It is harder to control a whole class in a PE session as children are all moving around and learning new skills. Here we discuss some top tips on how our PE Specialists deal with controlling the children –

  • Rewards – By setting a reward system, the children will want to be the best they can. House points are used often in schools, so we use these for children who are doing well to keep them on task. How about having a star pupil certificate every session, the child who listens, works hard and achieves the learning objective will receive the certificate at the end of the session.
  • Perform and repeat – Use clapping a rhythm for the class to repeat back, when the children hear it they have to repeat it and stand still to listen. Count down and listen, count 3,2,1 and the children stop what they are doing and freeze. This is a simple way for the children to stop what they are doing and listen to the next instruction.
  • Praise – by calling out names and giving praise to children, the other children will want the same. By selecting children to demonstrate as they have done something really well, will again get the other children to stand out too. This will always keep the children on task.
  • Back to wall – By teaching the children facing them, they will know you are watching them. Make sure you always moving around the room to watch the children as well.
  • Warnings and consequences – Make sure children understand what the behaviour has to be like, if they are not doing what you want them to do tell them they have 2 warnings and the third means time out.
  • Goals – Get the children to have a certain amount of goals they have to achieve throughout the term, at the end of the term they receive a reward. It could be whatever sport they would like to play or a special game they all like playing.
  • Writing names down – By having a small white board in every class, we can write the names of the children down on the board if they are being naughty. Instead of keep calling the names out they can see for themselves. When they start behaving again wipe their name off the list.

There are many different ways to manage the class, in PE it is harder due to the children being in an open space and needing to move around. All of the above are a selection of ideas our PE Specialists know work, as they have applied to classes in the past. Having too many different ways of managing the class, can confuse the class so they choose a few and stick by them throughout every lesson.

Whenever Progressive Sports, PE specialists work in a school they make sure they stick to whatever behavioural management techniques are used. This then makes sure the children know the consequences of their actions and that the PE Specialist understands the school’s behavioural policy.