The Key to Promoting Positive Behavior in the Classroom

It can sometimes feel impossible to get through daily lesson plans when it seems like the only thing we do as teachers is address negative behavior all day long. However, when it comes to promoting positive behavior in the classroom, there is one small change that can go a long way. In this post, I’m going to share how increasing our own positivity can encourage students to make more positive behavior choices.

The Importance of Positivity in the Classroom

It’s easier said than done, but it makes sense: If we want our classrooms to be positive learning environments, we need to approach behavior with positivity. 

The fact is that positivity can snowball. When we’re focusing on the positive choices that our students make, we’re communicating to our students what we value. They are more likely to make positive choices when they know that they will receive attention and praise for it. 

3 Ways to Promote Positive Behavior in the Classroom

I wanted to share three easy ways to add more positive behavior reinforcement to your daily routine. These simple behavior management techniques can make big changes in the classroom!

1. Communicate with Parents About Positive Behavior

When students know that you communicate with their parents about positive behavior, they are more invested in exhibiting that behavior. Not only do they get recognized for the positive things that they’re doing in the classroom, but they are also more likely to have positive interactions with their parents surrounding school. When we keep the positive news to ourselves, we’re limiting the positive interactions that parents have with their children regarding the school day. 

Communicating with parents about positive behavior doesn’t have to be complicated! It could be a short sentence written in the daily planner, a few lines in an email, or a quick phone call home at the end of the day. One of my favorite ways to communicate with parents about positive behavior is with a glow note.

You can choose one student per day to receive the note. After filling it out, you can announce to the class who received the glow note and why. This one addition to the daily routine will absolutely transform your classroom. Students LOVE taking glow notes home to their parents and will work hard to receive one!

2. Reward Individual Positive Behavior

You can also promote positive behavior in the classroom by rewarding individual students for their positive behavior choices. Again, this can be informal and simple. You might give a sticker or even a high five to a student who just made a positive choice. 

However, it’s also very easy to create individual reward systems for students who could use that level of support. You can focus on a particular positive behavior that you’d like the student to work on. Generally, this positive behavior goal is chosen to help extinguish a negative behavior that is happening regularly.

Individual reward systems can transform your student’s behavior as well as your own reactions to your student’s behavior. Instead of focusing on correcting the negative behavior, you’ll be watching for your student to exhibit the preferred behavior so you can reward them for it. This small switch can go a long way in bringing more positivity to your classroom.

There are many different individual reward systems that are effective for kindergarten students. In past blog posts, I’ve shared how you can use sticker charts, coloring charts, and even token boards to reward positive behavior for individual students. The best part of individual rewards is that you can tailor it for each student in order to maximize buy-in and motivation.

3. Reward Whole-Group Positive Behavior

The benefits of individual reward systems can also be applied at the classroom level with whole group incentives. In fact, this is one of my favorite ways to make the classroom a more positive learning environment.

With whole group reward systems, you can choose a target behavior that you want your students to work on exhibiting more often. For example, you might choose the behavior of walking quietly in the hallway. As you notice students demonstrating this behavior, you can add to the whole-group incentive.

This is such a powerful tool for increasing positivity in the classroom because both you and your students will be watching out for people who are demonstrating the positive behavior. You’ll find that you have students who are telling on their peers for positive things because they want the class to reach their goal. This will significantly decrease tattling for negative behavior in your classroom!

My Build-a-Reward system is a very low-prep way to reward your whole class for positive behavior. As students demonstrate the target behavior, they can earn pieces that create a picture or scene. Once it is complete, the class earns a reward. This low-prep reward system has many different seasonal options, so it’s easy to keep students engaged and motivated by this whole group incentive all year long.

Printable Tools for Promoting Positive Behavior

If you’re looking for an easy way to encourage more positive behavior in your classroom, I have the bundle for you! This mega bundle of classroom management tools includes a wide variety of methods to increase positive behavior reinforcement throughout your daily routine. You’ll find all of the tools mentioned above, in addition to many other tools that will help your classroom run more smoothly.

To take a closer look at everything included in this bundle, just click below to find it in the Teaching Exceptional Kinders shop or on TPT.

More Tips for Positive Classroom Management

Check out this video for more thoughts and tips for encouraging positive behavior in the classroom.

Save These Tips for Positive Behavior Reinforcement

Be sure to save this post if you’d like to come back to it later. Just add the pin below to your favorite teaching board on Pinterest. You’ll be able to find these tips and tools whenever you’re looking for ways to increase positive behavior in your classroom.