Transcript Acknowledgements at the Classroom Level

The Why and How of
Acknowledgement
2014 Wisconsin PBIS Leadership Conference
Session B1
Marla Dewhirst
[email protected]
Shannon Young, Principal and Counselor
Enrich, Excel, Achieve Learning Academy
[email protected]
Rebecca Gerow, Counselor
Crandon School District
[email protected]
Definition of Positive Acknowledgement:
Positive acknowledgement is the presentation
of something pleasant or rewarding
immediately following a behavior. It makes
that behavior more likely to occur in the
future, and is one of the most powerful tools
for shaping or changing behavior.
Objectives
of
Session
• Preview the need for acknowledgements of
the classroom and how they tie into the
school-wide acknowledgement plan.
• Understand why we acknowledge appropriate
behavior.
• Generate classroom examples of incentives
to utilize.
Links to Keynote
Acknowledgement System
The purpose of an acknowledgement
system is to:
 Foster a welcoming and positive climate
 Focuses staff and student attention on
desired behaviors
 Increases the likelihood that desired
behaviors will be increased.
 Reduces the time spent correcting student
misbehavior
Human Behavior is Functional
• It serves a purpose
• The result or consequence of the behavior
affects the future occurrence of that
behavior
• Effective strategies will be used more often
than ineffective strategies
• Problem behavior can be more efficient than
appropriate behavior
• Inappropriate behavior is serving a function
for each individual
Human Behavior is Predictable
• Environmental conditions can set up, set off,
or maintain problem behavior
• This environmental factor serves as a
predictor or antecedent for the behavior
• If the misbehavior works to gain a
consequence that supports the persons goal,
it is likely to be continued
• By looking for the antecedents and
consequences problem behavior can become
predictable
Human Behavior is Changeable
Strategies can be put in place to reduce the
problem behavior and to increase appropriate
behavior.
Make the problem behavior
• Irrelevant – no need
• Inefficient – replacement behavior serves the
same function
• Ineffective – behavior does not lead to the
desired consequence
Why Use Acknowledgements?
 Reinforce the teaching of new behaviors
 Harness the influence of kids who are showing
expected behaviors to encourage the kids who are
not
 Strengthen positive behaviors that can compete with
problem behavior
 Prompt for adults to recognize behavior
Why Use Acknowledgements?
 Encourage school-wide behaviors to be displayed in
the future
 Improve our school climate
 Create positive interactions and rapport with students
 Overall, we earn time back to teach and keep kids in
the classroom where they can learn from us!
Every time any adult interacts with any
student, it is an instructional moment!
Rationale-What Does 5 Positives to 1
Negative Mean?
 Students should experience predominately
positive interactions (ratio of 5 positives for
every negative) on all locations of school.
 Positive Interactions=
• Behaviorally specific feedback as to what the student did
right (contingent)
• Smile, nod, wink, greeting, attention, hand shake, high
five (non-contingent)
 Negative Interactions=
• Non-specific behavioral corrections
• Ignoring student behavior (appropriate or inappropriate)
How Does 5 to 1 Happen?
All Staff are expected to:
 Interact in a friendly, supportive manner at all times--students, parents, guests and colleagues
 Initiate positive interactions by:
Making eye contact
Smiling nodding, winking
Welcoming
Offering a greeting
Asking if assistance is required
Provide positive feedback regarding appropriate student
behavior
• Maintain an attitude of respect and support, even when
correcting student behavior
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5 : 1 Ratio, It’s not Just for Kids
Business Teams:
• High Performance
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= 5.6 positives to 1negative
Medium Performance = 1.9 positives to 1 negative
Low Performance
= 1 positive to 2.7 negatives
Losada, 1999; Losada & Heaphy, 2004
Successful Marriages:
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5.1 positives to 1 negative (speech acts) and
4.7 positives to 1 negative (observed emotions)
Gottoman, 1994
Gottman Information
• Predicted whether 700 newlywed couples would stay
together or divorce by scoring their positive and
negative interactions in one 15-minute conversation
between husband and wife. Ten years later, the
follow-up revealed that they had predicted divorces
with 94% accuracy.
 Marriages that last:
o 5.1 to 1 for speech acts and 4.7 to 1 for observed
emotions
 Marriages likely to end in divorce:
o 1 positive to 1.3 negative ratio likely to end up in
divorce
Social Competence & Academic Achievement
STUDENT OUTCOMES
Supporting
Decision
Making
Supporting
Staff
Behavior
PRACTICES
Supporting
Student15 Behavior
Practices-How Staff Interact
with Students
Define:
*3-5 school-wide expectations
*Classroom managed vs. office referred behavior
Teach/Pre-correct
*Behaviors like we teach academics with Cool Tools
*In the moment reminders/redirection
*Pre-correct to “get” expected behavior
Model:
*Adults practice what we preach
*Students practice what we teach
Acknowledge:
Immediate, intermittent, long-term
reinforcements for expected behaviors to
ensure future compliance
Re-teach:
*Consequences for non-compliance
*Review of expected behavior
*Addition of needed behavioral/academic supports
Components of
Acknowledgement Plans
Immediate/High frequency/Predictable/Tangible
Delivered at a high rate for a short period while teaching
new behaviors or responding to problem behavior
Name behavior and tie back to school-wide expectation upon delivery
Examples: “Caught Being Good”, “Lincoln Loot”, “Titan Bucks”, positive
referrals, points for privilege levels – turned in for tangible/nontangible prize
Intermittent/Unexpected
Bring “surprise” attention to certain behaviors or at scheduled
intervals
Used to maintain a taught behavior
Examples: Raffles, special privileges, principal random call
Long-term Celebrations
Used to celebrate/acknowledge accomplishment
ALL kids, all adults
Examples: Quarterly activities: popcorn party, class movie, class field
day
Guidelines for Use of
Acknowledgements
Reinforcements are for every student in
the classroom, regardless of where they
fall in the PBIS triangle.
Over time, move from:
• other-delivered to self-delivered (extrinsic vs. intrinsic
motivation)
• Highly frequent to less frequent
• Predictable to unpredictable
• Tangible to social
Adapt to data analysis feedback: “boosters”
Individualize for students needing greater support systems
Effective Environments---Critical
Factors
Research conducted in the work environment (Buckingham and Coffman
2002) , identified the following critical factors as positively
contributing to an effective classroom.
• Educators, Students and Parents:
– Know what is expected
– Know curriculum and instruction in place to get good
learning outcomes
– Receive recognition for demonstrating expectations
– Have a co-worker who cares and pays attention.
– Receive encouragement to contribute and improve
– Can identify someone they “relate to”
– Feel the mission of the class makes their efforts
worthwhile
– See staff and students committed to doing a good job
– Feel they are learning new things and getting better
– Have an opportunity to learn and teach
Example Strategies to
Acknowledge Appropriate Behavior
• Examples:
– Verbal praise
– Thumbs up, high five
– Token Economy
– Notes/phone calls home or to
principal
– Student of the hour/day/week
– Special privileges earned through
group contingency
Acknowledging Appropriate
Behavior
Effective strategies are…
Clear and specific
Contingent on desired behavior
Applied immediately
Teacher initiated
Focus on improvement and effort
Provided frequently during acquisition
Fade as skill develops
Avoid comparison/competition across children
Sincere and appropriate for student’s age
Includes hierarchy of alternatives
Specific and Contingent Praise
• Praise should be…
– …contingent: occur immediately
following desired behavior
– …specific: tell learner exactly what
they are doing correctly and
continue to do in the future
• “Good job” (not very specific)
• “I like how you are showing me active
listening by having quiet hands and feet
and eyes on me” (specific)
Establish a Continuum of Strategies
to Acknowledge Appropriate Behavior
Specific and Contingent Praise
Group Contingencies
Behavior Contracts
Token Economies
Acknowledgement of Appropriate
Behaviors
Specific and Contingent Praise-Make eye contact and use
behaviorally specific language. Provide immediate feedback and
acknowledge appropriate behavior often.
Group Contingencies
All for one-If entire class completes work on time they all get 10 minutes free
time.
One for all-Students divided into groups. Groups earns points, and group with
most points wins reward.
To each his/her own-Independent Group Contingency-everyone who earns
points receives a reward.
Utilize Behavior Contracts (group or individual)
Token Economy that can be based on how school
reward system operates.
Group Contingency
Considerations
• Promotes team work
• Uses peer influences to
correct inappropriate behavior
• May result in conflict within the classroom
• Good opportunity for modeling/role playing
and teaching class wide appropriate behavior
(embedding skills)
Small Group Contingency
• Small Group
 The reward is given to all members of a group.
 Individual performance can effect the entire group.
(Members must perform at or better than a specified level to
receive a reward and are competing with other groups in the
class.)
 Team competition promotes higher interest and
participation
 Can promote unhealthy competition
 Group may not have equal chance for success (may
need to change the groups periodically)
Example: Small Group Contigency
Mrs. Robinson’s class is divided into 4 groups.
Example A: Members of the group help earn tokens for their group.
Groups that earn at least 20 tokens by the end of the
day are admitted to compete in the “Spelling Bee” or
“Who Wants To Be A Millionaire” game.
Example B: Mrs. Robinson’s class is divided into 4 groups. Each
member must earn 5 tokens each day in order for the
entire group to participate in the game (receive a
reward).
Example C
The 2 groups receiving the highest number of tokens
for the day participate in the game (receive a reward).
Behavioral Contracts
• A written document that specifies a contingency for
an individual student or in this case…whole class
• Contains the following elements:
– Operational definition of BEHAVIOR
– Clear descriptions of REINFORCERS
– OUTCOMES if student fails to meet expectations
– Special BONUSES that may be used to increase
motivation or participation.
Establishing a Token Economy
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Determine and teach the target skills
Select tokens
Identify what will be back-up reinforcers
Identify the number of tokens required to receive
back-up reinforcers
Define and teach the exchange and token delivery
system
Define decision rules to change/fade the plan
Determine how the plan will be monitored
**Consider randomly delivering rewards**
Tips for Using Tangible Tokens
TIPS:
– Ensure an adequate supply
– Take steps to prohibit counterfeiting
– Develop a system for “spending” tokens
– Establish an efficient system of record
keeping
ADVANTAGES:
– Works like money (use as an immediate
reward, but actual “prize” is purchased
later)
– Takes less time
– Less expensive
Meeting Token System Challenges
• Use tokens that students can “cash in” for back up
reinforcers
• Change the color and/or design of tokens frequently to
discourage counterfeiting.
• Ensure an ample supply of tokens
• Ensure all students have fair chance of earning rewards.
• Provide visual prompts in all settings
• Include information and encouraging messages on daily
basis
• Select criteria for earning rewards based on data
already being collected (e.g., attendance, grades)
• Continue school-wide efforts and align your classroom
rewards system with the school-wide system.
Classroom Continuum of Strategies
Free & Frequent Intermittent
Strong & Long
Term
Verbal Praise
Token Economy
Group
Smile
Phone Calls
Contingency
Stickers
Special
Field Trip
Rubber Stamps
Privileges
Special Project
Thumbs up
Computer Time
Recognition
Home Notes
Social/Free
Ceremonies
Time
Special Seat
Acknowledgement System Self-Check
As you develop your acknowledgement system make sure you
check for the following:
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The system is simple to use
Clearly defined criteria for earning rewards
Ongoing opportunity to earn rewards
Flexible enough to meet the needs of diverse students
Aligned with the school-wide reward system
Supportive of and aligned with the data collection system
Supportive of behavioral and academic success
Meaningful back-up reinforcers
Varied to maintain student interest
Age-appropriate
Hierarchical: Small increments of success are recognized with small
rewards
Reinforcing Behaviors
• It is important to only reinforce
behaviors which are observable and
measureable.
• Clearly state the expectation –
– Example: Students who are quietly standing
in line, facing forward, keeping their hands
and feet to them self
– Non-Example: Students ready for lunch
Guidelines
• Reward demonstration of school-wide
expectations (contingent)
• Avoid trying to motivate by withholding
incentives
• Avoid taking away incentives already
earned
• Should target all students
When Selecting Reinforcers. . .
Remember: Not everyone is reinforced
by the same reward
Try to personalize the reinforcers by
offering variety
Rotate through different reinforcers so
options vary throughout the year
Tangible Reinforcements
• Pair tangible reinforcers with praise
statements.
• Pairing tangibles with verbal praise
gradually teaches students to become
motivated by praise alone.
Types of Reinforcers
Sensory
Natural
Material
Generalized
Social
Sensory Reinforcers
Sensory reinforcers are things you can
hear, see, smell, or touch:
o Listen to music
o Sit in special chair
o Hold a stuffed animal/toy
o Choose a poster
o Watch a movie
Natural Reinforcers
Natural reinforcers are things students
like to do/ask to do during free time:
o Play a game
o Read a book
o Free time with a friend
o Play a sport
o Be in charge of materials
o Put up a bulletin board
Material Reinforcers
Material reinforcers work for students
who require immediate reinforcement
in smaller amounts:
o Stickers
o Materials: pencils, pens, paper,
bookmarks
o Trading cards
o Movie Tickets
o Food coupons
o Juice drinks
Generalized Reinforcers
Generalized reinforcers work for
students who can delay gratification,
as the reinforcer is exchanged for an
item of value at a later time:
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Raffle tickets
Tokens
Poker chips
Points/credits
Social Reinforcers
Social reinforcers should be paired with
other types of reinforcers when
students are first learning new
skills:
o Smile
o Wink
o Compliment
o Effective praise
o Proximity
Sample Interaction Activity
Thank you, Mary, for picking up the trash
on the floor. Because you demonstrated
responsibility, which is one of our
expectations, I want to acknowledge you
with a Beary Good Slip. Good job!
– Describe what the student did right
– Explain how the behavior relates to the
expectation
– Verbally link the behavior with the reinforcer
Low Cost Reinforcers
• Positive parent telephone contacts with
students present
• Coupons (purchased with established
numbers of tokens) for the following:
– Extra P.E. (Music, Art, Computer)
– Sit by a friend for a class period
– Use teacher’s chair at student’s desk
– Sit at teacher’s desk
– Lunch with teacher-once a month
– Earned activity period for a preferred
activity
– Early release pass
Summary
• Rewards are effective when
– Tied to specific behaviors
– Delivered soon after the behavior
– Age appropriate (actually valued by
student)
– Delivered frequently
– Gradually faded away
School District of Crandon
Crandon Elementary School
Jamee Belland, Principal
Rebecca Gerow, School Counselor
Crandon Elementary School
❖500 students 4K-5
❖Two Native American Tribes
❖Entering 4th year Universal level
Cardinal Cash
❖ Staff give Cardinal Cash to students displaying
appropriate behavior
Cardinal Cart
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Purchase items with Cardinal Cash
In a central location
Teacher stocks the cart every morning
Support staff volunteer to manage cart
Some items kept in the classroom for
purchase
Cardinal PRIDE
Students can put
their Cardinal Cash
in a classroom
bucket for a weekly
drawing and write
their name on the
classroom Cardinal
PRIDE 100s chart.
Classroom-Wide
When the classroom 100s chart is filled, students earn a short 1015 minute acknowledgment chosen by the teacher or the class.
The classroom also earns a Gold Coin.
Examples:
❖Extra Recess (teacher supervised)
❖Dance Party
❖Popcorn during reading
❖Lunch in the classroom
❖Special Theme Day: PJ, hat, socks, sunglasses, slippers, etc.
School-Wide
The entire school is acknowledged when the 100’s Chart in
the Elementary Lunchroom is full.
Gold Coins
❖ Good behavior.
Blue Coins
❖ Weekly attendance rate of 96 % or higher
Red Coins
❖ Two classroom 100’s chart for academics.
Weekly Assembly
❖ Weekly student and staff winners are drawn
❖ VIP Recess Tub
❖ Classrooms earning a coin announced
❖ Monthly winners are drawn on the first Monday
of each month
“All for One”
Group Contingencies
The Golden Lunch Tray
❖ Each week the principal picks a winning K-2 and a winning
3-5 classroom
Acknowledging whole group behavior in the classroom
❖ Marbles and Links
❖ Keep it simple
❖ Eat lunch in the classroom
Attendance Acknowledgements
❖ Perfect Attendance (No tardies and no absences)
❖ Outstanding Attendance (Gone 2 days or less)
➢ Quarterly acknowledgement
➢ Get announced/name in paper
➢ Pie in the face
➢ Duct tape the principal
Staff Acknowledgements
❖ Weekly
➢ Reserved parking spot
➢ Coffee Coupon
➢ Jeans for free a day
❖ Randomly
➢ Staff drops
Helpful Tips
❖ Acknowledgement system run by someone other
than the internal coach
❖ Utilize support staff
❖ Divide maintenance task among ALL staff
❖ Have someone seek out donations
❖ Have go-getters on the team
6-12 Charter School
Wausau School District
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Preparation
Respect
Integrity
Determination
Excellence
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Parfaits have layers and so does our plan!
The focus behaviors all the time are work
completion and development of core values.
Everything points back to these two facets.
There are multiple incentives and ways to
acknowledge the behavior we want to see.
Clear Expectations –
taught and re-taught as
needed
Immediate
reinforcement of work
behaviors
PRIDE
Consistency among
staff
Celebrations- all school
and smaller groups
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Clear
Consistent (this is critical)
Taught regularly and then re-taught
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Feedback on work
Tickets if the student
wants them (that can
be redeemed in our
store)
Slip for
demonstrating core
values
Benefits for getting
required work done
per day
◦ Shortens the school
day by one hour
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Benefits for getting
more than the
required amount of
work done
◦ Can shorten the day by
one more hour
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Benefits for perfect
attendance
(individual)
Benefits for all school
attendance
End of semester
drawings
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Credit slips are posted as students finish
credit
The students completing the most work are
acknowledged with a “You rock”. This is
posted on the classroom door and in the
main shared area.
Bells are rung every time a student completes
a credit.
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Everyone on the same bus
Moving in the same direction
PBIS is more about “training” the adults!
Consistency is critical in our
acknowledgement plan, not just in
addressing misbehavior.
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All-school (for the sake of building
community)
Some for smaller groups
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Attendance
Credit completion
Work completion
For a variety of goals, whether school wide or by
the room
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In addition to SWIS, track what is important to
you. For us it’s daily work completion and
attendance.
Frequently Asked Question
#1
Shouldn’t children this age already know
what is expected of them and how to
behave?
Behavior that is acknowledged is more
likely to occur again.
Behavior that is ignored is less likely to be
repeated.
No good behavior should be taken for
granted or it may decline.
Frequently Asked Question
#2
Praising feels unnatural. Won’t kids
think it sounds phony?
The more you praise, the more natural it will
feel.
If you praise appropriate behaviors that truly
happened, there is nothing phony about it.
Kids who get praise will tend to praise others.
Frequently Asked Question
#3
Isn’t Praise Manipulative and Coercive?
The purpose of praise is to reinforce
and increase positive behavior with
the student’s knowledge.
Praise helps clearly describe
expectations so that students can
successfully meet them.
Frequently Asked Question
#4
Isn’t giving a reward like bribing students
to do what you want them to do?
A bribe attempts to influence or persuade
someone to produce a desired behavior that
hasn’t yet happened.
A reward reinforces a desired behavior
that has already happened.
Frequently Asked Question
#5
Won’t students come to depend on tangible
rewards? Don’t extrinsic rewards decrease
intrinsic motivation?
 Tangible rewards should be accompanied with
social rewards.
 When a message that recognizes a student’s
efforts as being responsible for success is given
with a reward, internal motivation will actually be
strengthened.
Frequently Asked Question #6
Shouldn’t rewards be saved for special
achievements?
By acknowledging only the “big” behaviors,
adults send the message that every day
behaviors of courtesy, responsibility, and
respect are not important.
Small steps on the way to achievement need
to be recognized.
Frequently Asked Question
#7
Do students in middle and high school still
need acknowledgement?
People of all ages, including adults, need to
be recognized and acknowledged for their
efforts.
Students of all ages need recognition,
praise, and rewards particularly during the
difficult transition of adolescence.
Acknowledgements
• Book-Best Behavior: Building Positive Behavior Supports in
Schools. Sprague & Golly, 2004. www.sopriswest.com
• PDF-LRBI Checklist: Positive Reinforcement. Utah State Office
of Education: Least Restrictive Behavior Interventions (LRBI)
Resources.
www.usu.edu/teachall/text/behavior/LRBIpdfs/Positive.pdf
• PPT-Acknowledgement Systems: Catch ‘em being Good by Chris
Borgemeier, PhD. Portland State University
www.web.pdx.edu/~cborgmei
• PPT-Maximizing Effectiveness Using Positive Behavior Support
Methods in the Classroom: Reward Systems, Florida’s Positive
Behavior Support Project
• PPT-Effective Classroom Practice: Strategies to Acknowledge
Appropriate Behavior-Center for PBS, College of Education,
University of Missouri
References
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Brophy, J. (1998). Motivating Students to Learn. Boston: McGraw Hill.
Conroy, M. A., Sutherland, K. S., Snyder, A., Al-Hendawi, M. & Vo, A. (2009). Creating a positive
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Evertson, C., & Emmer, E. (1982). Preventive classroom management. In D. Duke (Ed.), Helping
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Evertson, C. M., Emmer, E. T. & Worsham, M.E. (2003). Classroom Management for Elementary
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Freiberg, J., Stein, T., & Huan, S. (1995). Effects of a classroom management intervention on
student achievement in inner-city elementary schools. Educational Research and Evaluation, 1, 36-
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Good, T. & Brophy, J. (2000). Look Into Classrooms. Boston: Allyn & Bacon.
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Johnson, T.C., Stoner, G. & Green, S.K. (1996). Demonstrating the experimenting society model with
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Kern, L., Clemens, N.H. (2007). Antecedent strategies to promote appropriate classroom behavior.
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Newcomer, L. (2007, 2008). Positive Behavior Support in the Classroom. Unpublished presentation.
Shores, R., Gunter, P., & Jack, S. (1993). Classroom management strategies: Are they setting events
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Resources:
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www.pbis.org
www.wisconsinpbisnetwork.org
www.missouri.org
http://flpbs.fmhi.usf.edu
www.modelprogram.com
www.phillipmartin.info