Lunchtime can be a chaotic and disruptive time for primary school students, but with the right strategies and techniques, it can be a smooth and enjoyable experience for everyone.
Here are some tips for managing disruptive behaviour during lunchtime in primary school.
First, set clear rules and expectations for the behaviour of students. Make sure children understand what is acceptable and what is not and enforce consequences for breaking the rules – try to prevent disruptive behaviour before it even starts.
Next, create a positive and welcoming lunchroom atmosphere. Encourage students to sit with different classmates, play games and engage in friendly conversation. This will help foster a sense of community and belonging, which can help create more positive behaviour habits at lunchtime!
Another way to manage disruptive behaviour is to keep students active during lunchtime. Set up games or activities that students can participate in. This can help keep students engaged and focused and prevent them from getting bored and misbehaving.
Lastly, it is important to have an open line of communication with students. Encourage them to come to you with any problems or concerns they may have. This will help build trust and understanding and can lead to less disruptive behaviour.
We know that lunchtime can be a hard time in maintaining positive behaviour throughout primary school students, but with a few small steps, it can become a much calmer time for students and teachers involved! By setting clear rules and expectations, creating a positive atmosphere, having a designated lunch monitor, keeping students active, and having open communication, you can help prevent and manage disruptive behaviour during lunchtime.
To learn how to show your lunch team how to 'deal with incidents' as part of our MDS Training, head to schoolhealthuk.co.uk/training
