Managing Student Behavior and Promoting Social Acceptance

1. Presented by: Jackie Stremlow CEP 840 Managing Student Behavior and Promoting Social Acceptance

2. What are some basic principles of classroom management? • “Classroom management refers to the actions a teacher needs to take in order to maintain order in the classroom which enables learning to take place.” (Sasson, 2007) • An effectively managed classroom allows teachers to focus on instruction and learning without interruption to focus on negative student behaviors and disruptions.

3. Why Do Students Misbehave? • Rudolf Dreikurs “believed that all behavior is purposeful and that student behavior and misbehavior can be dealt with by teachers if they better understand the purpose behind the behavior” (Vaughn et al, 2007, pg 242) • 4 categories that describe why most students misbehave: • Attention (repeats problematic behavior) • Revenge or getting even (tries to hurt others, hostile) • Power or control (refuses to stop, defiant) • Display of inadequacy (refuses to participate or cooperate)

4. Procedures to Decrease Inappropriate Behavior • Look for the positive! • Many teachers focus on the negative behaviors in the classroom and actually give attention to the misbehavior INSTEAD of reinforcing the positive behavior taking place in the classroom. • Give positive feedback on specific actions and encouragements.

5. Use reinforcers to encourage positive behavior including: • Consumable: rewards they can eat (candy, peanuts, raisins) • Tangible: rewards that they want but cannot consume (pencils, toys) • Token: items that can be exchanged for value (tickets, play money) • Activity: something they can do after their work (draw, free time) • Privilege: activities awarded such as running errands, line leader. • Peer recognition: other students recognize and praise behavior • Teacher approval: the teacher announces/praises the good behavior to others. • Self satisfaction: students recognize their own good behavior and praise themselves. • More specifics found in the handout from “Teaching Students Who Are Exceptional, Diverse, and at Risk” by Sharon Vaughn, Candace Bos, and Jeanne Shay Schumm (2007)

6. Establish a few clear rules with known consequences. • Techniques when focusing on the positive does not work • Ignore on purpose: eliminate the students behavior • Time out: remove the student from the group to eliminate the opportunity for reinforcement from peers • Punishment: used as a last resort! Enforcing an unpleasant consequence immediately after the behavior.

7. Establish an classroom climate that is accepting of all students • Recognize that students are children first! • Students have common goals: to be accepted recognized and valued members of their community/classroom. • Focus on student abilities • Recognize and use each students abilities and skills. • Celebrate diversity • Show value for all students who learn/behave differently or have physical or linguistic challenges. • Demonstrate high regard for all students • Treat all students equally and respectfully. • Provide opportunity to work in mixed ability groups

8. Hallmarks of an effective behavior management program • “An effective behavior support program is a proactive, positive, skill-building approach for the teaching and learning of successful student behavior.” (MI Dept of Ed, 2006) • Effective behavior management programs describe target problem behaviors as well as the ways that the environment will be changed in order to improve the social behavior. • They develop a functional Behavioral Assessment. • They prevent violence.

9. Positive Behavior Support Explained • PBS is a behavior supports system that strive to offer safer and more effective schools for all students. • It is a research-based, school wide, classroom discipline system that focuses on improving a school’s ability to teach and support positive behavior for all students. • The program is comprised of a team who work with the entire staff to develop rules and expectations for all students to follow in any school setting.

10. PBS includes school-wide procedures and processes intended for: • ALL students, ALL staff and in ALL settings • Non-classroom settings within the school environment • Individual classrooms and teachers • Individual student supports for the estimated 3-7% of students who represent the most challenging behaviors • Also intended to improve literacy scores (DIBELS)

11. What are “social skills” and how do they differ from behavioral skills Social Skills How they Differ Social skills do not cause harm to others. Social skills may need to be taught directly and rehearsed to be improved upon. Poor social skills can lead to negative behavioral skills. They require the use of other people. • “Social skills allow individuals to adapt and respond to the expectations of society” (Vaughn et al, 2007, pg 255). • Social skills include being liked, feeling accepted and feeling self confidence.

12. Examples of social skills intervention programs Develop Cooperative learning Involve Peers in the training program Include “popular peers” in training with low social status students to help improve the way low status students are viewed by others. Makes it more likely for low status students to be cued and reinforced in the classroom setting. • Results in increases of self-esteem, social skills, and learning. • Four elements: • Students know they cannot succeed at the required task unless all members succeed. • Ensure individual accountability for success • Teach skill so they are able to function in a group. • Allow time for group process.

13. Use principles of effective instruction Teach needed skills Student need to learn when and with whom to use the skills Body language Using greetings Initiating and maintaining conversation Giving and accepting positive/negative feedback Identifying feelings in self and others Problem solving and conflict resolution • Obtain student commitment • Identify target behavior • Pretesting • Teaching • Modeling • Rehearsing • Role-playing • Providing feedback • Practicing in various settings

14. Teach for Transfer of Learning Empower students Give choice: they feel they are actively involved in their learning. Consequences: learn from natural and logical consequences. Document progress: students learn to assess and monitor their progress Control: Student exercise control over what happens to them. • Requires the rehearsal and implementation of target skills across settings to improve effectiveness. • Must be demonstrated at home, in the classroom and on the playground.

15. Identify strengths Encourage reciprocal friendships Concentrate on the development of the mutual “best friend.” Focus on building one strong relationship rather than having the student like everyone in the classroom. • Useful in identifying social contexts when promoting positive peer interactions. • Used also when determining what type of social intervention may be needed. • Important to consider student relationships outside of school when developing social skills.

16. Involve peers in training program for low social students Teach for transfer of learning and generalization Teach social behaviors that will be supported naturally in the setting. Teach alternative response patterns. Teaching students to adapt the procedures of the social skill so that it becomes their own. Rehearse skills in a variety of settings. Use natural and logical consequences. Use peers as change agents. • Both those who do and do not exhibit social skills problems should be included for changes to be noticed. • Increase low social status students ability to be accepted when working with higher status students

17. Self Management Skills • Self management skills allow students to be more aware of their own behaviors and have more control over their reinforcers for their behavior. • Teaching self management skills allows students to be more independent and rely less on the teacher.

18. Developing a “Self Management Plan” • Teacher and student identify and agree on behavior to be changed • Identify when and where the behavior most frequently occurs. • Establish realistic goals for changing the behavior. • Indentify a timeline showing how long the behavior change plan will be in effect. • Identify reinforcers and consequences. • Self-evaluate the success of the program each day.

19. Final Thoughts • “Often, teachers need to change their own behavior in order to change the behavior of their students.” (Vaughn et al, 2007, pg 236) • Many school districts now require a positive behavior support system to improve not only the student behavior but to improve the effectiveness of the classroom instruction.

20. References • Michigan Dept of Education. (2006). Positive Behavior Support. Supporting Student Behavior: Standards for the Emergency Use of Seclusion and Restraint. • Sasson, Dorit (Feb 10, 2007). Effective Classroom Management: Strategies of Teaching Class Rules and Procedures Effectively. retrieved from: http://newteachersupport.suite101.com/article.cfm/effective_classroom_management • Sprague, J & Golly, A (2005). Best Behavior: Building Positive Behavior Support in Schools. Boston, MA: Sopris West. • Vaughn, S., Bos, C. & Schumm, J. (2007) Teaching Students Who Are Exceptional, Diverse, and At Risk in the General Education Classroom. Boston, MA: Pearson Education Inc.