1. Improving Classroom Behavior and Social Skills
Chapter 7

2. Student Behavior
Often a response to the environment (including teachers, peers, other personnel, and even the physical environment)
Controlling negative behaviors lies in establishing positive relationships with students
Implementing and consistently enforcing effective rules
Helping students learn to make positive choices that increase their level of success

3. Operationally Define Behavior
“he has a bad attitude,” “she never gets anything done”
Terms like this are hard for others to understand or for you to change
Define behavior so it can be easily observed and recorded
Instead say: “it takes him 10 minutes to start independent work everyday,” “she doesn’t bring her homework in 4 out of 5 days a week”
Try one yourself

4. Operationalized Behavioral Objectives
When you use operationalized behaviors, it is easier to create a behavioral objective specifying:
Content of the objective
Conditions student’s performance will be assessed
Criteria for acceptable performance
“John will initiate conversations during free time 4 out of 5 days”
Create an operational behavioral objective

5. ABC’s of Behavior Antecedent Behavior Consequence
What happened immediately before the behavior?
Will suggest environmental changes that set student up for success or failure
Behavior
Target to be observed
Consequence
What happened following the behavior
Will identify those environmental contingencies that reinforce both desired and undesired behaviors

6. A-B-C Recording A Antecedent B Behavior C Consequence
Teacher asks class question
Teacher reads/ asks question
Hand up/looks at clock
Hands raised
Teacher reinforces peer
None observable

7. Observation and Recording Systems
Event Recording
Number of times a particular behavior occurs
Duration Recording
How long the behavior occurs
Interval
Set an interval (i.e., 1 minute) and document whether the behavior occurred during that time
Time Sampling
At specific point of time, observer records whether behavior is occurring
Describe a behavior you would use each of the recording systems.

8. Behavior Intervention Plans
A written, individualized behavior support plan that is based on a functional assessment of a student’s behavior
If behavior is a significant concern, the IEPT must develop strategies that include positive behavior interventions and support

9. Effective Classroom Management Strategies
Establish a positive classroom atmosphere
Project a feeling, caring persona
Use interesting and motivational activities
Establish positive relationships with students
Post & discuss classroom rules
Praise positive behavior & ignore others
Use proximity control
What other simple things can you do to help students feel welcome in your class?

10. Questionable practices of behavior management
Corporal punishment
Isolation
Imposition of school tasks (writing assignments as punishment)
Forced apologies
Sarcasm
Confiscating goods
Cheap shots

11. Reprimands Better to be proactive than reactive
Reprimands are best viewed as direct feedback that the student’s behavior is inappropriate
Less effective when viewed as punishment or criticism of the student
Link reprimands directly to class rules
Validate student’s feelings

12. Formal Classroom Management
Systematically reinforce positive behavior
Many different ways to provide reinforcers
Snacks, drinks, stickers, free time, activities, social time, prizes
Some students, particularly those with disabilities, will need more tangible rewards in order to succeed

13. Token Systems or Token Economies
Can be used with individuals, small groups, or entire classrooms
Students who follow class rules are awarded points at prescribed times
Once certain number of tokens are attained they can be redeemed for reward
Typically, tokens earned should not be taken away. The “punishment” or “consequence” for inappropriate behavior is that no additional tokens are earned

14. Negative Attributions
Students with problem behaviors often attribute what happens to them to forces outside their own control
Teachers need to help students attribute social consequences to behavior they control
Negative attributions can be resistant to change for two reasons:
Serve both to excuse the individual from blame or criticism
Justify inappropriate behavior
Retraining takes time and frequent review

15. Discipline Hierarchy Consequences for rule infractions from:
Warning
Brief amounts of time away from the group
Calling parents
Sending student to principal
Suspensions should be used infrequently
Many states limit the number of days a student with a disability may be suspended before it’s considered a change of placement

16. Timeout
Refers to some type of separation of the student from the routine classroom environment
LEAST INTRUSIVE
Planned ignoring of student behavior
Object timeout
Withdraw of academic materials student is using
Contingent observation
No look timeout in classroom
Hallway timeout
Timeout in another classroom
Timeout room
In school suspension
MOST

17. Behavior Contracting
Written agreement formalizing the behaviors a student agrees to exhibit and the positive consequences that will result
Include:
Targeted, measurable behavior
Way to track behavior
Date agreement begins, ends, or is renegotiated (no less than 1, no more than 3 weeks)
Amount/kind of reward or reinforcer to be used
Schedule for reinforcer delivery
Schedule for review of progress
Signatures

18. Self-Monitoring
Teach students to monitor and evaluate their own classroom behavior
Some students may not be able to do this
Need to meet with student individually first and discuss purpose, importance, and goals
Also teach students self-instruction strategies
Train for generalization
Help students learn to use appropriate behavior in a variety of settings

19. Teaching Social Skills
Behaviors we use to work and socialize with other people
Comprised of three elements
Social responses and skills that:
Allow one to initiate and maintain positive relationships with others
Contribute to peer acceptance and to a successful classroom adjustment
Allow one to cope effectively and adaptively with the social environment

20. Social Skills Training
Often begins with a definition and discussion of the target social skill
Common characteristics of training procedures
Modeling – demonstrating appropriate social behavior and allowing students to observe
Shaping – the use of positive reinforcement to promote the use of a social skill
Coaching – requires the use of verbal cues to improve target behaviors
Modeling/reinforcement – employs a combination of observation and shaping techniques