My Deep Hatred for the Traffic Light Systems used in Schools.

When I worked in schools, we would be forced to use the ‘Traffic Light’ system as a tool for behaviour management.

I hated it from the start.

So how it works is that all children would start on green.

In the early years we used their pictures and as they got older we would just use their names. All schools have their own systems in place but the concept is a simple one.

Their task was to remain on green for the whole day. If they ‘misbehaved’ or did something that went against their ‘classroom agreement’ such as not listening, answering back or whatever, they would move down to the amber light. If they continued, they would move to red. Once they would get to red, they would be sent to the Head teacher and there would be consequences (whatever those would be).

I think that most teachers use the traffic light system out of desperation.

It is just so hard to manage 30 children and this is a way of exerting control.

The problem is that I just really never agreed with this method of behaviour management. I hated shaming the children. I hated that they would get to amber or red and everyone in the room could see their names there. I just didn’t like it at all. Oh and guess what? My students did not like it either.

I much preferred to just have a conversation with the children about anything that I didn’t agree with and try to sort it out in that way. And they same went for them by the way. If there was something that they didn’t like about what I was saying, they would have the opportunity to tell me and I would always listen.

Today, my son said to me that he was on the ‘sad face’. And I just felt heart broken.

I had put so many children on the ‘sad face’ in my 15 years teaching in primary schools and now some one had put my son there. I asked him, ‘What did you do?’

He said, ‘Mama, I wouldn’t cross my legs when the teacher asked me to.’

I asked him why he didn’t.

His reply was simple, ‘Mama, I don’t like to cross my legs, it isn’t comfortable,’

Fair enough my love.

Did that really warrant him being on the sad face? No.

Does a child who talks whilst doing story writing warrant them being on the amber or red light? No.

It’s a method of control that I just completely disagree with and it’s shaming at its finest. I am not okay with it. Not one bit.

What are your thoughts?