Behavioral Intervention in the Classroom Oh Bee-Have!! Behavioral Intervention in the Classroom

“Discipline is not something I impose upon you so I can control you “Discipline is not something I impose upon you so I can control you. Rather it is something that must develop within yourself so you can become the best person you can be, not the one that could have been.”-Timothy F. Hough

What is behavior modification? Behavioral program that rewards positive behavior by following consistent rules. Assumes that observable and measurable behaviors are good targets for change Consequences weaken negative behavior A program that never fails Fails due to inefficient or inconsistent application

How do I set up a behavior modification program in my classroom? It’s best to try to implement a program school wide. How can I become an effective classroom manager? Establish yourself as the leader from the very beginning Carefully develop a set of rules and consequences for student behavior Teach the rules as if they were a subject Fairly and firmly enforce the rules-CONSISTENCY is the key to success Review the rules systematically throughout the year Expect good behavior and encourage student accountability Constantly monitor student behavior Arrange the classrooms to eliminate distractions and accommodate a smooth flow of traffic Carefully plan instruction to ensure student success Don’t say it if you don’t mean it Never make a promise unless you’re 100% sure you can keep it Keep your sense of humor

What guidelines should the teacher follow? Set reasonable rules to be followed. Be consistent with the enforcement of the rules Remember to stay calm assertive. A teacher shouldn’t ever show they are angry or lose self-control. Keep the focus on the student’s behavior not on the student

For the first two weeks, reinforce, reinforce, reinforce If in a younger grade, have the student pick their tangible reward before hand, set the goal and remind them when they get off track what they are working towards getting. If in an older grade, give the student choices of what they are working for, and have them choose one. Remember if the behavior is really persistent, you will need to reward often to be successful. Often time’s teachers say this is too much work, but think about how much work is created trying to maintain and correct the behavior continuously. Find the smallest amount of time a student can go being successful and lengthen it as they grow.

Make It Happen!! Students must get the reward during the beginning of the program You must feel the excitement of reward to understand the sting of defeat.

When do I reward? Reward immediately. The longer you wait the less effective it will become. Remember that being fair does not mean providing the same thing for every student, it is providing each student with what he or she needs to achieve success

Most of my class gets it, why can’t Johnny? Breathe in Take time to evaluate the issue at hand calmly and objectively. (If you feel unable to do this, ask for help. Two opinions are always better than one) Breathe out Release tensions which have built up because of past failures. (Is your first response to this child one of anger or frustration?) Are you taking it personally? Spend a day looking for only the things your student does right. Is it better? Know the history. Read up on the student. Call and talk to the parents. Understand that behavior is a learned habit…this child is doing what works for him/her.

End the Power Struggle Calm yourself Calm the child Own your part in the problem Use active listening Use I messages Give your perception Get the child’s perception Get the perception of an objective person Change the expectations Ask someone else to take over Use humor State expectations and place responsibility on the student for following through Give choices at appropriate times

What are the ABC’s of behavior? Antecedent-it’s not enough to observe the actual behavior you need to know what happens before it as well. Look for triggers both environmental and social Behavior-observe what the student does during the negative behavior how long does it last, is the student aggressive, can they be redirected Consequence-what is the natural consequence to the behavior Does the student seem to get reinforced by attention for having this behavior? Does the student have a negative consequence at the end of the behavior?

Now I know the why how do I start to change the behavior? Set your plan, and no matter what the student’s age, have them involved. Every person has free choice. Free to obey or disobey the Natural Laws. Your choice determines the consequences. Nobody ever did, or ever will, escape the consequences of his choices.-Alfred A. Montapert

Who’s involved? Call the parents, the special teachers, anyone involved with your student and tell them about the plan. Everyone involved must use the same plan. If even one person is inconsistent the chance of failure are high. Pick one behavior at a time If you choose too many behaviors, the water will become too muddy.

What do I write? When you write your plan, make sure the emphasis is on the positive. Make sure the language you use and write down emphasizes what the student will earn and not what they can lose. By changing your focus to the positive, you will see that your student’s perspective is changing as well. The student who didn’t really care about praise will now look for ways to receive it. Use visual prompts reinforce verbal messages as needed.

“The motivation for all personal behavior is to produce a sense of “FEEL GOOD,” a sense of inner peace and well being. To expect a person to go against his desire to feel good or as good as he can feel under any momentary condition is illogical and irrational. In the observation of human behavior, one will notice every human act is a response to a personal need. This is true whether one signs a million dollar contract, scratches one’s nose, rolls over in bed, or just dreams his life away. People will do things which seem contrary to this concept, but the bottom line is they perceive some kind of payoff which will make them feel good. And the payoff is almost always emotional. When you ask a person why they want to be financially independent, they might say that they could but things without having to worry about where the money will come from. And when they worry, they don’t FEEL GOOD. A drug addict, a compulsive eater, and alcoholic, and anyone with a compulsive habit will continue with their habits because at the moment of action they believe and feel it will make them feel good. That is why breaking compulsive habits are so difficult.-Sidney Madwed

Why does it take so long to change Johnny behaviors? A lot of time has been taken perfecting what works for Johnny. People like to do what they know! It takes a long time to stop negative behaviors…and even longer to replace them with positive alternatives.

Johnny wants to do the right thing! Is the student successful academically? Are they seeking attention and have learned over the years that negative attention is still attention? Are they avoiding tasks? Do the teaching methods fit the student’s learning style? Is the student prepared? Were the expectations clear and reasonable? Is the work engaging and/or is the student bored? Does the student have poor social skills? Do they have low self-esteem? Do they feel powerless?

Does Johnny trust you? Sometimes life is not fair, concede this point. However, you must be consistent in your classroom, or you will never gain the trust you’ll need to succeed. When talking to Johnny about the target behavior, always focus on his choices not on what others were doing. Keep it as positive as you can. If he honestly tells you what he did, praise him for being honest. Find something to praise. Remember that constantly pointing out the negative is part of how your student got where they are. Avoid using confrontational statements. Be aware of student’s language capabilities-expressive and receptive-so that verbal messages are clear and understood. Ask Johnny to repeat the message given.

Are you reinforcing the wrong behaviors? Sometimes it is easy to reinforce the very behavior we are trying to extinguish. Sometimes putting behavior on extinction is the best way to eliminate it.

What should I remember? Reinforcement or punishment always follows behavior Reinforcement or punishment follows the target behavior as soon as possible Reinforcement or punishment fits the target behavior and must be meaningful to the student Multiple reinforcers or punishments are likely more effective than single reinforcers or punishments (Focus on the positive) Change your own behavior Instead of telling Johnny to sit down when he is out of his seat, reinforce this behavior to with his peers or for him when he is sitting down

More ideas to remember… Use appropriate voice tone and voice level while talking with students in all circumstances. Give appropriate positive and therapeutic messages to students during all conversation.

Remember, Remember, Remember “The reputation of a thousand years may be determined by the conduct of one hour.”-Japanese Proverb