Establishing & Maintaining Positive Relationships and Classroom Management, Part 4

So, we've touched on how to manage early stage misbehaviors in our series, but what about those students who intentionally, or chronically, break the rules?

Correcting Intentional Rule Violations

Intentional rule violations are deliberate misbehaviors that are serving a function for the student. It occurs despite the explicitly conveyed and modeled expected behaviors, and is not born out of ignorance of the expectations. This correlates to PBIS Tier II supports, suggesting that the middle 15% of students who do not respond to Tier I initiatives will respond to these. 

These consequences must be implemented consistently and without emotion. It is imperative that adults do not leave themselves open to inviting students to frustrate, anger, or hurt them, which only increases the reinforcement of inappropriate behaviors from students who seek a sense of power or control. 

Corrective consequences are meant to positively change a student's behavior, not inflict misery or pain. They must fit the severity and frequency of the intentional misbehavior--mild enough that you are able to and comfortable enough to implement it every time a student exhibits the behavior. There is no evidence to suggest that punitive measures such as writing a statement 100x, putting gum on the end of your nose, etc, have any positive impact on effecting change in student behavior. All they really do is erode a relationship with a student, foster creative ways for them to avoid or complete the task with no investment in changing the behavior, and perpetuate the "one-upping" escalation that makes it student vs. teacher.

Plan to interact with the student briefly at the time of the misbehavior without arguing--simply state the rule and the corrective response, no explaining or justifying. If the student needs to discuss this with you, they are free to make an appointment to see you at a time that does not disrupt teaching. Again, the overarching concept is NOT to transfer power to the misbehaving student.

Responding to Chronic Misbehavior

Chronic misbehavior is often the "habitualization" of intentional misbehavior. These students are the 5% that fall at PBIS Tier III and do not respond to strategies implemented in Tier I or II. Once a behavior becomes chronic, intervention is necessary to break the pattern of misbehavior. Without proactive planning, adults run the very real risk of reacting to misbehavior in ways that reinforce it, rather than decrease it. 

Corrective consequences at this level are only effective if they reduce the occurrence of the misbehavior in the long-term. The response to the behavior should not be merely to resolve the problem at the time, but to resolve it for the future. Thus, many corrective actions for chronic misbehavior are most effective when they address the underlying causes of the behavior. 

By the time a behavior becomes chronic, there is often a power struggle between the adult and student. Power struggles happen because the student wants to "save face" with their peers and adults frequently do not recognize the onset of the struggle, nor how to diffuse it. 

Diffusing a Power Struggle

• Deliver the message to the student quietly and privately, say "thanks," and walk away. There is no power struggle if the teacher is not there. The student may mumble under their breath--keep moving and get back to teaching. 
• Remain calm, collected, and appropriate.
• Employ LAAD: 

• listen (pay attention to what the student says) 
• acknowledge (let the student know you heard them)
• agree (let the student know that what they are saying might be or is true--agreeing with someone is a tried-and-true tactic to diffuse most people!)
• defer (discuss at a later time)

Note: these resources are not mine, but that of my district's professional development dept.

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Establishing & Maintaining Positive Relationships and Classroom Management, Part 3

Here we go again, the third installment in our series on positive relationships and classroom management. On the menu today, we're going to check out some resources for correcting misbehavior. Never a fun thing, but always necessary, and when done delicately, can help the adult save face and protect the adult-student relationship.

Correcting Early Stage Misbehavior

Early stage misbehaviors are those that are not yet a pattern or habitual. These are typically not intentional violations and are aligned with PBIS Tier I, or the universal level, meaning that 80% of students will respond to these correction strategies. The best corrections for early stage misbehaviors are addressed using explicit instruction, rather than a consequence or punishment orientation.

• Proximity - the closer you are to the student, the more likely it is that the behavior will cease and the student will exhibit the desired behavior. Proximity control is easily established when the adult moves about the room frequently and in unpredictable patterns. 
• The Look - 'nuff said. :)
• Gentle verbal correction - go to the student and quietly and clearly tell them what you expect them to do at that moment. Effective verbal corrections are short, direct, given in close proximity to the student (in private), are delivered in a respectful tone, are clear, and state the expected behavior, not an accusation of misbehavior.
• Discussion - engage the student in a more detailed discussion at a neutral time and provide specific feedback on how the student can align their behavior with expectations and/or handle the situation in a more constructive manner in the future.
• Use the student's name in the lesson
• Use an "I-Message" - when addressing the misbehavior, use statements such as "I was disappointed when...," "I cannot allow students to...," etc, which puts emphasis on the teacher rather than the student feeling attacked.
• Point to the rule or procedure expected without speaking
• Keep your voice low and calm, rather than escalating a situation
• Family contact - suggest that a family discussion regarding expectations for responsible and cooperative behavior with be helpful, being careful not to in any way imply that the student should be "punished" at home or that the family should "make" the student behave. The family must be left with the  genuine impression that you can work together as partners in helping the student reduce misbehavior and enjoy success. Family contact should be frequent and positive. 
• Humor - sensitive humor can be a powerful and effective way to respond to typical misbehaviors. Appropriate humor does NOT include sarcasm or ridicule on the part of the adult.
• Restitution - the goal of this tactic is to have the student learn that if their behavior causes damage to someone or something, they need to both repair the damage and not repeat the behavior. Repair is not viewed as punishment, but as reparation.

Note: these resources are not mine, but that of my district's professional development dept.

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Establishing & Maintaining Positive Relationships and Classroom Management, Part 2

I have returned with more great resources and supports from my district's professional development department regarding positive behavior supports! I know you were waiting on pins and needles, right?

Cultivating Positive Relationships with Students

The lasting value of deliberately building positive relationships with students cannot be overestimated!! Here are some specific suggestions to help teachers and support staff accomplish this:

• Greet students at the door - one foot in the hall and one room makes it easier to monitor what's happened in both settings, and allows staff to smile and positively greet each student as they enter the room.
• Deliver at least four (4) positive statements for every correct statement with each student - if teachers only approach students with perceived negative comments, their guard is already up and corrective feedback is tuned out. Research has shown that 99% of positive feedback is given to the well-behaved students, while the students with more challenging behaviors need it waaaay more!
• Regularly deliver private comments (positive, neutral, or corrective) to each student every day - this eliminates the "ooooooh!!" factor for the rest of the class when the teacher approaches an individual student for a private comment, question, or correct.
• The 2x10 Strategy - this is useful with students who rarely participate in class. The "2" refers to 2 consecutive minutes and the "10" is for 10 consecutive days. Engage in a dialogue with a withdrawn student for 2 minutes every day for 10 consecutive days. Vary the content of the dialogue to their needs/interests every day. Even if the student is initially unresponsive, you are opening the door to a positive relationship, and they are learning something about you in the process.
• Helping Hands Directory or Classroom Yellow Pages - engage the class in a discussion regarding things they feel they are "expert" in and/or willing to help others with (i.e. using the index of a textbook, alphabetizing, writing topic sentences, keeping notebooks organized. etc). Create a quick chart of the areas of expertise and the students who can help in that area. Create a directory using a binder, which alphabetically lists the areas and students willing to volunteer their services to peers. When someone needs help, they can check the binder before they turn to adults for assistance, promoting cooperative, service to others, and increasing individual self-esteem. 
• "Celebrate" the positives in class - celebrations bring about laughter and humor, which establishes personal connections between adult and student. Here are some celebration ideas:

1. High Fives
2. Thumbs Up
3. Round of Applause (have students clap hands in a circular, "round" motion)
4. Kiss Your Brain (have students kiss their hand then touch their head)
5. Spider Clap [have students spread the fingers of each hand as far apart as comfortable (the spider) then tap their fingertips together silently]
6. Silent Cheer (have students cheer with as much enthusiasm as they can, but without sound)
7. Play a song portion reserved just for celebrations ("Celebration" by Kool and the Gang is always good)

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Establishing & Maintaining Positive Relationships and Classroom Management, Part 1

Recently, the special education staff in my building and I attended a training on Establishing & Maintaining Positive Relationships and Classroom Management. Obviously I don't have a classroom, but I got some excellent ideas to reference, reinforce, and share within the building. I plan on making this a series on the blog, since there's so much to share. Putting a classroom management system in place is crucial for an effective learning environment at any stage of the school year, but especially at the beginning of the year.
Let's start with our lessons of the day...

Three Keys to Positive Behavior Supports

It is possible to manage student behavior and increase motivation so that the time and energy of teachers (and building staff!) can be directed towards focusing on instruction and student success. Here are three key best practices for positive behavior supports (PBIS) to remember:

1. Proactive -- prioritize the focus on preventing problems, rather than constantly reacting to them.
2. Positive approach -- purposefully build meaningful and collaborative relationships with students and provide them with specific and positive feedback to enhance motivication and improve academic performance.
3. Explicit Instruction -- directly teach behavior expectations in all school environments and groupings at the beginning of the school year, review expectations as necessary, and use the occasions of misbehavior to teach replacement behaviors. 

What We Know About Managing Student Behavior

• Most behavior is learned--our behavior is influenced by the events and conditions we experience.
• All behavior that occurs repeatedly serves a function! Common functions include: attention-seeking, power/control seeking, boredom, feelings of inadequacy, task avoidance, or to obtain something.
• Behavior that is repeated is motivated. If there is no motivation for the student, there is typically no repeat in the behavior.
• Changing behavior requires focusing on what prompts the behavior, what encourages or sustains the behavior, and what might discourage the behavior in the future.

It is critical to establish, maintain, and frequently communicate high and positive expectations for all students. Deliberately make an effort to interact positively with students every day, especially those with challenging behaviors. The probability of having cooperative and motivated students increase dramatically when they perceive that you both like and respect them. It's not about being their friend, it's about being a teacher or support staff member with clear expectations, fair, consistent, and accepting of who they are, as you demonstrate that you care and will help them succeed. It is crucial to create a mindset where you do not take misbehavior personally.

(Note: these resources are not mine, but that of my district's professional development dept.)

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The Honeymoon is Over

"Honeymoon." It's that blissful period at the beginning of a relationship or endeavor when things are peachy keen (jelly bean). The school psychologist knows the honeymoon is over when teachers start to panic and the referrals start rolling in. For me, that time is now.

The beginning of the school year always begins with students (and teachers) putting on their best faces. Kids are still in that bleary beginning of school phase--perhaps due to nerves, perhaps due to the return of the early wake-up call. Teachers aren't yet aware of the "problem kids," and haven't gotten into academics enough to find out which students may have a tough time. Ah, but two weeks in, the gloves come off and the true personas come out.

Teachers at my building are starting to get a little wacky now that they're back from their honeymoons. When I pass folks in the office or hall, it's a sea of concerns regarding a student's behavior or low academics. It's a bit overwhelming, especially for someone who is new to the district and is jumping in headfirst. I'm also not as experienced with behavioral interventions as other, more seasoned professionals. But, since I've had to write two Behavior Intervention Plans (BIPs) in the first 10 days of school (we were out of compliance with regulations) and have more behavior modification plans coming down the tubes, here are a few basic, beginning of the school year suggestions to address behavior difficulties. These may be well-understood classroom management techniques, but it never hurts to have a refresher!

- Put a daily schedule with class and homework on board. Ensure students understand and have written it in  agendas, if they use them. Outline each subject area lesson and set expectations for what will be required and how the lesson will run. This may increase compliance, especially when consistent.
- Provide strict guidelines/classroom rules and behavioral expectations. Reward and provide consequences immediately and consistently. Explain why a reward or consequence is being given in direct, understandable language. Stick to your guns regarding what you expect from students and they will be more likely to comply.
- Teach and model how to follow the classroom and school rules. Many times students do not understand what they are expected to do because they simply haven't been taught. Generate lists of ways to or behaviors that would be examples of following the rules. Engage in roleplays of appropriate rule following. Point out and praise students who are following classroom and school rules. Be explicit with identifying the behaviors that are correct. It may also be beneficial to teach and model examples of not following classroom and school rules.
- Remember the importance of proximity. Seat students who have difficulty controlling themselves, who are easily distracted, or who are frequently off-task near the source of instruction (i.e. the board or the teacher).
- Circle the room during instruction, rather than remaining solely at the board, in order to monitor students' attention and focus. Teach from various points in the room when the board is not necessary. Visit students' desks frequently during independent seatwork to ensure they are on-task and working appropriately.