Marshmallows and traffic cops: Beyond behaviourism – motivation and self-regulation in the classroom

Any discussion about behaviour should begin with thinking about our values. What do we mean by ‘good behaviour’? How do we want our children to think about their behaviour in relationship to their learning? To what extent is behaviour in schools about immediate academic gains, and to what extent is it about longer-term considerations? What kind of relationship do we want our children and their families to have with the schools and teachers who serve them? How can a behaviour policy support vulnerable children and be inclusive? Essentially, any discussion about classroom behaviour is also about motivation, because it is typically ‘off task’ behaviours and ‘low level disruption’ that most concern teachers. By their very nature, school behaviour systems tend to overlook the complex relationship between behaviour and motivation. Any system designed to work for a large group of children might ‘work’ for the majority, but not necessarily for all. If our focus for ‘good b