Another 'barking' comment? Am I mad? PRAISE IS NEGATIVE -- don't be so stupid... everybody knows praise is good and kids need plenty of it... don't they? Well, yes, praise is good. But, as with a lot of other things to do with managing children's behaviour, if it's not done correctly then you're heading for trouble.

Let me tell you about a conversation I had today that actually links with another conversation I had with a head teacher a while ago. Back to today's conversation. A colleague had attended a meeting to discuss particular children who were either causing problems in school or whose behaviour expected was expected to deteriorate. A boy was mentioned who had transferred to senior school recently. It was reported that this boy had extreme behaviour problems and the senior school had been told.

When asked why the problems hadn't been addressed earlier it became clear that the boy had been out of education for at least the last 5 months of junior school! Not excluded (not officially any way) - he just didn't go to school. To make matters worse, this situation had been allowed to continue. Regular checks are made on school registers - they are legal documents after all! So why wasn't it noticed that this child was absent for such a long time?

This isn't an isolated situation -- particularly in senior schools. Large numbers of children are on part time timetables - some only timetabled to be in school for 1 hour a week! Yes, you've read it correctly -- just 1 hour per week! It's an appalling situation. No wonder they're getting into trouble and then leaving school after 11 years pf 'education' with so little acquired learning and no qualifications worth having.

I keep shouting that more should be done to change children's behaviour before they transfer to senior school, but it doesn't seem to be a priority. Oh well, I'll just keep shouting...

Back to my conversation. This absent boy is from the same school as the head teacher with whom I had the conversation months ago. We were at some meeting or other -- I can't remember too much about its content -- probably too much talking and not enough doing as usual! And most of what is said could be fitted on the back of a postage stamp! This head teacher was moaning about the fact that her school had quite a number of behaviour problems and she couldn't understand why.

It became clear that the school was following advice (as are many people these days) that the basis of effective behaviour management is to praise children. 'We're always so nice to them', she moaned, 'and they're so rude and bad mannered'.

'And you continue to be nice,' I thought... Of course, praise is important I told her but it has to be implemented properly otherwise it can easily become self defeating and even negative. It seems these people are almost praising kids each time they breathe... Inhale -- 'Well done John, that's brilliant'. Oh deary me...

Sorry, but it's little wonder they've got such big problems... Effective behaviour management is a balance - deal with the behaviour you don't want properly and also they behaviour you do want properly. If you don't do it properly then you're on a hiding to nothing - and causing the children alot of damage along the way.

A further hint - if what you're doing isn't working then it isn't going to work any better by doing more and more of the same thing. It just doesn't happen that way. Anyone can learn to manage children's behaviour effectively - it's really not difficult. Once you know the strategies, practise them, apply them consistently and Bob's your uncle...

A teaching assistant I trained a few years ago told me after a few weeks, 'Liz, if anyone had told me it was so simple, I would never have believed it!'

Liz Marsden is a highly experienced and successful behaviour management expert who works every day with children demonstrating extreme behaviour in their mainstream classes. She uses her skills to teach in her own classes and also to train teachers, trainee teachers, teaching assistants and parents to manage and prevent children's challenging behaviour effectively and confidently. Visit Liz's website at http://www.behaviourbible.com where you can you can learn about her strategies and techniques. Behaviour management will become easier in no time at all.