Ross Woods, 2019, ’21
This little e-boook contains some of the basic tenets of promoting positive student behavior in the elementary school. Perhaps future editions will contain more information.
Many aspects are counter-intuitive. They are not the obvious way to act or react, so they need to be deliberately learned.
In its purest form, behaviorism is the idea that learning is simply the acquisition of new behaviors. Acquisition of new behaviors depends on conditioning, that is, a certain stimulus will produce a specific response. To control and reinforce behavior, you should reinforce good responses with rewards. In behaviorism, "reinforcement" means that a positive stimulus is applied to make a particular behavior more habitual and automatic:
Behavior → Positive response → Reinforced behavior
The opposite is also true. If a negative stimulus is applied, such as disapproval, the particular behavior is reduced or discontinued.
Reinforcement is more powerful when:
It it more effective to tell students what to do than to tell them "Don’t." Try to issue at least three positives to each negative comment or reprimand. For example, recognise three students doing the right thing before redirecting a student who is not.
Use the principle of "decreasing frequency." For example, if students learn something new this morning, it will stick better if you give a reinforcement later today, then again tomorrow, next week, next month, and next semester. But if students don’t get a reinforcement until next month or next semester, the new behavior is probably lost and will have to learned again from scratch.
Remember – People tend to cease a behavior if it is not reinforced in some way.
FPBC
| Facts | Strategies |
|---|---|
| Behavior is learned. | When students regularly misbehave, the teacher’s role is to help those students learn more productive and responsible behavior. |
| Context influences behavior. | Change the student’s behavior by altering some aspects of the classroom context. |
| Misbehavior serves a purpose for each student. | Enable students to find more socially acceptable ways of belonging. |
MSB
Feedback is often either descriptive or evaluative. Descriptive feedback is preferable because it gives specific information on what behavior is desirable or undesirable.
Some characteristics of helpful, non-threatening feedback are as follows:
FPBC, Module 4.
Rewards can be either intrinsic or extrinsic. Intrinsic rewards come directly from the task, such as satisfaction or enjoyment. Extrinsic rewards comes from somewhere else, and might take the form of peer approval or getting a prize. Both kind of rewards reinforce behaviors, but intrinsic rewards are stronger.
Intrinsic rewards are best for small victories where something is learnt quickly and easily, or when students have been doing the task for a long period and have gained confidence. Extrinsic rewards work better for students who are struggling with a task and see it as unpleasant.
This is analogous to the idea of intrinsic and extrinsic motivation. Intrinsic motivation is the students’ personal satisfaction or enjoyment in the task. An extrinsic motivation is a desire to get something (a prize or approval) that is not related to the task itself.
FPBC, Module 4.
If possible, use intrinsic or social reinforcements by preference. ‘By pairing the tangible reinforcer with praise, the praise eventually takes on reinforcing qualities. When praise becomes a reinforcer, the teacher may begin to switch from tangible to social reinforcers.’ (Sprick:1981, p.6.)
FPBC, Module 4.
Rewards don' t have to cost anything, but they need to be age-appropriate and viewed as valuable by your students.
* Start collecting items such as date books from stationery stores, balloons, pencils, key chains, etc. Look for these items at teacher conventions, new store or bank openings, etc.
FPBC, Module 4.
For some aspects of managing student behavior, the law will set limits on what you may do.
The first is duty of care, that is, your responsibilites to keep students safe while they are in your care. These laws set standards for your responsibilities, and define what you can be sued for.
The second is assault. Some forms of physical discipline can be classified as assault in certain circumstances. The current trend is to consider emotional and sexual abuse. However, physical contact with a student is not sufficient by itself to be an assault; many schools allow teachers to have some physical contact with students and most schools have rules about how much they may have.
The board (or perhaps the school district) sets the overall policy for the school's behavior management. Policy is a set broad parameters of what must and must not be done. Policies always seek to ensure that the school and its employees comply with legal requirements. Policy might take the form of overall principles or of specific procedures on what to do in specific kinds of cases.
The school principal oversees the implementation of policy and is responsible for setting the tone of the whole school. This includes establishing a positive school culture, and supervising teachers, ensuring that each one has an effective plan in place and coaching them in skills. Teachers can refer the most difficult cases to the principal.
In larger secondary schools, the principal sets the tone and culture of the school, Heads of Department oversee their teachers, while the Deputy Principal has overall responsibiity for discipline. Teachers might be able to refer the most difficult cases to the Deputy Principal.
Teachers' meetings normally decide on the specific implementation throughout the school and ensure that each teacher knows what they are supposed to be doing. If they make policy, it is usually quite procedural and implementational.
Teachers are responsible for their own classes. In some schools, teachers are left to run the class as they wish on the assumption that they are fully trained professionals. "When the door shuts, you’re the teacher."
In other schools, junior teachers (especially new teachers), have a coach who can help them to improve their skills and monitor their progress. The coach is usually a senior, more experienced teacher.
The parents are often the key to success. Managing student behavior is easier when the parents are well disciplined individuals with high educational aspirations and a supportive attitude. On the other hand, parents who have their own behavior problems can seriously impede the school’s behavior management strategy.
Consequently, school leaders and teachers need to gain parental support for the school's behavior management strategy, which takes place in different ways. First, the principal sets the behavior management direction for the whole school. Second, teachers need to gain parents' support during parent-teacher conferences.
As a teacher, your role is to set an example as leader that gains students’ respect. The first element is to set an example in your clothes, speech and attitude.
For some students, you might might become one of the most influential role models in their lives. In other cases, you will represent their image of an educated professional and shape their aspirations. Being a role model can be even more significant if students have a difficult home life, or come from a background with low career aspirations.
It is a mistake to do things to try to get students to like you. As a teacher, your role is not to be the students’ friend. Paradoxically, if you do well in your role as a teacher and provide a positive learning environment, you will find that most students will probably like you anyway.
The biblical view is that the teacher is a person in authority and has the right to be in control of the class. The teacher is also a shepherd who guides students to do what is right and prevents them from danger.
D. Sokolowski.
If you enjoy children, being a teacher is often enjoyable for both you and your students. They can be funny, clever, curious, and cute. You’ll see them develop and their talents bloom. You’ll find a few who are extremely exasperating. Oddly enough, some teachers don’t like children, which probably makes their lives as teachers very unenjoyable.
Students enjoy an environment that is positive and welcoming, and has clear rules that are applied fairly and consistently. Lots of children actually like school even when it’s not cool to admit it. Students find safety in predictable routines in a familiar location where they know what to do and how to do it. They know which classroom is their classroom, and can socialize with other children.
For some, a most important aspect is that they feel safe. Safety might mean free of being bullied, and for some, free of the dangers of home life where they must navigate the erratic moods of their parents.
You still need to be stern. First, you will probably have some students who exasperate you, but losing your temper denigrates your role. Second, the interesting paradox is the child who does something very clever and funny, but also very naughty. If you laugh, students will view it as approval. You still need to be stern. Third, children will sometimes do something extremely embarrassing. Laughing at the student will come across as humiliation, which the student will probably remember for as long as you are their teacher.
At the beginning of the school day and after every recess, train students to line up outside the classroom. Wait until they calm down before letting them enter the classroom. This sends the message that the classroom is a place for orderly behavior.
Before the school year starts, set up your room with appropriate posters and decorations. Everything needs to have a purpose that fits the age of your students and your educational goals.
Consider:
CCS.
A class behavior plan or students is a set of simple expectations and should have the following characteristics:
It depends on what you do, not what others do. Even if other students don’t do it right, you should still do it right.
Based on Clay (n.d.) and CCR.
Good rules give instruction on what to do and create a positive environment. They need to be small enough in number for students to remember. If a rule is a principle, it needs explaining so it is not vague.
This example of a set of rules comes from Rob Pelvin, and is intended for a middle school:
Older students often resist rules because they are controlling. Try these strategies to overcome resistance. Introduce the rules as something helpful, that is, as conditions for their success. Explain the reasons what the rules are as they are. (Consider the example of football without rules.)
Pelvin. “Your classroom management plan”. N.d.
Routines are almost the same as rules and follow most of the same principles.
A routine is a sequence of behaviors that students can learn to do with minimal further instruction. Routines are not just behaviors. They include your daily sequence of lessons: maths reading writing, etc., which can be the same throughout the school.
Here’s why routines work. First, students are more secure in a predictable routine; they know exactly what they have to do. Second, routines “automate” classroom events, so the teacher can prevent most problems rather than having to solve them after they have occurred. Third, routines are most helpful when student behavior can easily go wrong, such as transitions between classes or activities.
Getting students into routine
The number of routines has no limit as long as you train students in them one-by one. They will be confused if you try to teach many of them at the same time. Explain carefully so that there is no excuse for non-compliance. Put routines on the notice board so they know exactly what they have to do.
In some cases you can get students to demonstrate a behavior. Here’s an elementary school example:
Here's part of a sequence for teaching younger elementary students about expectations for behavior:
| Expectation | Questions |
|---|---|
| Line up outside | Show me how to do it. |
| When you are all quiet, still, and listening to me, I will tell you to go into class. | What do you have to do for me to tell you to go into class? How will you know when to go in to class? |
| If you want to speak, raise your hand first. | Show me how to raise your hand. If you want to speak, are you allowed to shout out? |
| When I want you to speak, I will point to you or ask you by name. | How will you know that you can speak? (Give two different ways.) Show me. How many voices should I hear at one time? |
| Speak in your normal voice. | What is your normal voice? |
| Listen when someone else is speaking. | How could anyone see if you are listening? |
| [Shows how to hold a book and turn pages] | How do you hold a book? Show me. How do you look after a book so that it stays like new? |
| If everybody is busy, I might call your attention with a clear signal. (E.g. hands on head) Stop what you are doing, be quiet, and look at me. | What will I do if I need to to pay attention to me? Show me. If I do this, what do you have to do? |
AITSL. “Creating routines”, Youtube, n.d. Pelvin. “Your classroom management plan.” N.d.
Besides communicating your expectations, a classroom management plan can also include consequences for misbehavior. Without a plan, an angry reaction to misbehavior can exacerbate the misbehavior, because students know you are not in control.
This is the ony part of your plan that is for you alone. You obviously do not need to disclose it to students.
Most teachers need a behavior plan that defines what will happen if students cross the boundaries. It is your guide to what you will do when facing poor behavior, and will save you lots of class time. It will not only help prevent misbehavior, but will enable you to respond more quickly and effectively.
Plevin, “Your classroom management plan.” N.d.
Start the school year with high standards and normalize them. It is easy to lighten up later if you need to, for example, fun activities leading up to Christmas. However, if you start with low standards and normalize them, it is almost impossible to raise them later on.
Start on the first day of year with each new class. Implement your plan. Get in first in setting high expectations, and explain them well, with concrete examples. For most topics, it’s explaining how things work here
and the tone of the discussion can be quite positive.
Use your rules consistently, and be strict in getting compliance. At first you will need to remind students often, consider concrete examples, and give correction. This will set the tone and establish a culture within the group where every students knows what is expected of them and becomes accustomed to doing it consistently. They will learn to monitor their own behavior, and will find it easy to identify other students who are out of line. Students joining the class late will be able to identify the culture of the group and adjust.
You will find that some students will test the boundaries. They will respect you if you are fair and consistent in maintaining the boundaries. And if they know they can’t get away with it, they are less likely to repeat the behavior. The opposite is also true; they will have less respect for you if they know that they can stretch the boundaries, and it is also more likely that they will repeat the behavior.
One other point. If a trainee teacher comes into your class to observe after the first month or so, they won't have anything to see. They'll only see your students behaving well, because they know the norms and follow them. It's only during the first month or so that they would see anything.
Positive interactions with students support effective classroom management. They also tend to increase respect for the teacher and build a personal relationship. To a great extent, your ability to enjoy being with your students depends on having positive cultures in your school and your class.
You might find that some things are counter-intuitive. For example, some students might be quiet and inconspicuous, not particularly likeable, or usually badly behaved. Yet teachers should also give positive feedback to these students if they are behaving well right now.
Our self-concept is the core of our identity, the conscious perceptions we have of ourselves and how we think we are perceived. It is composed of all the beliefs and attitudes we have of ourselves. These self-pictures determine who we think we are, what we do and what we can become.
Self-esteem is the way we feel about ourselves and expresses the value that we give to our self-concept. It is characterised by positive or negative feelings, and is expressed in the way we act. Our self-esteem can be either high or low, and fluctuates depending on recent experiences and interactions, and on the situations in which we find ourselves.
Teachers play a significant role is raising students’ self-esteem and building their confidence:
PDP.
You can’t learn essential listening skills by reading, but at least I can list some of them:
Give your student enough time to tell you what they want to say. Listen carefully and don’t rush in with advice; they need to feel that they are heard and that you understand. Most people find it easy to talk about themselves. Offloading their story to someone who listens carefully gives a sense of release, known as catharsis. Listening might be all you need to do; people don’t always want you to give solutions.
At first, they might avoid anything that casts them in a bad light and test whether you are a trustworthy listener. They won’t go further until they feel that they can trust you.
In other cases, you might take them further. You can ask probing questions, as long as you are gentle and keep listening. Help them to explore and unpack the topics they raise. You need to get a read on what is happening in the interaction without being judgmental. class="code_slot">(Woods, 2:190.)When in active listening mode, you goal is to develop empathy. In this context, avoid actions that block empathy, such as criticising diagnosing, advising, moralising, threatening, and reassuring. (FPBC, Module 1.)
Body language is a powerful communicator and can communicate most of your message. It is cost effective (actually free), does not take any extra time, and can be used across the class without interrupting your task.
If you are speaking, your body language needs to support your words. How? Either gain student's eye contact, or walk near them and stop at their desk. Smile. Use discrete finger signals (e.g. thumbs up), nods of approval, pat on shoulder if appropriate. Move on and scan back to class.
(Based on Clay, n.d.)
One of the most effective and constructive ways of responding to children's feeling-messages or problem-messages is the door opener
or invitation to say more.
These are responses that do not communicate any of the listener's own ideas orjudgments or feelings, yet invite the child to share his own ideas, judgments or feelings. They open the door for the child, inviting them to talk. The simplest of these are such non-committal responses as:
Others are more explicit in giving an invitation to talk or say more, such as:
These door-openers, or invitations to talk, can be springboards for another person’s communication. They encourage people to start or to continue talking. They also keep the baIl
with the student. They don’t have the effect of you grabbing the ball away, as do messages of your own, such as asking questions, giving advice, teaching, moralizing, and so on. These door-openers keep your own feeling and thoughts out of the communication process.
The responses of children and adolescents to these simple door-openers will often surprise adults. Children feel encouraged to move in closer, open up, and pour out their feelings and ideas. Like adults, young people love to talk, and usually do when anyone extends an invitation.
These door-openers also convey acceptance of the child and respect for them as a person by telling the child, in effect:
Who doesn't react favourably to such attitudes? What adult doesn’t feel good when he is made to feel worthy, respected, significant, accepted, interesting? Children are no different.
Offer them a verbal invitation and then you’d betterjump back to get out of the way of the expressiveness and expansiveness. You might also learn something about yourself in the process.
(Based on MSB Program, n.d)
Encouragement is another form of positive behavior on your part.
What to do
(Clay, n.d.)
Points to consider
normality,while the short term goal is approximate gradual change.
(MSB, N.d.)
(Hendrick, n.d.)
This approach was used with a class of students with below average literacy skills and well-developed avoidance skills. In essence, it is a kind of individualized learning plan. It depended on these elements:
For each session, the teacher records each student’s behavior and completion of learning tasks; these records provide accountability. Teachers then use the checklists to give feedback to both students and their parents.
Johnson, 2019
AITSL. “Creating routines”, Youtube, n.d.
CCS. See Checklist for Classroom Setup.
CCR. See Checklist for classroom rules.
Checklist for classroom rules, Positive Behavior for Learning (PBL), Queensland Government. N.p., n.d.
Checklist for Classroom Setup. Positive Behavior for Learning (PBL), Queensland Government. N.p., n.d.
Clay, Sue. N.d. Adapted from Managing Challenging Behavior — Module 3 (Training manual). In FPBC.
Coolbellup SPER Centre, in FPBC, Module 5.
FPBC. See Fremantle Primary Behavior Centre.
Fremantle Primary Behavior Centre. N.d. “Behavior Management in the Classroom: Managing Challenging Behavior for Education Assistants: A Six Module Course.” Fremantle, WA.
Hendrick, Joanne. N.d. Cited in FPBC. Module 2.
Johnson, Kelly. Responding to challenging behavior. MP4Video, downloaded from https://www.aitsl.edu.au
Managing Student Behavior—An Initiative of the Classroom-First Strategy 2008, Education Department of W.A Cited in FPBC.
MSB, Cited in FPBC.
Personal Development Program, New South Wales Department of Education. Adapted and cited in FPBC.
PDP. See "Personal Development Program."
Pelvin, Rob. “Classroom management tips for low level disruption.” Youtube. Plevin, N.d.
Pelvin, Rob. “Effective use of consequences as a behavior management strategy”. Youtube. N.d.
Pelvin, Rob. “Your classroom management plan”. Youtube. N.d.
Sugai, George. Lecture Notes(1995) in Clay, Module 6.
Woods, Ross M. Recovery from Addiction: Residential care for people with Alcohol and Other Drugs Issues: A Handbook for Training Addiction Recovery Workers, Fresno, Ca. 2017.
See also
A school-wide approach to creating a safe, supportive and disciplined school
Effective teaching
(Links open new windows)
Behavior management is intertwined with teaching in at least three ways
This is Part 2 of behavior manangement in the elementary school, and contains an appproach to disruptive and challenging behavior. Like the promotion of positive beahvior, many things are not the obvious way to act or react, so they need to be deliberately learned.
Next, some definitions:
Disruptive and challenging behavior are different. The factors are: How bad is the behavior? How often does it happen? How long does it go when it happens? How long-running is it?
FPBC, Module 3
FPBC, Modules 3, 5. “Classroom management tips for low level disruption” Plevin, N.d.)
Low level disruptions are small misbehaviors that are not individually problematical but together comprise a larger problem. These include small chatter, fidgeting, giggling, poking, and getting attention from other students. Your responses should follow the law of least intervention. That is, your responses should be less disruptive that the student’s behavior.
Promoting positive behavior and teaching replacement behaviors is more important and effective than just trying to reduce challenging behaviors. By building on your relationships with students and teaching them appropriate behaviors, you lessen the likelihood of challenging behaviors by adjusting the antecedents. You also give students a broader range of strategies to deal with unresolved conflict, and build a learning environment in which asking for help is supported.
Another preferable way to handle disruptive and challenging behavior is to nip it in the bud. In other words, if you handle it well in the early stages, it won’t escalate and become more serious.
It might be enough to make eye contact, and perhaps the hard stare.
Proximal reinforcement is to move close to the student when walking around the class, and give positive comments to students who are doing well. Its advantages are:
What to do
An example
Jessica and Caitlin continue to talk and stay off task after a class-wide instruction. You approach the students near them that are working on task “l like the way you are working. Very good!” Jessica and Caitlin look up and go on with their work.
You immediately reinforce their behavior by standing near them and saying “Great — keep working."
In some cases you can actually ignore the student’s behavior. This is called planned ignoring.
What to do
In this technique, the teacher simply repeats the instruction. Its advantages are:
What to do: An example
Brett, you need to go to the end of the line and wait your turn.
I understand... And repeat the instruction.
.... and you need to wait your turn at the end of the line."
l understand, and you need to wait for your turn at the end of the line.
In essence, take-up time
means that you give the student extra time to follow your instructions. It is particularly useful when giving students choices. Its advantages are:
What to do
Privately tell the student of the expected behavior, and the consequences of not doing so. This gives them the responsibility of making a choice. Then give the student time to make the choice. Remove yourself so that your don’t intimidate the student while making the choice. Come back: praise good behavior. Assign consequences for poor behavior.
Students can be asked to take time out. This means to sit quietly for a period of time in a designated place.
The purposes of time out are:
For example:
A cool off period is useful when the student feels angry or frustrated, and the solution is to remove him/her from the situation before it escalates. During the cool-off period, students can either sit and do nothing, or to take their class work. It might be for as little as two minutes.
Most often, students do not recognise when they are feeling angry or frustrated. In the best cases, however, students learn to control their tempers by taking a (self imposed) time out.
Applying consequences has several advantages. First, it reinforces that you will ‘do what you say and say what you mean’. Second, it builds trust with all students that you will follow through and are committed to a safe learning and teaching environment. Third, if used well, consequences eliminate power struggles between teacher and students. They give students a choice of outcomes, so students are responsible and will be more likely to think about their behavior. They also help you maintain control; you don’t need to shout or put lots of students out of the classroom.
Weak teachers are reluctant to give students an ultimatum so they do a lot of pleading and pestering. They give lots of extra chances and don’t carry through with their threats. (In behavioral psychology, the teacher is inadvertently teaching students that the threats are meaningless and the misbehavior is permitted.)
David, you have chosen to work in the wet area. You can choose to finish your work there or in Mr. Johnson’s room.
David, that’s enough. You’ll have to finish your work in Mr. Johnson’s room.
Michael, you need to work quietly without calling out.
Michael, this is you first warning. Work quietly without calling out.
Don’t call out).
The rule is work quietly.
Adam, you need to raise your hand and wait quietly until I come to you.)
To be most effective, consequences should follow a stepped sequence, also known as a consequence hierarchy.
The principles are as follows:
Corrective actions may be designed for a particular class or a particular student. Each hierarchy should be designed to suit the needs of the student within a particular learning and school environment. However, the structure of ‘instruction, prompt and choice’ is effective across environments.
This example of a consequence hierarchy was developed collaboratively between staff, the teacher, and the parent of a Year 5 boy.
Level one
Peter, go and sit at your seat thanks.
Peter, go and sit at your seat now please.
You need to go to your seat now Peter, or you will be choosing 5 minutes time out.
Level two
Level three: Time out
Level four: Buddy room
Severe clause:
Physical or verbal aggression = straight to the office
Coolbellup SPER Centre. Pelvin, “Effective use of consequences ...". N.d.
Sugai, 1995
A serious behavior episode usually progresses through this series of phases, described further below:
Calm → Trigger → Agitation → Acceleration → Peak → De-escalation → Recovery
This phase represents the lowest level of escalation for the student. In this phase, the student is cooperative. When a student has escalating behavior patterns, teachers often describe this person as "two different people." For example, the student is cooperative in this phase but can be quite defiant in others.
Indicators include the ability to:
In this stage, something upsets the student. The trigger could be either a single event or a series of events. Students with behavior problems often lack skills in conflict resolution and problem solving. When these students meet a conflict and do not reach an adequate resolution, they move onto another setting or set of conditions and might have another conflict. It is not long before the student becomes agitated and more serious behaviors occur. The antecedents also may come from the situations where the student’s routines are interrupted.
Examples of common triggers are:
Overall the student exhibits an increase in unfocussed behavior. Agitation is typically manifested by:
In this phase the student exhibits engagement behaviors i.e. behaviors that elicit predictable responses from other persons. For example, when the student begins to complain that the work is too hard, the teacher offers to help. The student may also provoke another student with name-calling. Compared to the behavior in the agitation phase the student displays more focus.
Behaviors typically indicated in this phase are:
At this point, students exhibit their most serious behavior, such as a severe tantrum, physical aggression, attacks on objects around them (furniture, desks, chairs, books, etc.) or running from the building with an agitated exit (slamming doors, pushing desks over). The student is clearly out of control. Safety factors are the prime importance in this most dangerous stage.
Indicators of out of control behavior are:
In this phase the student begins to slow down physically and breathing returns to normal. Overall the student displays confusion. The student is not sure what to do next, and might begin something and then start something else. Common behaviors include:
The student returns to normal and is ready to resume the regular routine. Overall the student displays an eagerness to become engaged in non-interactive activities and reluctance to address the peak behavior. Students are often eager to begin tasks that do not require interactions, such as independent work. Students with a history of severe behaviors might show denial and defensive behaviors. Wait to implement consequences until the student is calm.
Common behaviors include:
A few problems are easy to identify.
What is the student’s purpose in the behavior?
FPBC, Module 3.
The purpose of problem behavior is normally either to avoid something or to get something. The something can either be a particular thing, a social reward (e.g. acceptance), a sensory stimulation, or to do something.
A general strategy for analysing and resolving difficult behavior is as follows:
FPBC, Module 5.
If a child continually exhibits serious disruptive and challenging behavior as their normal behavior, you should refer the student for a psychological assessment for Oppositional Defiance Disorder (ODD). If the child has ODD, you cannot effectively teach him/her in a normal classroom. Private shools are usually free to expel ODD students.