of the Trojan War who was known as being the greatest of all the Greek warriors. Achilles was described having ‘a large chest, a fine mouth, and powerfully formed arms and legs. Though mild in manner, he was very fierce in battle’ (1) …. but we all know how the myth ends…

‘Paris, the brother of Hector, kills Achilles. He shoots an arrow that Apollo guides so that it hits Achilles in the heel, killing him by striking his only vulnerable point.’ (2)

Behaviour in school is the Achillies heel for teachers, school leaders and school communities.

We all know excellent teachers with unrivalled subject knowledge, have an incredible understanding of pedagogy and who are unequivocally researched informed in all the latest education literature. But that year 8 class is still an issue…

It will always be an issue unless we talk about it, reflect on it, and do something about it. In all aspects of teaching, we observe, we give and received feedback. We have continuous professional development on teaching and learning, but too often the aspect that is skimmed over is positively managing behaviour.

Great learning cannot happen in a chaotic, unusual, and unpredictable environment. You may be the Achilles of the teaching world, but if behaviour is ignored, teachers are abandoned or left to make up their own systems, the greatest of teaching warriors will be undone. It is too important to ignore.

Introducing the Behaviour Action Wheel (BAW24)

In 2023 I wrote the A-Z of behaviour to support Physical Education teachers. The feedback has been overwhelmingly positive, but the main criticism was, ‘so what?’ Great, we can now list and identify behaviours that occur but how do I use it to develop my teaching. Fair comment.

So, this year, at PE Scholar we have developed the Behaviour Action Wheel (Fig.1)

Fig 1.

The Behaviour Action Wheel (BAW24) is a tool designed to support teachers to identify key actions and positively improve behaviour management. Originally created as a self-reflection activity, the BAW24 has evolved into a strategic, proactive behaviour management tool, which allows teachers and departments to highlight and focus on actions that will have the most leverage in enhancing behaviour within the classroom.

Based in four zones: Pre-lesson actions, post-lesson actions, proactive student interactions and reactive student interactions, the wheel initiates twenty-four different actions that could be a lever to improve behaviour.

The BAW24 can be used to incrementally develop individual teachers or as a group to identify and focus departments strategies. By highlighting strengths and creating next steps, teachers and department can methodically and actively target aspects of behaviour to develop, in an equivalent way to how they would improve pedagogy.

The pilot case studies have had impact at both department and individual level. Fig 2. Shows a PE department’s collective wheel profile. Fig 3. Shows a PE teacher’s profile (2 years’ experience).

Fig 2

Fig 3

From these profiles, we were able to identify specific, key areas that enhanced PE teaching across the whole department and elevated the teaching on the individual to a new level.

The impact of just making teachers more self-aware, gave a significant uplift. The personal, agreed, actions help transform the culture and achievement across the whole department.

Like any subject, behaviour needs to be taught, Physical Education has unique aspects, such as fluctuating teaching spaces, changing room cultures and the use of ever-changing equipment, rules, and etiquette. Initiative-taking behaviour management is a cornerstone to good Physical Education delivery.

If you would like to find out more about the BAW24 please contact us!