There is much debate about the usage of behaviour charts in schools and, whilst they are implemented in classrooms with good intentions, they are not helpful for any student, especially those with ADHD. In fact, they can have some significant impacts on student wellbeing.
Behaviour charts are used in classrooms to manage student behaviour. They provide class-wide attention for inappropriate behaviours and involve placing the students’ names on the chart to reflect how well they are demonstrating appropriate behaviours throughout the day. Students begin the day in the middle of the chart which denotes that they are ready to learn. As the day progresses the names get moved up or down the chart to reflect how well they are making good decisions and behaving themselves. If students reach the top of the chart, indicating that they have been respectful of the learning community, they would be given a reward. Sounds great doesn’t it!
However, consider for a moment what is actually going on with these charts. They are using shame in an attempt to change student behaviour. They rely on the fact that a student will feel guilty or ashamed of the way they behave in class and that this sense of shame will motivate them to make better choices and demonstrate better behaviour. Especially for students with ADHD, due to their Rejection Sensitivity Dysphoria (RSD), this does not help! In fact, it is very damaging to their self-esteem.
Drawing attention to their inappropriate behaviour embarrasses them. Students with ADHD know that they have trouble paying attention, listening, organising their materials, completing their work and socialising with their peers. They don’t need their teacher to constantly remind them of their challenges, or to highlight them to their classmates. Moving their name down the behaviour chart embarrasses them in front of their friends, it does not help them to make better choices and it reinforces to them that they are the naughty kid in class. It also supports the belief in their mind that they are unable to live up to their teacher’s expectations. ADHD students need to be taught effective ways to manage their emotions and they should not be put in the situation of being publicly humiliated for things which they are still learning how to do.
Another negative impact of moving a student’s name down a behaviour chart is that it causes them to stress. Research has shown that stress has a significant impact on us all. When we are feeling stressed, our brain goes into survival mode and we are not able to use the ‘thinking’ part of our brain, the prefrontal cortex, to make good decisions. Rather, our fight or flight instinct kicks in and we react, usually in negative ways. Stress triggers the release of hormones which can make our heart race, our breathing to quicken, our muscles tense, and sweating to occur. Research suggests that if we are constantly stressed, it can have long-term effects on our physical and psychological health. Stress can cause changes in our brains that might contribute to mental health challenges such as anxiety, depression, and addiction.
Behaviour charts are a way of publicly shaming students and can cause harm to vulnerable students, especially those with ADHD. They don’t teach students how to self-regulate their emotions, they unintentionally invite condescending comments from classmates and they make students angry, hurt, and frustrated. Further, because they draw attention to negative behaviour, behaviour charts can actually exacerbate the problem. This is definitely not the desired result. In fact, it is usually the same students who are on the bottom of the chart, every day. This proves that the system is not working and another approach needs to be taken for these students. Hopefully one that meets the student’s self-regulation and behavioural needs.
Something I have also observed in classrooms that use behaviour charts is that they can sometimes create a culture of ‘dobbing’. Students seem to enjoy watching the ‘naughty’ kids getting into trouble, perhaps because they think it makes them look good because they believe they are helping the teacher. I have also seen students go up to the chart and move another student’s name down. Schools should not be providing opportunities for students to revel in the misery of students. Students with ADHD already encounter challenges making and keeping friends; behaviour charts make it harder for them!
It is time for behaviour charts to be retired from our classrooms because there are many more effective ways to help our ADHD students to demonstrate appropriate behaviours at school. Rather than expressing our disapproval when students behave inappropriately, we need to focus our attention on building strong relationships with them, and trying more appropriate, effective and positive reinforcement strategies to promote better behaviour and a much more inclusive and safe classroom environment. Catching students doing the right thing and providing praise and positive reinforcement to foster positive behaviour works much more effectively than shaming them in front of their friends.
More food for thought: Thankfully, we no longer use physical punishment on a student to change their behaviour, so why do we use emotional punishment?
I hope you agree. If a teacher’s aspiration is to make a difference in the lives of their students and to help them flourish, behaviour charts are not the answer! Students are driven by relationships, not fear. We must use proactive strategies in an effort to meet their self-regulation and behaviour needs because their sense of self-worth and their long-term success is important. Demonstrate that you are on their side, cheering them on, and they will thrive in your classroom.
I’d love to hear your thoughts on this topic. Please feel free to leave a comment. 😊
Blessings,
Fiona xx
