Behavior Management “Nip it in the bud!” Developed for Jefferson County Schools from Middle School Diaries by Ellen Berg, Turner Middle School, St.
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Behavior Management “Nip it in the bud!” Developed for Jefferson County Schools from Middle School Diaries by Ellen Berg, Turner Middle School, St. Louis, MO What is Behavior Management? Behavior management is a larger concept than discipline. Discipline is implemented after a problem occurs whereas behavior management seeks to prevent problems in the first place. Determine Your Beliefs It's not my job to discipline.” “I'm here to teach.” “In my day…" "That kid is just bad.” “He'll never change." Behavior Management Truths Lasting change takes time. You cannot make anyone do anything. Behavior is a symptom of a larger issue. Reacting to a problem generally escalates the problem, while being proactive usually helps to de-escalate or avoid the problem in the first place. Behavior Management Truths Consistency is the key! If students are engaged, they are not causing trouble. You can win the battle but lose the war. Choose your battles wisely. Parents can be allies or enemies. Assigning blame is ineffective. Behavior Management Truths Children need structure. Students rise or fall according to our expectations. If you fail to plan, you plan to fail. Do unto others, as you would have them do unto you. We all make mistakes. GIVE IT TIME Lasting change takes time. Behavior is a habit. * Think of a bad habit you have overcome, or one you still have. * How long did it take you to break that habit? * Did you "relapse?" * What finally helped you change? We must find some value or purpose for changing before we attempt or desire to change. GIVE IT TIME Implications for the Classroom * Be patient with students as they begin to work toward change. * Assist students with designing and implementing a plan to improve. * Give private praise if appropriate for positive changes. * Understand that behavior will slip sometimes and don't give up on the child. Choices You cannot make anyone do anything unless they choose to cooperate. * Children allow us to do what we do in our classrooms. * We can manage the situation by what we choose to do and say in response to a given situation. Choices Implications for the Classroom * Admit to students you cannot "make" them do anything, but that they may not like what you choose to do in response. Use student choice statements when addressing students about their inappropriate behavior: Ex: "You can choose to get on task and work with your group, or you can choose to sit over here by yourself, fill out a reflection sheet, and take an F on the assignment for the day. Of course, I will have to inform your parent if you choose the latter, but it's still your choice. You know what is best for you." Behavior Behavior is a symptom of other issues. A response to something inside the classroom: Other students, Teachers, Assignment/classwork (content or structure) A response to something outside of your classroom: Home, Other classes, Other teachers, Hallway issues, Neighborhood Behavior When a problem occurs, the FIRST question you should ask is: Am I doing something that is creating or contributing to this problem? Is there something I can change? If not, then: What is causing this problem, and how can I help? Behavior Implications for the Classroom There is always a reason for what is occurring. There is always a goal behind every behavior: Attention, Power, Revenge, Avoidance of failure Address the behavior, but investigate to figure out the cause. If the cause is not addressed, the problem will continue. Reacting Reacting to a problem generally escalates the problem, while being proactive usually helps to deescalate or avoid the problem in the first place. Reaction is filled with emotion, NOT thought. It is a human physical and emotional reaction to a stimulus. Our reactions are not always productive. Reacting What do the following common teacher reactions accomplish? * Yelling * Arguing with students * Criticizing the student * Throwing students out of the room Reacting * Students' behaviors are generally NOT personal, but we often take it personally. * If it IS personal, aren't we the grown-ups in the situation? * Reaction interprets and acts upon the problem as a personal attack. * Proactive people view the situation as a problem to solve. Consistency Consistency is the key! * No one wants to live in chaos. * We rely on many things in our lives to be consistent: what to do at traffic lights, what products are safe to eat, etc. * What if those everyday things you take for granted changed randomly and frequently? * How would you begin to act? Consistency Classroom Management Guru Harry Wong cites research stating what students want to know on the first day: 1. Am I in the right room? 2. Where am I supposed to sit? 3. What are the rules in this classroom? 4. What will I be doing this year? 5. How will I be graded? 6. Who is the teacher as a person? 7. Will the teacher treat me as a human being? Everyone wants to fit in and know what to do in a given situation. We all have a comfort zone we depend upon. Consistency Implications for the Classroom * Create, direct teach, practice, and reinforce clear procedures for everything that needs to be done by students in your classroom. * Establish clear routines in your classroom. Behavior If students are engaged, they are not causing trouble. * How can students misbehave if their attention is focused on something productive? * Students do not interfere with what they value. * Engaging, high-interest, relevant lessons are the positive to acting out. Behavior Question... If we KNOW a student is unable to perform a task, why do we continue to assign work the student can't do? Behavior Implications for the Classroom * Use inquiry-based, investigative learning, constructivist based lessons. * Relate the content you MUST teach to the LIVES and INTERESTS of your students so they WANT to learn. * Gear your instruction to the level students are on, and provide support to those who need it. CHOOSE YOUR BATTLES You can win the battle but lose the war. Choose your battles wisely. * You may be able to bully a child into submission, but at what cost? * Ongoing, intensified behavior problems may result. CHOOSE YOUR BATTLES * Students may hold a grudge against you and respond accordingly. * Students may "turn off" and spend the remainder of the year not learning. CHOOSE YOUR BATTLES Implications for the Classroom * Think before acting. * Seek long-term solutions. * Ask yourself, "Will this action/response help or hurt the situation in the longrun?" Parents Parents can be allies or enemies * Despite children's protestations to the contrary, parents are still the primary influence in their children's lives. * Our approach toward them and their child creates an ally or an enemy, REGARDLESS of the guilt or innocence of their child. EVEN if you have them acting a complete fool on videotape! Parents Implications for the Classroom * Make a POSITIVE contact with the parent or guardian early in the year BEFORE any problems arise. * When talking with parents about a discipline problem, focus on behaviors that need to be addressed: "Johnny's talking out is making it difficult for others to concentrate." NOT "Johnny is disruptive." * Enlist the parent's help and expertise in solving the problem. "What do you suggest? What works for you at home?" Blame Assigning blame is ineffective. * Assigning blame is nothing more than passing the responsibility on to someone else. * Assigning blame does not seek to solve problems but to LABEL them. * At the end of the blame game, you're still faced with a PROBLEM! Blame Implications for the Classroom * Focus on identifying the root of the problem regardless of who or what is causing it. (Even if it is you...) * Focus on identifying constructive solutions to the problem. Structure Children need structure. * Children WANT and NEED normalcy in their lives. * CHAOS begets CHAOS. * If children are physically and/or mentally challenged by an uncertain, unclear, or unstable environment, they feel out of control. Structure Children need structure. * If a student's energy is spent coping with the structure (or lack thereof) in their environment, it is not being focused on your work. Implications for the Classroom * Teach routines and procedures. * Create order in your classroom. * Physical arrangement of furniture * Organization of materials * Traffic patterns Expectations Students rise or fall according to our expectations. * If the teacher doesn't think the kid can behave or do the task, who is the child disagree? * WHO is supposed to have all the answers? Expectations Students rise or fall according to our expectations. * Students need our support, not our criticism. * Students need to be aware of our expectations for them in our environment. Expectations Implications for the Classroom * Make expectations clear and explicit through classroom rules, routines, and procedures. * Make expectations clear and explicit through your verbal AND nonverbal interactions with students. Planning If you fail to plan, you plan to fail. In the past, what has happened in your classroom when: *Your materials weren't ready? * You couldn't find something you needed for the lesson? * Your students finished early and you had nothing for them to do? Planning If you fail to plan, you plan to fail. In the past, what has happened in your classroom when: * You didn't have anything planned for the day and were winging it? The old adage, "Idle hands are the Devil's workshop," is true. Kids seek to entertain themselves during downtime, and many problems can occur during these periods of time. Planning Implications for the Classroom * Always, always, ALWAYS plan ahead of time. * Create a file of, "If you finish early" activities that students can access when they complete an assignment. (Word searches, magazine articles, puzzles, etc. are great and easy!) * Start class with a "bellringer" or opening activity for kids to do while you take attendance and collect your thoughts and materials. (Quizzes, journals, problems, etc.) Do Unto Others Do unto others as you would have them do unto you. * We want to be respected and trusted; so do the kids. * Just because a kid treats us with less than the greatest respect doesn't mean we can sink to their level. All that does is confirm for them that we do not deserve their respect in the first place. Do Unto Others Do unto others as you would have them do unto you. * Right is always right, even when we're rip-roaring mad. Really. Implications for the Classroom * We must remember that our students are human beings with feelings. Do Unto Others Implications for the Classroom * We must remember that children pay attention to what we do more than what we say. Are we modeling appropriate responses? * We must remember that as adults, we should have greater restraint and control over our actions. * In conferences with students, it is okay and effective many times to tell the student how their action or words made you feel. Kids need to see we are human too. Adults Make Mistakes, too! We ALL make mistakes. Think of a mistake you have made in your life. *Does your mistake mean you are stupid? * Should we treat you as if you were going to make the same mistake over and over again? * Should we hold your mistake against you for the rest of your life? Mistakes are an opportunity to grow and learn, and sometimes we need help from others in that task. Adults Make Mistakes, too! Implications for the Classroom * Don't hold a child's mistake from September against him all year long. Assign a natural consequence and give the child another chance. * Help children understand that you are displeased with the behavior, not with them. Teach them that mistakes are not permanent, and help them learn from their mistakes. * Remember that students are still children, and they have many mistakes ahead of them in their lives. So do we. Procedures and Routines Procedures are how you want something done. Routines are what the student does automatically without prompting or supervision. When procedures are explained, rehearsed, and reinforced, they eventually become routines. Step 1: Explain Classroom Procedures Clearly * Define the procedure in concrete terms. * Demonstrate the procedure; don't just tell. * Demonstrate a complex procedure step by step. Step 2: Rehearse Classroom Procedures Until They Become Routines * Have students practice the procedure, step by step, under your supervision. After each step, make sure that the students have performed the step correctly. * Have the students repeat the procedure until it becomes a routine. The students should be able to perform the procedure automatically without teacher supervision. Step 3: Reinforce a Correct Procedure and Reteach an Incorrect One * Determine whether students have learned the procedure or whether they need further explanation, demonstration, or practice. * Reteach the correct procedure if rehearsal is unacceptable. * Praise the students when the rehearsal is acceptable. Don't address a student's failure to follow the routine or procedure through behavioral consequences. RETEACH! REHEARSE! REINFORCE! Procedure Worksheet The following situations need designed routines and procedures in the classroom. On the Procedures worksheet decide how best to apply them to your particular classroom or situation. At the end of this presentation, be ready to share one of your routines or procedures with the group. These plans will be collected, copied, and distributed to the staff as a sourcebook. Routine and Procedure Routine: What the student does automatically without prompting or supervision. Procedure: How you want something done. Procedures Sharing 1. What to do when coming to class 2. How to enter the classroom 3. What to do when the fire alarm sounds 4. What to do when you finish your work early 5. What to do when you have a question Procedures Sharing 6. When to sharpen your pencil 7. How to sharpen your pencil (# at the sharpener, etc.) 8. What to do when you need to use the restroom 9. Where to find the assignment (homework, bellringer, others, etc.) 10. How you will get their attention and what they should do Procedures Sharing 11. How a paper is to be done (heading, ink, rough edges, etc.) 12. How papers will be collected/where to put the paper when they are complete 13. Where to find assignments if they have been absent 14. What to do at the end of class 15. Working in groups Procedures Sharing 16. How/when to move around the room 17. How to use classroom materials and where to find them 18. Lunch tickets 19. What to do if you're tardy 20. What to do if you're absent 21. How to cross the street 22. How to walk in the hallway Behavior Management Tricks of the Trade 1. Use humor to address your concerns and avoid a conflict. Behavior Management Tricks of the Trade 2. Eye contact Behavior Management Tricks of the Trade 3. Teacher proximity Behavior Management Tricks of the Trade 4. Call home Behavior Management Tricks of the Trade 5. Ignore the behavior (attention-seeking, especially) Behavior Management Tricks of the Trade 6. Mention the student's name while teaching 7. Send a secret signal Behavior Management Tricks of the Trade 8. Give an I-message (When you_______ I feel _____ because _________. Please stop.) 9. Do the unexpected (talk to the wall, lower your voice, change your voice, etc.) 10. Change the student's seat Behavior Management Tricks of the Trade 11. Distract the student (ask for assistance with something, ask a question, etc.) Behavior Management Tricks of the Trade 12. Time out in a teammate's classroom Behavior Management Tricks of the Trade 13. Table the matter until later 14. Agree with the student (Example: "You can't make me!" "You are absolutely right!") Behavior Management Tricks of the Trade 15. Change the subject 16. Sing 17. Get to know your students Behavior Management Tricks of the Trade 18. One put up for every put down 19. Make mistakes okay 20. Recognize positive behaviors Techniques that Backfire Raising your voice Yelling Saying "I'm the boss here" Insisting on having the last word Using tense body language, such as rigid posture or clenched hands Techniques that Backfire Using degrading, insulting, humiliating, or embarrassing putdowns Using sarcasm Attacking the student's character Acting superior Techniques that Backfire Using physical force Drawing unrelated persons into the conflict Having a double standard -making students do what I say, not what I do Insisting that I am right Techniques that Backfire Backing the student into a corner Pleading or bribing Bringing up unrelated events Generalizing about students by making remarks such as "All you kids are the same" Techniques that Backfire Preaching Making assumptions Making unsubstantiated accusations Holding a grudge Nagging Techniques that Backfire Throwing a temper tantrum Mimicking the student Making comparisons with siblings or other students Commanding, demanding, dominating Rewarding the student The Challenge SO...What's the challenge? * We are human, and it FEELS GOOD to let loose on a kid who is giving us grief. Unfortunately, after we have gone off, the problem still exists, is probably worse, and we have provided a poor example of how to handle problems for our students. The Challenge HOWEVER, when you remain calm, you are in control. It diffuses the behavior of the student. The Challenge Implications for the Classroom * Learn to identify the goal(s) behind the behavior. * Suppress your natural urge to react, and remember that you are the adult in the classroom. The Challenge Implications for the Classroom * If the situation becomes, "too hot to handle," table the matter for later or send the child to a colleague's room for a cool down. Resources Behavior http://cpt.fsu.edu/tree/behavior.html The Behavior Homepage http://www.state.ky.us/agencies/behave/homepage.html Behavior, Motivation, and Self-Control http://mentalhelp.net/psyhelp/chap4 Behavior, Research, and Teaching http://brt.uoregon.edu/ Can Teach: Classroom Management http://www.canteach.ca/elementary/classman.html Classroom Discipline Resources http://7-12educators.miningco.com/msub49.htm Classroom Management http://www.temple.edu/CETP/temple_teach/cm-intro.html TeachNet Classroom Management http://www.teachnet.com/how-to/manage/ Classroom Manangement http://www.geom.umn.edu/~dwiggins/plan.html Classroom Management and Cooperative Discipline http://pdts.uh.edu/~freiberg/cm/index3.html BehaviorAdvisor http://maxweber.hunter.cuny.edu/pub/eres/EDSPC715_MCINTYRE/715H omePage.html Middle School Diaries http://www.middleweb.com/msdiaries01/MSDiaryEllenB46.html