Easy Positive Behavior Strategies for Teachers

We’ve all been there. In the middle of a lesson that you’ve poured so much thought and attention into when the behaviors start. You knew the challenging behaviors were a possibility, but you wish you could get through one lesson without all the disruptions. You’re not sure exactly how to respond because you feel overwhelmed by the behavior. So, you just stick with the usual threats and reprimands.

If that scenario feels like something you know all too well, this blog post is going to help you a ton! Good behavior is something all teachers want to see in their classrooms, but once we’ve taught appropriate behaviors to our students, we can’t just expect there won’t be any problem behaviors for the rest of the year.

The one relatable aspect of any classroom, is the fact that all teachers want to create a positive learning environment for their students. We have clear expectations and want our students to engage in the learning in meaningful ways. But, how do we respond when things don’t go as planned? Even with the best plans in place, you’ll need a plethora of strategies to help you manage disruptive behavior. 

In this blog post, I’m going to share what positive behavior strategies you should be using in your classroom to support specific behaviors and provide positive reinforcement to students. We’ll chat about what positive behavior strategies are, provide some examples, and give you a few tips for how to use them in your classroom.

What Are Positive Behavior Strategies? 

Positive behavior strategies are evidence-based and help you teach positive behaviors to students by reinforcing the behaviors you want to see and preventing or addressing challenging behavior effectively. PBS isn’t about punishing students for bad behavior blindly. It’s more about responding appropriately to the disruption, but way before there is one, pouring into our students positively. 

PBIS has evolved over the years, but at its core, it is a framework for supporting behavior of all students in the school environment. Positive behavioral interventions are utilized on a continuum as students require more support for specific behavioral problems. The strategies are also focused on proactive approaches, rather than reactive. So, instead of just correcting students in the moment with an immediate punishment, your classroom management plan will include evidence-based practices that build strong foundations for eliciting positive behavior from the ground up.

The strategies shared below can be used in both the general education setting and the special education setting. They are supportive of all students’ needs and if you’re a classroom teacher or a specialized teacher, you can use positive behavioral support to enhance your classroom environment. 

Why They’re Better Than Traditional Behavior Approaches 

You may have been taught to use more “traditional strategies” as effective interventions for disruptive behavior, but those ways of doing things, haven’t really worked and aren’t best practice. Here are some of the strategies I’m referring to: 

• clip charts
• time outs
• taking recess away

Don’t worry, I’ve used them too at one point or another in my career. It’s what we were taught and what so many of us grew up with in our own education experience. However, they are not logical consequences to behavior, they don’t take research-based methods into account, and they are not going to be a part of a social-emotional learning program. 

When we address behavior, we want to make sure we are coming from a data collection approach, creating an appropriate behavior intervention plan when necessary, and utilzing best practices along the way.

Collectively, we’re moving away from reactive strategies to proactive and shame-based behavior responses to skill-building supports. This is great news for our students and for us as we can lean on positive behavior strategies that truly work and that we know will be giving the right emotional support to our students, as well as help them learn appropriate behavior in the classroom. 

How to Know When to Use Behavior Strategies

So, when do we use positive behavior strategies vs. simple, quick correction and redirection in the moment? Or, how do we know when we need something a little more developed? There will be times when you do need to call in a behavior specialist or a school psychologist to help you navigate those very intense, extremely disruptive behaviors, For example, eloping, physical aggression, destruction of property. Those are larger issues that require more in-depth, layered support. While we can and should still use positive behavior supports for those students, you’ll want to make sure you’re moving through the proper channels to get a behavior plan in place for these students. 

Some behaviors you can address in the classroom more easily with these supports and your behavior management plan, might be:

• repeated disruptions
• task refusal
• peer conflicts

Now, as with everything in special education and/or behavior, we want to make sure we’re addressing the “why.” You can use PBS all day, but if you have a kiddo who needs a ton of sensory input, you’re likely still going to need to address that first before the behavior supports will work for you.

I’m sure you’ve heard the phrase, “behavior is communication.” In school settings, this is very true and it’s one of the most overlooked pieces of the puzzle. If you’re able to zoom out and think about what needs the behavior is meeting, you’ll be able to choose positive behavior supports that will support the form of communication or need. 

Teacher Toolbox: Examples of Positive Behavior Strategies 

Now, let’s talk actually building your teacher toolbox of strategies. This is going to be a quick list of my most used behavioral supports. Each of these has allowed me to build positive, strong relationships with my students while also addressing their behavior challenges. You can use some of these with your whole class or as a part of a multi-tiered system of supports for those kids that require a more hands-on approach.

Many of these have links to send you to more in depth blog posts about a specific strategy, so click on the strategy to learn more.

1. First-Then visuals
2. Class Dojo, point-based systems, classroom bingo (used proactively)
3. Token boards or sticker charts tailored to the student
4. Movement breaks/sensory input choices
5. Praise with specificity (e.g., “I love how you’re sitting with your hands to yourself!”)
6. Behavior contracts with simple terms and student input
7. Safe spaces/calm corners
8. Post-It Notes for students recognizing the positive work they’re doing 
9. Hand signals for relationship building and non-verbal cues
10. Proximity: close the gap between you and the student silently
11. Positive phrasing that invites, rather than corrects (“we place our toys down” instead of “we don’t throw things”)
12. Keywords for encouraging better behavior and redirecting more privately (whispering “dinosaur” when a student is getting too loud)
13. Create a calming environment with muted colors and less “stuff” on the walls
14. Give choices (“would you like to do X or Y first?”)
15. Tasks and jobs within the classroom and outside of it

This list is by no means exhaustive, but if you implement a few of these strategies with the right kiddo, you’ll be setting them up for success.

Tips for Success

Whether you want to overhaul some serious behaviors, or just want to fine-tune, here are some key things to keep in mind as you implement positive behavior supports.

1. Start Small.
You don’t need to overhaul your whole behavior plan overnight. Pick 1–2 strategies that feel doable and use them consistently. That’s it.

2. Know Your Why.
Before reacting to a behavior, pause and ask yourself: What is this student trying to tell me? If you can get to the root, you’ll pick the right support.

3. Be Consistent, Not Perfect.
Kids thrive on predictability; it builds trust. Even if you’re not perfectly implementing every strategy, showing up consistently will take you further than doing all the things once in a while.

4. Involve the Students.
Let them help create the strategies, the language, the visuals. Ownership = buy-in. Buy-in = fewer power struggles. And we all want fewer power struggles!

5. Give Yourself Grace.
You’re going to have tough days. You’re going to forget to use a strategy. That doesn’t mean this isn’t working—it just means you’re human. Relax, and get back to it the next day. 

6. Track What’s Working.
Whether it’s a mental note or a quick sticky on your desk, notice what helps and what doesn’t. Use that info to adjust and refine your approach. Yes, formal data is important, but your anecdotes and the way things FEEL in your classroom, are just as helpful.

7. Don’t Do It Alone.
Lean on your team, your specialists, and supports. Collaboration is always a smart move when it comes to behavior.

Let’s be real. There’s no one-size-fits-all fix when it comes to student behavior. But what we can do, is stop spinning our wheels with outdated strategies that don’t actually teach anything. Positive behavior supports aren’t magic, but they’re a solid starting point for getting ahead of the chaos and building a classroom culture that actually works for you and your students.

The strategies I shared here aren’t about perfection. They’re about progress. You need to have tools ready to go before the disruptions start. You’ll have to notice what your students need, not just what they’re doing. And you’ll have to build trust, one small win at a time.

So, the next time your well-planned lesson starts getting derailed, don’t default to what you were taught in your teacher prep program (or what you saw growing up). Try something different. Choose something that builds your students up instead of shutting them down.

Because at the end of the day, this isn’t just about behavior. It’s about connection, confidence, and creating a classroom that feels good to be in.

You don’t need 100 strategies. You just need the right ones that work for your kids. And now? You’ve got a few more in your pocket.