Transcript Managing Behavior in an Inclusive Classroom
Managing Behavior in an Inclusive Classroom Anne-Marie Folino C.O.R.S.E. Summer Workshop July 17, 2012
Agenda
• • • • • • • • Classroom Arrangement Positive Behavioral Management Activity (Case Scenarios and Reflections) Communication Activity (Turn the Negative into Positive) Five-Point Scale Zones of Regulation Activity (Make your own Five-Point Scale)
Preparing the Environment
• • • Well-run classrooms begin with the layout Arrange environment to maximize opportunities for social success, academic achievement and effective and efficient teaching Always make sure you have quick access to the students, as safety is paramount
What does your space say?
• • • • It reflects your personal teaching style Do you want the students to collaborate in small groups? Partners? Individually?
Are you planning on whole group discussions?
Are you planning an individualized, self-paced curriculum?
Small groups
• • • • • Tables Clusters of desks Ask students to work collaboratively Instruction Gather for peer-led discussions
Whole-group instruction
• • • • Frequent discussion Direct instruction Student presentations Circle or U-shaped configurations
Individual
• • • Working on independent tasks Learning stations Test-taking and other assessments
Rooms with sections or centers
• • • • • • • This communicates that the space is clearly used for one thing. Mathematics area Music Area Break space Reading area Cooperative projects Learning centers Individual work areas
Room arrangement
• • • • • Make eye contact with all students possible Don’t be afraid to make change If things aren’t working, change your room arrangement as many times as needed until it DOES work!
Allow for all students to learn to work with all other students Allow for frequent movement
• • • Students should be able to clearly see chalkboards, screens, presentations and displays It is important that all students are within the view of the teacher or paraprofessional at all times Students should be able to quickly and easily find their work and begin working
• • • A child’s physical environment should portray safety, predictability and structure.
Keep in mind that the most useful behavior management tool is good teaching.
Prevention practices are positive behavior management, positive reinforcement, social skills instruction, and academic enrichment
Positive Behavioral Management
• • • • • • Should be a system that both teaches and rewards appropriate behaviors Clearly communicate what is expected of the student Define what appropriate behaviors look like and give examples, BE CREATIVE Praise students for doing the right thing Tell students what they are doing correctly Redirect behavior that is not appropriate before it escalates
• • • • Treat students fairly and consistently Students need to know the rules, the consequences to their actions, and how the rules will be enforced Self-monitoring is a tool for students to monitor their own behavior Expectations change with settings, personnel, etc. Each teacher should teach routines the first few weeks of school and review frequently
In your classroom
• • • Identify your expectations Teach the skills directly Use modeling, reinforcement and self monitoring
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Things to incorporate in your classroom to help it run smoothly
Keep the rules posted throughout the year Have a lesson the first couple days of school in which you make your own Classroom Constitution, Class Bill of Rights, etc. Each student should contribute and sign their name Have materials readily available and labeled Signals created Options for movement You may need to explicitly state the “Unwritten rules” because they aren’t obvious to everyone!
Differentiated Classroom Management
• Review your classroom management system -Some students (majority) can manage on a classroom-wide management system -Some students (small group) need the system to be specialized for them -Small amount of students need individualized behavior management systems
• • • • • • Point and level systems Group or class contingencies (i.e. Citizenship time, marble jar, R&R tickets) Catch them being good Play the “good behavior” game Behavior contracts Behavior Intervention Plans (should be formulated by the School Psychologist or Special Education Teacher)
• • • • • Many problem behaviors for children have become automatic Children may be able to recite the rules, but when the child is teased he responds with aggression because it is an automatic response Children may be able to recite the rules but not be able to call them up in the moment Neural pathways not yet set after only a few opportunities to practice With enough practice, you can retrain or create new pathways, yet this requires time and adults need to be patient and supportive
Function of Behavior
• • One must assume that all observable behavior serves a purpose and that it is functional One must assume that there is a relationship between the behavior and the antecedents and consequences
Take a SEAT
• The functions of behavior can be remembered with the following acronym: SENSORY ESCAPE ATTENTION TANGIBLE
The most commonly reported behaviors in the general education classroom
• • • • • Noncompliance Defiance Teasing Talking out Being out of seat
Response to challenging behavior
• • • • Most of the time it is reactive Use of “punitive” strategies for problem behaviors Punitive strategies are effective for the majority of students Ineffective for a small percentage (and can even make problem behaviors more intense)
• • • Respond to an undesired behavior as if it was an unlearned skill How would you work with a student having difficulty in math?
What would your response be to a child that was unable to read? Punish? Or teach?
• • • • Reactive strategies may temporarily suppress an inappropriate behavior (e.g. speaking out of turn) Fails to teach students more acceptable replacement behaviors (such as raising one’s hand in order to be acknowledged) There is a high probability that the behavior will be repeated Research studies indicate that an overreliance on consequences without positive interventions can lead to increases in problem behavior
Consequences
• • • • Likely affect future behavior Are most effective when they are immediate Can be reinforcement or punishment “Any behavior that immediately precedes reinforcement (or punishment) will be increased (or decreased).”
• When teachers have consistent positive interactions with students, the stage is set for increased academic achievement and improved student conduct.
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How to use positive feedback and reinforcement
Be specific Contingent on specific behavior Age appropriate (language and choice of reinforcement) Use it frequently and intensely (especially when you are training a new skill) Try to be in close proximity right before providing the reinforcement or feedback Vary the types of reinforcement for appropriate behavior (social, tangible, activity) Establish a consistent reinforcement plan
• • Individual contingency is a group reward based on the performance of one student, yet it may put pressure on that student Collective contingency is based on the performance of all students and is used to improve the behavior of the entire group. This can also improve the social skills or motivation of the entire class
Set the criteria
• • • Choose the target behavior Be sure that the student(s) are capable of performing the skill and meeting the criteria Not for teaching new skills or for extremely difficult behavior
Choose your consequence
• • • • Should not be a punishment, as you are trying to increase appropriate behavior Students should gain something extra (i.e. time at recess, extra five minutes of special activity, etc.) If the criteria is not met, nothing should be taken away, just not earned Be sure the reinforcement is easy to provide, inexpensive, and not too time consuming
Feedback
• • • • Students need to know how they are performing Can be tallies, charts, stickers, etc.
Provide positive feedback for engaging in appropriate behavior Try to make the feedback visible
Problems
• • • Individual students may sabotage the group contingency – Set up an individual system – Allow to rejoin group system once able to show ability Continual failure by one student – May need to look at criterion – May need to change criterion for individual student Unsuccessful after first attempt – Look at the consequence (may not be reinforcing)
Individual Behavior Plans
• • • • • • Works on the behavior of an individual student Choose a target behavior Determine or teach a replacement skill Determine the consequence Take data to document change Should be formulated with the assistance of the School Psychologist or Special Education Teacher
Antecedent Interventions
• If you can identify the antecedent that is related to the problem behavior, you can introduce strategies to reduce future occurrences --By eliminating the antecedent event --By modifying the content --By changing how the content is presented
• • • • • • • • • Decrease the length of the task Give more frequent breaks Provide material in smaller chunks Reinforce after each step Use student interests and preferences Make the task more meaningful Give opportunities for choice Smooth transitions “If…..then” statements
Watch your language!
How we interact with children verbally affects their trust in you as the teacher! The way we speak and interact with children plays a large part in their academic and social lives.
Paying attention to your language is crucial for creating a positive classroom experience for your students.
• A response you thought was kind could be unintentionally harmful.
Example: “You can do better than that” with a pat on the arm The student may have heard or understood he/she didn’t try hard enough, is lazy, didn’t give it his/her best, doesn’t really care about the assignment
• Use constructive language Example: “Great start! You wrote the first paragraph! Keep going!” Example: “What a great hook!” Example: “I like the way you used sensory details in the first paragraph. Let’s try using some imagery in the introductory paragraph!”
• • • It lets the child know what he or she has accomplished and why it’s important It informs the student that you have confidence in him or her It shows the child you believe he or she can accomplish the goal
Communication is also non-verbal
• • • The message that is conveyed is not only from your words, but from your non-verbal body language.
Statistics about communication: Our words account for only 7% Tone of voice accounts for 38% Body language accounts for 55% Be sure that your non-verbal language matches your verbal language
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Remember….
SMILE Tone of voice Gestures/body language/proxemics Eye contact Non-verbal affirmation Ask yourself: “Do I say things to my students that I would like said to me?” Your ratio of positive to negative comments should be 4:1
Incredible Five-Point Scale
• • • • Used to teach social understanding Used to help students rate their anger, feelings, or pain You can design a five-point scale with the student to build ownership. Ideally, you want the child to help define each number, however this is not always possible Has been found particularly successful with students with Autism Spectrum Disorders
Zones of Regulation
• • The Blue Zone is used to describe low states of alertness, such as when one feels sad, tired, sick, or bored. This is when the body is moving slowly or sluggishly.
The Green Zone is used to describe a regulated state of alertness. A person may be described as happy, calm, focused, or content when in the Green Zone . This is the zone students generally need to be in for schoolwork and for being social. Being in the Green Zone shows control.
Zones of Regulation
• The Yellow Zone is also used to describe a heightened sense of alertness; however, a person has some control. A person may be experiencing stress, frustration, anxiety, excitement, silliness, confusion, and many more slightly elevated emotions and states. A student may be wiggly, squirmy, or sensory seeking. The Yellow Zone is starting to lose some control.
Zones of Regulation
• The Red Zone is used to describe extremely heightened states of alertness or very intense feelings. A person may be experiencing anger, rage, explosive behavior, panic, or terror when in the Red Zone . Being in the Red Zone can be best explained by not being in control of your body.
Other Suggestions
• • • Power Cards (using a person of interest to the student to motivate them to do the expected behavior) Superflex Curriculum by Michelle Garcia Winner Social Stories
Q&A
Hope that today was helpful! Please feel free to contact me if you have any other questions or feedback about today’s workshop at [email protected]
Enjoy the rest of your summer!