Student Engagement & Wellbeing
Building Positive Classrooms Through Encouragement
Our staff continue to strengthen School-Wide Positive Behaviour Support (SWPBS) practices across the College by maintaining a focus on positive, supportive and engaging classroom environments.
We understand that teaching student’s successful learning behaviours, positive peer connections and how to deal with challenging situations is an instructional practice. Our teachers are focusing on positive re-corrective practices as well as recognising and acknowledging students for demonstrating behaviours that reflect our College RED values.
In addition to the many other ways students are supported and encouraged, we are focusing on behaviours that address the ‘College Positive Behaviour Expectations Matrix’
- acknowledging a student who arrives on time and is ready to learn;
- thanking students for following an instruction promptly;
- recognising students who are listening respectfully to others;
- noticing when a student persists with a challenging task;
- acknowledging students who contribute positively to classroom discussions;
- praising students for working cooperatively with their peers;
recognising when a student has made a positive choice to get back on track.
The encouragement does not always need to be a formal reward or praise. A simple "Thank you for getting started so quickly", "I can see you are really persisting with that task" or "I appreciate the way you are listening to your classmate" can make a significant difference. Students are more likely to repeat behaviours when those behaviours are noticed and positively acknowledged. By deliberately recognising the behaviours we want to see more often, teachers help students understand what success looks like and provide them with encouragement to continue making positive choices.
Teachers will continue to address behaviours that interfere with learning, safety or the rights of others. The difference is that corrections are balanced with regular recognition of the many positive behaviour’s students demonstrate throughout the day.
Families can reinforce the same message at home by noticing and acknowledging the positive behaviours their young person demonstrates. Rather than only talking about what went wrong during the school day, consider asking:
"What is something you did well at school today?""What did you do today that you were proud of?""Did a teacher notice something positive that you did?"
When your child shares a success, take the opportunity to acknowledge their effort, persistence, responsibility or positive choices.
Together, school and families can help our students develop the confidence and skills to make positive choices, take responsibility for their behaviour and contribute to a respectful and supportive learning environment.
Every positive interaction matters. Every student deserves to be noticed for what they are doing well.
Through our continued SWPBS work, we are encouraging all students to demonstrate our RED values – Respect, Excellence and Diversity – in their learning, relationships and everyday choices.
Robyn Hughes & Jonathon Boyd
Engagement Assistant Principals
Acacia & Banksia Campus