---
title: 'Respectful redirection: A behavior strategy for teachers'
description: 'Learn how to get students back on track with respectful redirection, a positive behavior strategy. Plus, watch a video about this strategy. '
slug: behavior-strategy-respectful-redirection
author: Amanda Morin
reviewer: Brittney Newcomer, MS, NCSP
published: '2019-10-16T11:43:13.719Z'
date_modified: '2026-04-08T00:00:00.000Z'
thumbnail: https://cdn-images.understood.org/p0qf7j048i0q/1pjQu43hINT4JslVVa5ajW/894e557bb7f27b9f61454dea5514e3b8/G1354472001.png
source_url: https://www.understood.org/en/articles/behavior-strategy-respectful-redirection
lang: en
---

# Respectful redirection: A behavior strategy for teachers

## Quick take

- Respectful redirection is a classroom management strategy that gives quick behavior correction without disrupting learning or embarrassing students.
- With respectful redirection, teachers use short, specific directions tied to clear expectations to help students refocus.
- Respectful redirection improves student behavior by providing immediate feedback, reducing power struggles, and building a positive classroom environment.

Respectful redirection is a quick, in-the-moment strategy to give corrective feedback to students. You get your students’ attention without making a big deal about it, using a calm tone, neutral body language, and clear, concise wording. 

You tell students exactly what they’re doing incorrectly and what they should be doing instead with as few words as possible, leaving less room for confusion. (If your school uses a [PBIS](https://www.understood.org/en/articles/what-is-pbis) framework, you may hear this strategy called “error correction.”)

## How to use this strategy

**Objective:** Students will behave according to classroom expectations or get back on task after being given a clear, calm, brief, and immediate respectful redirection.

**Grade levels (with standards):** K–12 (CASEL Core SEL Competencies: Self-management, Relationship skills, Responsible decision-making)

**Best used for instruction with:**

- Whole class
- Individuals

**How to prepare:** 

**Set expectations.** Before you can start using respectful redirection, make sure your students know what is expected of them in your classroom. These expectations should be reasonable, age-appropriate, and [culturally responsive](https://repository.library.brown.edu/studio/collections/1041/). Knowing your students well will help you create expectations that respect cultural differences and life experiences. Share and review the expectations regularly as part of building your class culture. 

**Give examples. **Be sure to give both examples and non-examples of the rules. If your expectation is for students to use “respectful words and body language,” they need to know what that does and doesn’t look like in your classroom. Fostering a strong and shared understanding of expectations is essential to making respectful redirection an effective strategy.

**How to teach:** 

When a student doesn’t follow a classroom expectation, decide in the moment whether you need to intervene. Ask yourself: [*What is this behavior communicating?*](https://www.understood.org/en/articles/understanding-behavior-as-communication-a-teachers-guide) Is it getting in the way of the student’s learning or the learning of others?

Also, when you’re deciding whether to intervene, remember that some students may look off-task when they’re doing things that actually keep them on-task. For example, students who are standing up or fidgeting at their desks may look off-task. But for students who have ADHD, movement can be a strategy that helps them concentrate.

If you decide that you need to use a respectful redirection, follow the steps from the example below.

**Scenario: Josh is struggling to have his ideas recognized during group work and keeps interrupting another student.**

| Step to take | What to say |
| --- | --- |
| 1. Address the issue as quickly as possible. If your redirection will only be for one student, do your best to speak privately. | Walk to Josh and say quietly and calmly, “Josh, I can tell you really want to share your ideas, but you were talking while Laurel was talking.” |
| 2. Describe what the student should do instead by referring to your classroom expectations. | Point to a visual of classroom expectations and say, “In this class, we take turns speaking during discussions. Next time you have an idea to share with the group, wait until the person who is speaking stops, and then share your idea.” |
| 3. Explain why the alternate behavior is a better option. | “It’s easier for people to listen when one person is talking at a time.” |
| 4. Ask the student to demonstrate understanding, either by practicing it immediately or by telling you how they will do it in the future. | “Josh, the next time you want to share your idea when someone else is talking, what could you do?” |
| 5. When the student follows your redirection, provide feedback and reinforcement. | “Josh, the way you waited to speak until after Laurel was finished talking allowed everyone in your group to listen and share their ideas. Well done.” |

## Video: Tips for using respectful redirection

In this video, special education teacher Stephanie DeLussey explains how to use respectful redirection as a positive behavior strategy. Plus, she shares key dos and don’ts for inclusive classrooms. 

[![Respectful redirection: A behavior strategy for teachers](https://i.ytimg.com/vi_webp/xSIFs5BLqgc/sddefault.webp)](https://youtu.be/xSIFs5BLqgc)

## Why respectful redirection works for student behavior

Respectful redirection isn’t just about telling students to focus on what they’re supposed to be doing. It’s also about *how* you say it. Research shows that this type of [brief, consistent, systematic correction with feedback](https://www.researchgate.net/publication/382741915_Effective_Approaches_to_Inclusive_Classroom_Management_in_Special_Education_Settings) has a positive effect on student behavior. How you speak to students — the tone you use, the words you choose, and how much you say — affects the way they respond to you.

Students who learn and think differently especially benefit from this strategy. For students with ADHD, research shows that delayed feedback is less likely to result in positive behavior changes. An immediate redirection helps students recognize cause and effect.

Also, students who learn and think differently [tend to have negative experiences in school more often than their classmates](https://www.readingrockets.org/topics/learning-disabilities/articles/creating-positive-school-experiences-students-disabilities). Seeing teachers [enforce rules in a consistent way for all students](https://www.ijsat.org/papers/2025/3/8245.pdf) — not just for those who often have trouble following them — can be a relief to them. 

As a predictable framework, [respectful redirection can be comforting to students](https://doi.org/10.3389/feduc.2022.911328), especially those who have experienced trauma. One of the elements of [strong trauma-informed teaching](https://www.understood.org/en/articles/what-is-trauma-informed-teaching) is a safe community. Routines and predictability help to build trust, allowing students to feel safe. They know how the process works and their role in it.

When done successfully, respectful redirection can remove the need for further intervention. Talking to students in a positive, calm manner while giving specific feedback gives them a way to get back on task without needing more information.

Respectful redirection can work at home, too. Share [behavior contracts families can use](https://www.understood.org/en/articles/download-parent-child-behavior-contracts) to help their kids learn to replace an inappropriate behavior with a more appropriate one.

---

## Frequently asked questions

### Does respectful redirection work for students with ADHD? 

Yes, respectful redirection works for students with ADHD because it gives clear, simple directions in the moment. Students with ADHD may struggle with long explanations, public corrections, or delayed feedback. Respectful redirection uses a short, calm, immediate prompt. This helps students refocus quickly without feeling overwhelmed.

### How is respectful redirection different from giving a warning?

Warnings often focus on what will happen if a behavior continues. For example, “If you don’t stop interrupting, you’ll lose your extra playtime.” Respectful redirection focuses on what the student should do right now. It keeps the interaction neutral and instructional.

### When should teachers use respectful redirection? 

Respectful redirection works best for low-level, off-task, or disruptive behaviors, like calling out or not starting work. It’s best for when you want to quickly get a student back on track without interrupting instruction. For more serious or repeated behaviors, you may need to combine it with other supports, like behavior plans.


---

## Explore related topics and articles

- [Pre-correcting and prompting: An evidence-based behavior strategy](https://www.understood.org/en/articles/evidence-based-behavior-strategy-pre-correcting-and-prompting) - Prevent behavior problems before they start. Learn how pre-correcting and prompting help students understand expectations and stay on track. Plus, watch a video about this strategy. 
- [How to use culturally responsive teaching in the classroom](https://www.understood.org/en/articles/how-to-use-culturally-responsive-teaching-in-the-classroom) - Culturally responsive teaching is a research-based approach that leverages students assets their cultures, languages, and life experiences to create rigorous, student-centered instruction. To put culturally responsive teaching into practice, follow the ideas below. And remember, its OK to start smal
- [Positive behavior strategies: A guide for teachers](https://www.understood.org/en/articles/what-are-positive-behavior-strategies) - Theres a lot to think about when it comes to teaching. You plan and deliver lessons to cover the curriculum. You adjust your lesson plans to meet your students needs. On top of it all, you manage student behavior. Youre not alone if you feel like managing behavior sometimes gets in the way of teachi

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