Proactive and Preventative Approaches to Student Behavior

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Proactive and Preventative Approaches to Student
Behavior

• Lisa Czyson, Erin Dougherty, Susandhra Friesen,
  Naomi Kaar, Ruth Ruffin, Lisa Smith and Amy Sward
  Hosterman Education Center Staff

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Do you feel like this some days?
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What are Proactive and Preventative Approaches?

• Views systems, settings and lack of skills as
  part of the problem
• Focus on why the challenging behavior is
  occurringits function or purpose
• Proactive techniques implemented successfully
  decrease the likelihood of problem behaviors and
  promote positive behavioral choices
• Includes anything a teacher does to prevent
  undesirable behaviors

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Traditional Approaches to Behavior Management

• Views the individual as the problem
• Attempts to fix him or her and quickly
  eliminate the problem behavior
• Punishment-based approaches

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Why are Proactive Techniques Important?

• Traditional (reactive) approaches to managing
  problem behaviors are not responsive to the
  learning characteristics of students
• Reactive strategies such as teacher reprimands,
  office referrals, loss of privileges, detentions
  and suspensions are not supported by researchin
  fact research suggests these strategies have a
  detrimental effect on student behavior

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Why are Proactive Techniques Important?

• Research does support the use of proactive
  techniques including
• Structuring the classroom to promote desirable
  behaviors
• engagement in learning
• a positive classroom climate in which students
  understand expectations and can be successful
  academically and behaviorally

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Why Do Students Misbehave?

• Low Self Esteem
• Peer Pressure
• Lack of Social Skills
• Unclear Expectations
• Ineffective skills at communicating needs
• Mental Health Problems
• Lack of Parental Guidance/Supervision
• Poverty/Homelessness
• Drug or Alcohol Use
• Academic Challenges

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They are trying to meet a need

• Power/Control
• Avoidance
• Attention
• Acceptance
• Expression of Self
• Gratification
• Justice/Revenge

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The Power of Relationship Building
When they survey "resilient kids" (those who came
from terrible backgrounds and often ran into
trouble), and ask them "How did you manage to
overcome difficult circumstances and become a
"good" person, the number one answer is something
like  "Somebody cared about me and wouldn't give
up on me.  When I screwed up, they said 'C'mon,
you're capable of more'.  That person never gave
up on me, so I had to live up to their
expectations."
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Nice Ways to Gain Compliance Help Kids
Develop Self Management

• Rephrasing our comments
• Giving Information
• Describing the Problem
• Sending a Note

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Rephrasing our Comments

• Delete four things from our commentary
• Why questions like Why are you doing
  that?means Gotcha to the students
• Why questions should only be used when there is
  true concern
• The word Youattacks and hurts, is
  condescending and controlling
• Compare You werent listening to I want my
  students to listen so that they can learn

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Rephrasing our Comments

• Avoid saying No or Dont
• Kids hear the action word in the statementNo
  running will result in running
• Doesnt tell the student what behavior you WANT
  to seeif you want a student to display a certain
  behavior teach it

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Rephrasing our Comments

• Avoid lecturing or nagging about the behavior
• Did you like this as a student?
• Viewed as condescending and often ignored
• Can create low self esteem
• Keep your corrective messages short and simple

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Giving Information

• Utter golden nuggets of knowledge, but don't tell
  the student what to do about it.
• The youngster has to figure out why the teacher
  said that utterance to him/her and devise a
  positive plan of action.
• Make the statements short and non-judgmental.
• Use them as nice "reminders" before you use more
  directive measures. Kevin, geometric compasses
  are for drawing circles, not javelin practice.

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Describe the Problem

• Mention the problem that needs to be addressed
  without assigning blame or mentioning the
  student's role in the situation.
• Describing the problem is more advanced than the
  "Giving information" strategy.  It requires a
  higher level of thought from the youngster.  S/he
  has to figure out how to resolve the identified
  problem.
• Non-emotionally and non-judgmentally lead kids to
  proper actions by pointing out the problem that
  has developed.  "I hear answers, but I don't see
  hands."
• Give hints and cues if necessary to help him/her
  through the thought process (even when you want
  to SCREAM!).

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Send a Note

• Notes are a great way to prevent misbehavior, nip
  it in the bud, or address issues.
• This permanent and novel (at least between
  teachers and kids) form of communication often
  makes a more dramatic impact upon the behavior
  and emotional state of our students.
• Pre-emptive example "Group 2 Bring your
  discussion to a close soon.  Have your projects
  put away by 210pm."
• Humorous reminder Dear Josie  I get lonely
  without words. Your notebook.
• Notes can also offer assistance without pointing
  out weaknesses in front of peers.

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THE 10 DEMANDMENTS OF BEHAVIOR MANAGEMENT

• Always treat youngsters with respect and preserve
  their dignity.
• Always do what is in the students' best
  interests.
• Seek solutions, not blame.
• Model tolerant, patient, dignified, and
  respectful behavior.
• Use the least intrusive intervention possible.

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THE 10 DEMANDMENTS OF BEHAVIOR MANAGEMENT

• Connect with your students and build strong
  personal bonds with them.
• Instill hope for success (otherwise there is no
  reason for kids to behave in your class).
• NEVER do anything disrespectful, illegal,
  immoral, ineffective, bad for health/safety, or
  you wouldn't want done to you.
• NEVER give up on a student.  Be perturbed with
  the actions of a student, but keep believing in
  his/her ability to change for the better.
• CATCH KIDS BEING GOOD . . . A LOT!!

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Always emphasize and express

• mutual respect
• recognition of the inherent dignity of others
• courtesy
• maintenance of the honor of others
• belief in the student's ability to improve
• You get what you give, so give good things.  

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Remember the ABC's of behavior management Always
Build Character.