Behavior Basics: Creating a Safe and Welcoming School Culture

1. MODULE 4: Behavior Basics and Consequences Session 2: Tier I Team Training Presented by the MBI Consultants Workbook pp. 8-14 Ver 1.5

2. Todays Topic Critical Components • Commit to a common purpose and approach to discipline—creating a safe and welcoming culture that includes student voice and family/community involvement • Establish and maintain team… with administrator support, participation and leadership • Establish a clear set of positive expectations and behaviors • Establish procedures for teaching expected behavior • Establish a continuum of procedures for encouraging expected behaviors • Establish a continuum of procedures for discouraging inappropriate behaviors • Establish a system for using data to make decisions, progress monitor, and problem-solve

3. Objectives • Review the A-B-Cs of behavior and how important it is to understand the function of behavior • Understand the concepts of punishment, positive reinforcement, negative reinforcement and how they impact staff and students • Understand the role consequenceshave in shaping behavior 2

4. Home and School Factors thatContribute to Antisocial Behavior • Coercive Punitive Environment • Inconsistent Application of Consequences • Unclear and/or Inconsistent Rules • Little or no Acknowledgement of Appropriate Behavior • Misuse of Behavior Management Procedures • Rejection 6

5. ABC’s of Behavior Behavior Consequence What does the person do or say? (the behavior) What happens before? (the context) What is the result? (the function) • Antecedent Change behavior by changing consequence – Punish, + & - Reinforcement Change behavior by changing context (Prevention) 5

6. Behavior Basic #1 • Problem behaviors are often due to a mismatch between characteristics of the student and those of the instructional environment. • We need to change our response from punitive to preventive, by teaching students how to behave, rather than how not to behave. 2

7. Behavior Basic #2 • A general “rule of thumb” is that for every yeara student has been exhibiting a problem behavior, it may take at least one month of consistent intervention to see a change in that behavior.” 1

8. Behavior Basic #3 • Behavior is learned and serves a specific purpose. • Behavior is related to the context in which it occurs. • If the context is different thenthe behavior will be different. 3

9. Behavior Basic #4 • We can improve behavior by 80% just by pointing out what a person is doing correctly, but we typically do that less than 10% of the time. • Remember to give FOUR positives for every ONE negative 2

10. Behavior Basic #5 • To change a student’s undesirablebehavior, we must look for opportunities to reinforce the expectedbehavior at twice the rate that the undesirable behavior is occurring. 1

11. Behavior Basic #6 If the Question is: “WHY do they behave that way?” Then The Answer Is:“To receive a consequence.” - Schools tend to focus on the specifics of the misbehavior (offense, location, others involved) and forget to identify the underlying purpose behind the misbehavior or the “Why?”. That’s why it is important to include “Motivation” on ODRs. 3

12. Behavior Basic #7 • EVERY interaction has a consequence… Avoid / Escape Gain / Get 3

13. Behavior Basic #8 • Even well thought-out consequences may have unintended results • Good intentions are NOT ENOUGH 2

14. Types of Consequences • Punitive Interventions • NegativeReinforcers • PositiveReinforcers 3

15. Punishment • A consequence that causes an undesirable behavior to decrease by receiving an undesirableoutcome orfear of losing somethingone cares about 1

16. Punitive Examples Losing something one cares about Receiving an undesirable outcome Suspension Expulsion Name on board “Pull a card” Call home Time out Send to office Detention • Free time • Recess • Choices • Sitting with peers • Working on the computer • School activities – field trips, dances, etc. 2

17. Punitive vs. PositiveInterventions 1

18. Causes withdrawal (off-task, tardy, truancy, dropping out, vandalism) • Causes aggression (against property and others) • Teaches students to respond in a negative manner • Harms student-teacher relationships Results of Punitive Interventions Why do you think some staff members sometimes choose punitive procedures? (discuss) • Rapidly Stops Behavior • Provides Immediate Relief to the teacher (reinforcement) • Teaches the student and peers what not to do • Decreases positive self-statements (self-concept) • Decreases positive attitudes toward school and schoolwork 10

19. Punishment:Risks • What happens when there’s nothing left to lose? • If a connection is not established between the misbehavior and the resulting punishment, the punishment may prove to be ineffective • If the re-entry process is not clear, student may “give up” • For some students, it will be very difficult to identify something of value to remove • Least effective response for reducing anti-social behaviors • Provides short-term outcomes but may not produce desired long-term outcomes • May/may not stop the intended behaviors 7

20. Adult responsibilities in administering a punitive intervention: • Debrief (triggers / motives) • Teach appropriate behavior • Brainstorm strategies (cues) • Re-establish relationship 4

21. Punishment is the least effective means in changing student behavior and often results in missed instructional time and negative feelings which exacerbate the problem behavior, as does Negative Reinforcement... 1

22. NegativeReinforcement • A consequence that causes an undesiredbehavior to increase and allows the student to successfully avoid the antecedent. • Example: A student acts out during math class. The teacher sends student to time out. • The student (and teacher) have successfully avoided an unpleasant situation, and student is reinforced for misbehavior. 3

23. Risks of Using Negative Reinforcement • Inadvertently reinforces inappropriate behaviors • Miss the opportunity to teach coping strategies and appropriate behaviors • Lose the opportunity to understand why the behavior occurred (function) 3

24. Positive Reinforcement • A consequence that causes a behavior to increase • An increase in behavior as the result of successfully gaining something desired • The word “positive” in front of reinforcement is not a commentary on the behavior in question, but merely refers to the presence of a desired stimulus = verbal praise, positive note home, certificates, stickers, token, food, etc. for compliant behavior 3

25. Results of Positive Interventions Slowly Stops Behavior Provides no immediate relief to the teacher Teaches the student and peers what to do Increases positive self-statements (self-concept) Increases positive attitude toward school and schoolwork Promotes enhanced participation Decreases likelihood of aggression Teaches students to recognize the positive Enhances student-teacher relationship 9

26. Positive Reinforcement Clarification • Both expected behaviors and non-compliant behaviors can be positively reinforced. • Reinforcement must be delivered immediately following the desired behavior otherwise you risk inadvertently reinforcing a different (potentially non-compliant) behavior. • Reinforcement must be directly linked to the behavior you are trying to increase. 3

27. Example of inadvertently reinforcing a behavior you did not intend to reinforce due to a time delay: • The teacher notices Jackie paying attention to a lecture. He knows Jackie has a hard time paying attention, so he wants to positively reinforce the on-task behavior by saying “thank you.” When the lesson is over he approaches Jackie, who is now chatting with her friends instead of doing her independent seat work. Not wanting to miss the opportunity to praise herfor paying attention, he thanks her anyway. Due to the time delay, the teacher has inadvertently reinforced Jackie for talking to her peers rather than listening to the lecture. 2

28. Example of inadvertently reinforcing the behavior you did notintend to reinforce: • Sabrina turns in a found item to the office. Upon doing so, she asks for the secretary for a “Bear Buck.” The secretary gives her the “Bear Buck” and Sabrina walks away smiling. Although the secretary intended to reinforce Sabrina for returning the lost item, he has inadvertently reinforced Sabrina for asking for a token. 2

29. Something to consider… - Our reaction determines whether an expected behavior or misbehavior will happen again. - Sometimes we can escalate a student’s misbehavior when we react negatively to it, instead of leading the way by interacting positively, proactively, and instructionally. 2

30. Complete the “Consequence Activity Worksheet” with a partner END Workbook p. 14