A teacher can tell a student to “be more responsible” one hundred times and still leave the student with a vague problem. Responsibility is too large. It does not tell the learner what to notice, when to notice it, or how to know whether behaviour is improving.
Self-monitoring turns an abstract expectation into a repeated act of observation. The student is taught to watch one or two clearly defined behaviours, rate or record what actually happened, compare that evidence with a simple standard, and use the information to adjust the next period of behaviour. The learner becomes part of the feedback system instead of receiving all behavioural information from adults.
The What Works Clearinghouse’s 2024 practice guide on teacher-delivered behavioural interventions in Grades K–5 gives moderate evidence to teaching students to monitor and reflect on their own behaviour. The guide distinguishes teacher ratings, student self-ratings and peer ratings, and it recommends clearly defined behaviours, simple criteria, regular opportunities to rate performance and teacher support that helps students interpret their own data. The goal is not paperwork. It is to help learners build awareness of what they are doing while it is still possible to change it.
That mechanism connects with broader evidence on self-regulation, but this page owns a narrower canonical job on eduKateSG: how students learn to observe and rate their own classroom behaviour using explicit criteria. It does not own general metacognition, goal setting, study reflection or classroom behaviour ratings delivered only by the teacher.
Self-monitoring can be useful because human behaviour is partly invisible to the person producing it. A student may genuinely believe they “only talked once” during independent work. A child who frequently leaves a seat may not notice the pattern. A learner who starts slowly may experience each delayed start as reasonable even though ten minutes disappear every lesson. External correction can tell the student what adults see. Self-monitoring teaches the learner how to see it too.
The 50-second answer
Student behaviour self-monitoring works through a short feedback loop:
- Define one observable behaviour. “Start within one minute” is better than “be responsible.”
- Teach the criterion. The student needs examples and non-examples.
- Choose a short observation window. One transition, ten minutes of independent work, one group task.
- Prompt the student to rate or record their own behaviour. The rating can be yes/no, 0–2, a checklist or another simple scale.
- Compare with evidence. Sometimes the teacher also rates the same period to build calibration.
- Reflect briefly. What worked? What will I do in the next interval?
- Fade external prompts. The learner gradually initiates the monitoring and eventually carries the awareness without the form.
The mechanism is not “make students score themselves.” It is teach accurate self-observation, then connect observation to the next action.
Self-monitoring is strongest when the target is narrow, the rating is quick, the student understands why the behaviour matters, and the process does not become public shaming or a bureaucratic chart that dominates the lesson.
1. Self-monitoring begins with behaviour that can be seen
A learner cannot reliably rate “good attitude” because the term is interpretive. Strong targets describe actions that can be observed.
Examples include:
- begins work within one minute;
- remains in the assigned work area;
- uses the agreed help route before leaving the task;
- waits for a turn before speaking;
- brings required materials;
- checks the task instructions before asking for help;
- returns from a transition by the agreed time;
- keeps device use on the assigned application during the work interval.
Concrete example: instead of asking “Was I focused?”, a student rates “During the first five minutes, did I stay on the current task unless I was using the help procedure?”
Caveat: observable does not mean trivial. The behaviour should matter to learning, safety or participation rather than simply reflect teacher preference.
2. One or two targets are usually better than a long checklist
A sheet containing ten behaviour goals looks comprehensive but creates a heavy monitoring task. The learner spends more attention on the form and has less clarity about what matters most.
Choose the bottleneck.
If the main problem is starting work, monitor task initiation first. If starts improve but sustained work remains weak, add a second target later.
Concrete example: a student’s initial self-monitoring card has one question: “Did I begin within one minute?” Once that behaviour becomes stable, the card changes to “Did I begin within one minute?” and “Did I use the help routine before stopping?”
Boundary: some formal behaviour plans legitimately track several domains. The principle is to keep the student-facing monitoring task as simple as the purpose allows.
3. The learner needs examples and non-examples
Students often agree with a target without sharing the teacher’s definition.
“Stay on task” might mean to the teacher that the student is reading, writing, planning or using the help route. The student may think looking at the page counts even if no work happens.
Teach the criterion explicitly.
Concrete example: the teacher shows three short scenarios. In one, the student is thinking silently with the question open. In another, the student is talking about lunch. In a third, the student is checking the worked example. The class decides which count as on-task for this lesson.
Caveat: avoid turning every internal learning state into visible compliance. Productive thinking may not look busy.
4. The rating scale should be simple enough to use accurately
Complex scales create false precision.
Useful early scales include:
- yes / not yet;
- 0 / 1;
- 0 = not demonstrated, 1 = partly, 2 = demonstrated;
- a small checklist of observable actions.
Concrete example: after a transition, the student rates “materials ready by the timer” as yes/no. No elaborate rubric is needed.
Boundary: binary ratings can be too coarse for behaviours that naturally vary in degree. A short 0–2 scale may better capture partial success.
5. Rating should happen close to the behaviour
Memory becomes less reliable as time passes. Asking a child at 3 p.m. to judge every transition since 8 a.m. creates a recall task rather than a monitoring task.
Rate shortly after the target interval.
Concrete example: after ten minutes of independent work, a quiet timer signals a 20-second self-rating. The student marks the card and resumes.
Caveat: prompting too frequently can fragment learning. The monitoring interval should be long enough for authentic work to happen.
6. The first goal is accuracy, not a high score
A student who rates every interval as perfect is not necessarily succeeding. They may be protecting themselves, misunderstanding the criteria or treating the form as a compliance task.
Teachers should praise accurate self-observation even when the rating is low.
Concrete example: a student marks “0” for task start and says, “I talked for two minutes first.” The teacher responds, “That matches what I saw. What’s the first move next time?”
This teaches that honest data are useful rather than punishable.
Boundary: if low ratings automatically trigger punishment, students have a strong incentive to distort their reports.
7. Teacher and student ratings can build calibration
Early in the process, teacher and student can independently rate the same interval and compare.
The purpose is not to catch the student lying. It is to align definitions and improve self-awareness.
Concrete example: the teacher rates a transition as 1/2 because the student was ready but needed one reminder about materials. The student rates 2/2. They review the criterion and agree what “independent” means.
Over time, agreement should improve and teacher ratings can fade.
Caveat: disagreement should trigger discussion, not a power contest. The teacher may also have missed relevant information.
8. Self-monitoring is not self-punishment
A behaviour chart can become a record of failure. If every low score brings shame, loss of privileges or public comparison, the student may dread monitoring.
The educational purpose is feedback for regulation.
A low rating should answer: What happened, and what is the next adjustment?
Concrete example: “I rated 0 because I left the task twice. Next interval I’m using the help card before I stand up.”
Boundary: schools may use consequences for behaviour. Self-monitoring data should not automatically become a punishment ledger if the goal is honest reflection.
9. Students need a reason the behaviour matters
Monitoring is more meaningful when the target connects to the student’s own goals.
“Begin within one minute” matters because it protects work time. “Wait before speaking” matters because other students need a chance to think. “Use the help routine” matters because leaving the task repeatedly makes difficult work harder to finish.
Concrete example: a student wants to finish classwork at school rather than bring it home. Faster task starts become a personally relevant target.
Caveat: not every classroom expectation can be negotiated into personal preference. Teachers still set legitimate boundaries. Explaining function, however, improves coherence.
10. Prompting can begin externally
Students may initially need a timer, visual signal or teacher cue to remember to rate themselves.
The prompt should be predictable and brief.
Concrete example: a silent timer vibrates every ten minutes. The student checks one box and returns to work.
Boundary: the device is not the intervention. Without clear criteria and reflection, a timer produces interruptions rather than self-regulation.
11. Prompts should fade toward self-initiation
The long-term goal is not a student who waits for the teacher to say “rate yourself.”
Fading can move through stages:
- teacher verbal prompt;
- neutral timer;
- student-set timer;
- natural task boundary;
- internal self-check without an external prompt.
Concrete example: a learner first rates every ten minutes when prompted by the teacher. Later they rate at the end of each task section independently.
Caveat: some students may benefit from enduring external supports. Independence can include effective use of tools.
12. Short intervals make behaviour easier to connect with feedback
A whole-day rating hides variation. A student may struggle during transitions but succeed during direct teaching.
Shorter windows reveal context.
Concrete example: instead of “How was my day?”, the student rates “entry,” “independent Mathematics,” “group Science,” and “pack-up.”
Patterns become visible: perhaps two contexts consistently create difficulty.
Boundary: too many intervals create monitoring fatigue. Select windows where the target behaviour actually matters.
13. Self-monitoring can reveal triggers
Once students become accurate observers, they can notice what happens before behaviour changes.
A second reflection question might ask: “What made this interval easier or harder?”
Concrete example: a student notices that off-task behaviour rises when instructions are only verbal. They begin checking the written task card before starting.
The insight can lead to environmental support rather than moral judgement.
Caveat: avoid asking children to produce sophisticated causal analysis before they can reliably observe the behaviour itself.
14. Behaviour self-monitoring is related to metacognition but narrower
Metacognition concerns knowledge and regulation of thinking and learning. Behaviour self-monitoring can contribute to self-regulation, but its immediate target is observable action.
A student may rate “I used the help routine” without evaluating the quality of their reasoning. Another metacognitive tool might ask, “Which strategy solved the problem?”
Keeping the distinction clear prevents one intervention from being asked to solve everything.
15. Self-monitoring can support task initiation
Slow starts are common and expensive. Five lost minutes each lesson becomes substantial lost learning time.
A student can monitor one simple metric: “Was I working within sixty seconds of the start signal?”
Concrete example: the learner marks yes/no for each independent task across a week. The pattern becomes visible, and the student experiments with preparing materials before the timer begins.
Boundary: delayed starts can reflect confusion or anxiety. If the student does not know what to do, behaviour monitoring alone is insufficient.
16. Self-monitoring can support help-seeking
Some students avoid difficult work until behaviour becomes the issue. A self-monitoring target can focus on using an agreed help pathway.
Concrete example: “When stuck for more than one minute, did I use the worked example, partner check or help card?”
The goal is not endless persistence without support. It is productive help-seeking.
Caveat: the help system must actually respond. Students will abandon a support route that leaves them waiting indefinitely.
17. Self-monitoring can support speaking-turn control
A student who calls out may not perceive how often it happens.
A simple tally can build awareness. The learner might count “waited turns” rather than only errors.
Concrete example: during a ten-minute discussion, the student marks each time they write an answer before speaking. The measure emphasises the replacement behaviour.
Boundary: conversation is dynamic. Do not turn participation into such rigid counting that spontaneous discussion dies.
18. Self-monitoring can support device regulation
Digital work creates many invisible temptations. Students can monitor whether device use stayed aligned with the task during defined periods.
Concrete example: at the end of a research block, the student rates: “Stayed on assigned sites / drifted once and returned / spent significant time off task.”
The reflection can include what triggered drift and which control worked.
Boundary: self-monitoring is not a substitute for sensible device design, filtering, classroom routines or age-appropriate limits.
19. Self-monitoring can support transitions
Transitions are observable and time-bounded, making them excellent early targets.
A student can rate whether they completed three agreed actions independently.
Concrete example: after moving to group work, the student checks: chair in, materials carried, at group by timer.
Success is concrete and immediate.
Boundary: avoid turning every transition into paperwork. A temporary checklist may be enough to build the routine.
20. Self-monitoring can support emotional regulation indirectly
The behaviour target should remain observable, but the student can learn to notice early signs that precede escalation.
Concrete example: before a difficult feedback session, a student monitors “used pause signal before speaking when angry.”
The target is not “felt calm.” It is an action that supports regulation.
Caveat: significant emotional distress requires appropriate support. A rating sheet is not therapy.
21. Self-monitoring should preserve dignity
Public behaviour charts can turn private learning into status labels. Students may compare scores or tease peers.
Keep individual data private unless the student chooses otherwise within an appropriate support plan.
Concrete example: ratings remain inside a notebook reviewed briefly with the teacher, not displayed on a classroom wall.
Boundary: classwide collective goals can be appropriate when they do not single out individuals. The privacy issue is strongest for personal behaviour data.
22. Culture influences interpretation of behaviour
Targets involving eye contact, voice level, assertiveness or body posture may reflect cultural assumptions.
Define behaviours because they serve learning or safety, not because they match one narrow social style.
Concrete example: instead of monitoring “look at the teacher,” a student monitors “show listening by facing the shared material, taking notes or responding when asked.”
Caveat: cultural responsiveness does not eliminate classroom expectations. It improves their clarity and fairness.
23. Neurodivergent students may need adapted targets
A student with ADHD, autism, language differences or sensory needs may regulate attention differently.
Targets should focus on functional participation rather than forcing neurotypical appearance.
Concrete example: a student who learns well while standing monitors “remained in the agreed standing area and completed the task” rather than “sat still.”
Boundary: individual plans may require collaboration with specialist staff and families. Self-monitoring should fit those plans, not override them.
24. Success criteria should change when the learner improves
A target that was appropriate at the start can become too easy.
If a student begins work independently in nearly every lesson, continued daily monitoring may waste attention.
The team can fade the target or move to the next bottleneck.
Concrete example: task-start monitoring is retired after two stable weeks. The student chooses to monitor sustained work during longer assignments instead.
Caveat: avoid constantly raising the bar so success never feels complete. Some targets should simply graduate and disappear.
25. Teacher feedback should be brief and evidence-based
Self-monitoring loses its purpose if every rating generates a long adult lecture.
A useful feedback exchange might be:
Student: “I rated 1 because I needed one reminder.” Teacher: “I agree. What will you do at the next start?” Student: “Open the page before the timer.”
Thirty seconds is enough.
Boundary: persistent discrepancies or serious behaviour may require deeper conversation outside the rating moment.
26. Reward systems can be used carefully
Some behaviour interventions pair self-monitoring with reinforcement. This can support early participation, but the reward should not become the only reason to tell the truth.
If students lose rewards whenever they rate themselves low, accurate self-report becomes costly.
Concrete example: reinforcement can be tied partly to completing the monitoring honestly and using the next-step plan, not only to perfect scores.
Caveat: reward systems should align with school policy, learner needs and the broader goal of internal regulation.
27. Self-monitoring data can support problem solving with families
A simple pattern is easier to discuss than global complaints.
Instead of “He is unfocused all afternoon,” a teacher can show that task initiation is strong in the morning and weak during long independent blocks after lunch.
Families and teachers can then ask better questions about sleep, task difficulty, routines or support.
Boundary: behaviour data should be interpreted cautiously and respectfully. A few classroom ratings do not define a child.
28. Self-monitoring can expose environmental barriers
If low ratings cluster in one context, the environment may need changing.
Concrete example: a student succeeds at task start except when instructions are delivered during noisy transitions. The solution includes changing instruction timing, not merely telling the student to try harder.
Self-monitoring becomes diagnostic when data lead to system changes.
29. Calibration is a teachable skill
Students can become better at judging their own behaviour over time.
Teachers can discuss discrepancies neutrally:
- What evidence did you use?
- What did I see?
- Which criterion did we interpret differently?
- What would a “2” look like next time?
This is more educational than declaring the teacher’s score automatically correct.
Caveat: adults also misperceive events. Calibration is shared evidence work, not submission to authority.
30. Self-monitoring should move toward reflection, not remain counting
A tally tells the learner what happened. Reflection connects the record to regulation.
A brief second question can be:
- What helped?
- What got in the way?
- What is the first action next interval?
Concrete example: “I started late because I was looking for my ruler. Next lesson I’ll put equipment out before instructions end.”
The data becomes a plan.
31. The process should fade when self-awareness becomes stable
The final goal is not lifelong forms.
As students become accurate and behaviour stabilises, reduce the recording burden. Move from every interval to once per lesson, then occasional check-ins, then no formal sheet.
The student should retain the internal loop: notice, compare, adjust.
Boundary: some learners benefit from long-term external tools. A checklist used independently can itself be successful self-regulation.
32. Self-monitoring is successful when adults need it less
A teacher-centred behaviour system depends on continuous adult noticing and correction. Self-monitoring transfers part of that regulation to the learner.
The strongest outcome is not a perfect chart. It is a student who notices drift, corrects course and returns to learning before an adult intervenes.
That is the educational value: the monitoring tool becomes temporary infrastructure for a more independent learner.
Worked case 1 — “I only talked once”
A Primary student frequently called out during independent work and sincerely believed it happened rarely. The teacher and student chose one ten-minute interval each day. The student placed a small mark each time they spoke without using the agreed help route. The teacher separately tallied the same behaviour.
Initial ratings differed greatly. The teacher avoided accusing the student of dishonesty and instead compared examples. After a week, student and teacher counts became much closer. The student then began using a help card more often and the calling-out rate declined.
The first change was not behaviour reduction. It was improved perception.
Worked case 2 — The perfect self-rating problem
A Secondary student gave themselves full marks after every lesson. The teacher’s ratings were much lower. At first the form seemed useless.
The team simplified the target from “good learning behaviour” to “started within one minute without a reminder.” They reviewed two video-free scenarios and agreed on what counted.
Student and teacher ratings began to converge. The issue had been vague criteria, not lack of honesty.
Worked case 3 — Self-monitoring revealed an instruction problem
A student monitored “stayed on task for ten minutes” and consistently scored low during reading comprehension but high during Mathematics.
A brief diagnostic showed that the student was struggling with multisyllabic word reading in the comprehension passages. Behaviour monitoring had identified a context pattern; reading assessment identified the academic cause.
The intervention shifted. The student continued a light self-monitoring check while receiving targeted reading support.
Worked case 4 — From teacher prompt to independent check
A pupil used a timer every five minutes to rate whether they were in the assigned work area. After several weeks, the behaviour was stable but the timer itself became distracting.
The interval changed to natural task boundaries. Later the student kept a small checklist but used it only at the start of long independent tasks. Finally the formal tool was removed.
The intervention succeeded by disappearing.
Practical route for teachers
Choose a behaviour worth monitoring and define it in observable terms. Make sure the student can perform the behaviour and understands why it matters.
Teach the rating system. Model examples and non-examples. Use short intervals at first. Where useful, teacher and student rate the same interval independently and compare evidence.
Respond to accurate self-observation positively, including when the score is low. Ask for one next-step action. Keep the conversation brief enough that monitoring does not consume learning time.
Watch for patterns. If low ratings cluster in one subject, transition or time of day, investigate the environment and academic demand. Do not assume the solution is more motivation.
Fade prompts and forms when the student becomes accurate and independent.
Practical route for learners
Self-monitoring is a way to collect evidence about yourself without insulting yourself.
Pick one action you can see. Decide what success looks like. After a short period, rate what actually happened, not what you hoped happened.
If the score is low, ask: What is one move I can make next time? If the score is high, ask: What helped me do that?
Good self-monitoring should make you less dependent on reminders over time. The goal is to catch your own drift earlier.
Practical route for parents and families
At home, self-monitoring can support routines such as homework start, device use, packing, practice or bedtime preparation.
Keep the target specific. “Started homework by 7:15” is easier to monitor than “was responsible.” Let the child record their own result first. If you disagree, compare evidence calmly.
Avoid using every low score as a trigger for punishment. If honesty is punished, the chart becomes a negotiation about scores rather than a tool for regulation.
For older children, agree on whether parents need to see every rating. Independence grows when monitoring gradually belongs to the learner.
Common failure modes
- Monitoring vague traits such as attitude or maturity.
- Tracking too many behaviours at once.
- Using scales students do not understand.
- Rating so infrequently that memory is unreliable.
- Treating low self-ratings as admissions of guilt.
- Punishing honest ratings and encouraging inflated scores.
- Using teacher ratings only to prove the student wrong.
- Keeping self-monitoring data public.
- Forcing neurotypical posture or eye contact as behavioural targets.
- Ignoring academic difficulty that drives off-task behaviour.
- Prompting forever instead of fading support.
- Collecting data but never asking what pattern it reveals.
- Rewarding perfect scores rather than accurate observation and improvement.
- Allowing the monitoring form to interrupt learning more than the behaviour did.
- Assuming formal self-monitoring must continue once the learner is independent.
Frequently asked questions
Is self-monitoring the same as reflection?
Self-monitoring is the observation and recording of behaviour. Reflection is what the learner does with that information. Strong interventions connect the two.
What age can students start self-monitoring?
Young students can use simple yes/no or picture-based criteria when the behaviour is concrete. Older students can use more nuanced scales and self-set prompts.
Should the teacher also rate the behaviour?
Often at first. Parallel ratings can help calibrate the student’s judgement. Teacher ratings should fade when the learner becomes accurate.
What if the student always gives themselves full marks?
Check whether criteria are too vague, whether low scores feel unsafe, and whether the student understands the target. Compare specific evidence rather than accusing the learner of dishonesty.
Should rewards be attached to the ratings?
They can be in some behaviour plans, but rewards should not make honest low ratings costly. The long-term aim is accurate awareness and self-regulation.
Can self-monitoring work for academic behaviour?
Yes. Task start, help-seeking, checking instructions, sustained work and device alignment are examples. It does not replace teaching missing academic skills.
How long should a monitoring interval be?
Long enough for authentic behaviour to occur but short enough for accurate recall. The right interval depends on the target and learner.
When should the form be removed?
When the behaviour and self-awareness are stable enough that the student can regulate without frequent external recording. Fade gradually and check whether performance holds.
A simple four-week implementation sequence
A self-monitoring system is easier to sustain when it is introduced in stages rather than handed to the learner as a permanent behaviour chart on day one.
Week one: define and calibrate. Teach the target behaviour and practise the rating scale using examples. The student and teacher both rate short intervals and compare evidence. The goal is not yet independent monitoring; it is shared understanding.
Week two: student records first. The student rates each target interval before seeing the teacher’s rating. The teacher gives brief feedback only when the scores differ or when a useful pattern appears. This protects the learner from simply copying the adult’s judgement.
Week three: reduce adult comparison. The teacher spot-checks only some intervals. The student begins identifying what helped or what interfered and states one next-step action.
Week four: fade the recording burden. If ratings are accurate and behaviour is improving, move from several checks a lesson to one natural task boundary or an end-of-lesson reflection. If performance remains stable, remove the formal form and retain only occasional review.
The sequence is not a deadline. Some students need more time in one stage. The important idea is that the system has an exit route from the beginning.
What good self-monitoring data should change
A useful record should lead to a decision. If weeks of ratings accumulate without changing support, the chart has become documentation rather than instruction.
Possible decisions include:
- fading a prompt because the behaviour is stable;
- changing the target because the first bottleneck is repaired;
- adjusting task difficulty because low ratings cluster during inaccessible work;
- changing a transition because failures occur at the same environmental bottleneck;
- adding a help routine because students stop when uncertain;
- involving specialist support because the pattern persists despite appropriate teaching;
- ending the intervention because the student is independently successful.
This is why self-monitoring should stay connected to ordinary classroom decision-making. The student is not collecting data for an adult file. They are learning how evidence can guide the next move.
The ethical boundary: the student is more than the score
Behaviour data can become reductive if adults begin describing a child through numbers: “a 1 out of 2 student,” “only 60 percent on task,” “always low on self-control.” The rating is evidence about a defined behaviour in a defined context. It is not a measure of character, intelligence or worth.
Teachers should use language that preserves this boundary: “Task starts were difficult in three afternoon lessons” rather than “You are unmotivated.” “The ratings disagree most during group work” rather than “You are dishonest about your behaviour.”
This distinction is not cosmetic. Precise language keeps the intervention changeable. Behaviour in context can be taught, supported, redesigned and improved. Identity labels make the problem feel permanent.
Choosing a target that can genuinely become independent
Some behaviour goals are poor self-monitoring targets because success depends mostly on factors outside the learner’s control. “Finish every worksheet” may fail when task length varies. “Never feel angry” is neither observable nor realistic. “Get a good mark” mixes behaviour with academic outcome.
A stronger target sits close to the student’s own controllable action: begin within one minute, use the agreed help route, record homework before leaving, pause before responding, keep the device on the assigned task during the work block. The learner can observe the action and change it on the next opportunity.
This controllability test protects self-monitoring from becoming self-blame. If ratings stay low because the environment is chaotic, the task is inaccessible or the support system is unavailable, the data should trigger adult redesign. A learner can regulate their part of the system; they cannot compensate indefinitely for a system that does not work.
The best target therefore has three properties: it matters, it can be observed, and the student has a realistic route to perform it successfully.
Sources and further reading
- What Works Clearinghouse, Teacher-Delivered Behavioral Interventions in Grades K–5: https://ies.ed.gov/ncee/WWC/PracticeGuide/31/Published
- What Works Clearinghouse, Teacher-Delivered Behavioral Interventions in Grades K–5: full practice guide: https://ies.ed.gov/ncee/WWC/Docs/PracticeGuide/behavioral-interventions-practice-guide_v3a_508a.pdf
- Australian Education Research Organisation, Foundational classroom management resources handbook (updated April 2026): https://www.edresearch.edu.au/guides-resources/practice-resources/foundational-classroom-management-resources-handbook
- Australian Education Research Organisation, Building positive connections with all students: Classroom management observation tool: https://www.edresearch.edu.au/guides-resources/practice-resources/building-positive-connections-all-students-classroom-management-observation-tool
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The final idea
Self-monitoring changes the source of behavioural information.
At first, the teacher notices and the student is told. With explicit criteria and repeated calibration, the student learns to notice the pattern themselves: I have not started. I have left the task again. I used the help routine. I waited my turn. I drifted and came back.
That awareness is useful only when it leads to action. The governing principle is: define behaviour clearly, observe it honestly, make one adjustment, and gradually remove the form as the learner becomes their own feedback system.