What to Do If Student Behavior Is Out of Control

 

It’s 1-2 months into the school year, and your students’ behavior is spiraling out of control. Is your chorus a lost cause?

Are you doomed to struggle with chaotic rehearsals for the rest of the year?

The truth is: Your chorus will be a lost cause—unless you make clear and intentional changes, starting now.

In this post, I’ll show you exactly how to regain control and get your rehearsals back on track.

But before we dive in, I want to mention my Choir Crash Course: Mid-Year Retool—an online course designed to help you turn around classroom behavior, no matter where you are in the school year. This approach is a major focus of my mentorship program, where I personally guide middle and high school choral directors across the country to take control of their rehearsals and programs.

Now, let’s talk about what you can do.

Step 1: Create an Effective Rehearsal Management Plan

Before making any changes, it’s crucial to develop a well-thought-out plan. This plan should be clear, easy to communicate, and ready to present to students, parents, and administration if needed. Here’s what your plan should include:

  • Guidelines
  • Behavioral Redirection (with a severity clause)
  • Procedures/Routines

Guidelines

Start by listing all the behaviors that are disrupting your rehearsals. Write down every issue—big or small—that derails your focus.

Once you’ve done that, the challenge is to condense these disruptions into five specific guidelines. You might wonder, “How can I cover everything with just five guidelines?” It’s possible if you focus on the root causes of most behavior issues, which often fall into these categories:

  • Not following directions
  • Talking
  • Touching
  • Moving around the room
  • Distracting behaviors (like cell phone use or eating)

It’s important that each guideline is tied to a specific action and framed positively. Avoid vague phrases like “be respectful” or “be kind,” as these are open to interpretation and could lead to endless discussions. Instead, focus on clear actions.

Here are some examples of specific guidelines:

  • Following directions: “Please follow directions the first time they are given.”
  • Talking: “Please raise your hand and wait to be acknowledged before speaking.”
  • Touching: “Please keep hands and feet to yourself.”
  • Moving: “Please remain in your assigned seat unless given permission to move.”

 

By doing this, you address the majority of common disruptions. Any behaviors not covered by your guidelines can be handled through your established procedures.

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Behavioral Redirection (with a severity clause)

The goal is to correct behavior, not to punish. To do this, I recommend using a simple, one-page behavioral redirection form. Here’s a breakdown of how it works:

  1. Verbal warning (no form needed).
  2. Form issued: The student checks off which guideline(s) they didn’t follow and signs the form.
  3. Reflection: The student fills out how they plan to make better choices in the future.
  4. Parent involvement: A copy is sent to parents with a request for their signature.
  5. Administration: The form is also sent to administration if needed.

This method holds students accountable while providing clear communication to parents and administration. It shows that you’re focused on improvement, not just discipline.

The severity clause applies to extreme behavior, like physical aggression or verbal outbursts. In such cases, the student should be removed from the room immediately for the safety of others.

Procedures

For every action in class, there should be a clear procedure. Without one, students will fill the gap with their own choices—which usually leads to chaos.

Some examples of actions to create procedures for include:

  • Entering the classroom
  • Starting class
  • Going to the bathroom
  • Asking a question

Here’s an example of a bathroom procedure:

Action: Going to the bathroom
Procedure: Students who wish to go to the bathroom must raise two fingers. When acknowledged by the teacher, they may take the single bathroom pass hanging by the door.

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Step 2: Communicate the Changes Before Implementing Them

Once your management plan is ready, you must prepare your students for the changes ahead. Explain to them that starting the next day, there will be new guidelines and expectations in place. This helps set the tone and avoids surprises.

Step 3: Introduce, Teach, and Reinforce the Management Plan

When students arrive on day one of the new plan, they should go directly to their assigned seats (which you’ve posted beforehand). Start by explaining why the new plan is necessary.

Here’s the key point: This isn’t for you, it’s for them.

Your management plan exists to give every student an equal opportunity to learn and be successful. By following these five simple guidelines, everyone can thrive.

  • Walk them through each guideline.
  • Explain the behavioral redirection form.
  • Go over the procedures that are most relevant right now.

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This Is Just the Beginning

In my Choir Crash Course: Mid-Year Retool and Mentorship Program, we dive into the details, covering topics like:

  • What to do when students misbehave while you’re going over the plan.
  • How to assign seats and have students seated before entering the room.
  • How to teach—not just introduce—your guidelines.
  • How to reinforce guidelines without stopping rehearsal or causing confrontation.
  • How to get parents and administration on board with your behavior redirection system.
  • How to create effective rehearsal flow to prevent the space for disruptions to occur.

These strategies are much easier to explain through video tutorials, personalized coaching, and ongoing discussion. The bottom line is: with the right actions, you have the power to turn your rehearsals around.

If you need help, I highly recommend checking out my course or joining my mentorship program. I’ll guide you through every step, showing you how to take back control of your classroom—and your sanity.

Choral Clarity Mentorship – learn more about this opportunity. Book a free one-on-one strategy call with me to discuss the options that work best for you!

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