To Behave or Not to Behave

Tina Winrow & John Mouanoutoua© winnim2007

Behavior Vision

Our vision is to have a safe and secure school environment in which the dignity

of all individuals is respected.

Our vision asserts that all will: Respect themselves and others.

Act as responsible, productive citizens.

Demonstrate the ability to problem solve, predict consequences, and make appropriate choices.

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BehaviorWe believe:

• Behavior can be taught

• Behavior can be changed

• Behavior reflects basic needs

• Behavior is non-negotiable in areas of safety and security

• Behavior has consequences

• Behavior can be modeled

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Behavior that needs to be learned, needs to be

taught.

When children are well-trained, it’s habit-forming.

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All behavior has a purpose.

To treat behavior you must know the reason for it.

The good student is good for a reason; the student in trouble also misbehaves for a reason.

Treating all behavior problems

the same won’t work.© winnim2007

Three variables in every discipline situation:

•Teacher•problem student•rest of class

The only controllable variable is:

•The teacher

If the teacher is out of control, the situation is out of control.

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Teachers must have a plan and not just react to behavior.

To change behavior you must first identify the specific

characteristics.

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Behavior Springs from Identity

Actions

Beliefs

Identity

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Teachers: Reactive vs. Proactive

Reactive teachers respond to disruptive behaviors without forethought

Proactive teachers have a plan for dealing with disruptive behaviors

Why do problems occur?

• Teachers don’t teach expected behavior

• Teachers are disrespectful of students

• Teachers have frequent outbursts of anger

• Teachers are negative about kids

• Teachers are not aware of what is going on around them

• Teachers don’t provide an appropriate

curriculum

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Out of Control Students• Have experienced academic failure• Have negative levels attached to them• Have received punishments• Have little or no hope of success in

school• Have friends who reinforce his/her

behavior• Have low self-concepts in relation to

school

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Key Concepts

• Effective management can prevent the beginning and spread of inappropriate behavior.

• Some inappropriate behavior is a symptom of another problem.

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5 Keys to Changing Behavior

• want to change

• see others do it (be a role model)

• know how to change

• have opportunities to practice

• receive support

The child must:

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Identify Students’ Primary Needs

Research shows that difficult students act out because needs are not being met.

• Extra attention

• Firmer limits

• Motivation

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Students who need extra attention

• Demand excessive attention• Frequently disturb you and students• Talk out in class• Make silly noises• Constantly get out of seat• Interrupt with attention-seeking

behaviors• Work only with complete attention

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Teacher’s response:

Make you feel annoyed!

Student’s reaction to teacher’s response:

Stop disrupting when giving attention; but will shortly continue demanding “more” attention

Strategy for students who need extra attention

Give massive amounts of positive attention for appropriate behavior.

Attention, whether positive or negative, from you is the goal of these students. Give lots of attention for appropriate

behavior, minimal for negative – students will soon learn how best to get what

they want.© winnim2007

Students who need firmer limits

• Constantly challenge you and students• Talk back to you in front of other students• Argue/Lie• Verbally/physically fight with students• Refuse to do what is asked• Are in power struggles with you

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Teacher’s response:

Make you angry!

Student’s reactions to teacher’s response:

Confrontation and refuse to comply!Power Struggles Occur

Strategy for students who need firmer limits

• Provide very firm and consistent limits.

• Power and control is the goal of these students. Remember, demonstrating mutual respect is the key. It is important that they are allowed to save face in the classroom.

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Students who need encouragement

• Have no friends, alienate peers

• Emotionally disturbed

• Seem depressed, rarely smile

• History of school failure

• Poor social skills

• Very quiet, or talkative, around peers

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Teacher’s response:

Make you frustrated!

Student’s reactions:

Student emotionally shutdown and engages in negative thinking

Strategy for students who need encouragement

• Teach the students to use positive self-talk

• Create opportunities for success

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Students who need motivation

• Make excuses for why work cannot be done.

• Will not attempt to do academic work.

• If an attempt is made, the students will give up easily.

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Teacher’s Response:

A feeling of helplessness

Student’s Reaction to teacher’s response:

Student still unresponsive to completing the task

Strategy for students who need motivation

• Focus all behavior efforts toward getting the students to do work.

Students lack confidence in their ability to do the work. It is important to maintain high expectations. May need to break assignments into manageable parts

until the students are not so overwhelmed.

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Students who are in denial

• Repeated disciplinary actions

• Say “I don’t care”

• Minor corrections cause major reaction

• Previous school failure

• Sometimes parents are hostile to school

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Students who are in denial

• Denial is caused by pain

• Denial is a survival mechanism

• The greater the pain the greater the denial

• Behavior that is denied can’t be changed

• Self-evaluation is key to ownership

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Students in Denial

Teacher Feels• Exasperated

Response• Accuse

Wants• Self Acceptance• Innocence

Behavior• Deny• Blame

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Strategy for students in denial

• The intervention for students in denial is feedback plus self-evaluation.

Student must be confronted about the behavior in a manner that is not confrontational. The teacher needs to encourage the student to take owner-ship of his/her actions.

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Students who are rebellious

• Use profanity and inappropriate language

• Disrespectful to adults

• Disrupt the class

• Challenge teacher’s leadership

• “Make me” attitude

• Apathy towards punishment

• Frequent referrals© winnim2007

Rebellious

Students

Teacher Feels• Angry

Wants• Peer approval• Control• Leadership• Power to choose

Behavior• Rebels• Challenges authority• Seeks peer approval

Response• Punish• Overpower• Get even

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Students who are impulsive

• Side talk and talk-outs

• Out of seat

• Off-task

• Make noises unconsciously

• Annoying behaviors

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Teacher Feels

• Annoyed • Irritated

Response• Remind

Wants• Attention• Approval

Behavior• Talks out• Off task• Active

Impulsive

Students

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Strategy for students who are impulsive

• Use feedback to develop impulse control and internalize behavior.

Impulsive behavior needs immediate feedback. They need a reminder (visual or

verbal) that they are engaging in inappropriate behavior.

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Strategy for rebellious students

• End rebellious behavior by structuring different group norms.

Rebellious students look for friends by rebelling against authority. Their

effectiveness depends on whether the group norms approve of rebellious behavior.

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Norms are the day to day activities that occur within

your classroom.

Norms:

Norms:

Norms are unspoken agreements within a group about how to behave. Norms are the code the group uses to admit

friends.

Strategies for Prevention

• Clear limits, consistency, and caring• Develop and enforce a code of conduct• Intervene at first sign of trouble• Focus on opportunities to make students

feel capable, connected and contributing• Involve parents whenever possible

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Reflection

List five actions that you could take to demonstrate that you care about your difficult student and that you are not

going away.

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Detention

• It should be a productive time

• Use the opportunity to be proactive

• Build positive relationships

• Student should not want to return

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Behavior Support Packets

The questions below were written to help you think about how you behave. Please answer them honestly. Also be neat, spell correctly and write in complete sentences. You are expected to answer all the questions. Your teacher, a counselor, the principal or your parents may read your answers.

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Student Response Form --Disrespect

1. How were you disrespectful?

2. What does the word respect mean to you?

3. Why did you act disrespectfully?

4. What would school be like if everyone acted rudely?

5. Write a goal that will help you be

more respectful toward others.

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Student Response Form:Disobedience

1. What happened that caused you to be working on this packet?

2. Do you think it is fair or unfair to expect students to obey their teachers in class? Why?

3. What do you think would happen if all the students disobeyed the teacher every day? What would the classroom be like?

4. “You can’t change the rules but you can change the way you look at them.”

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Reflection

List what you think are your current strengths and weaknesses in dealing with

difficult students.

Write your plan on how to handle one type of difficult student.

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Have a plan to get through the maze ofbehavior problems

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REMEMBER:

YOU CONTROL YOUR OWN WORLD!© winnim2007

Bibliography

Canter, Lee, Succeeding with Difficult Students, Canter & Associates, Santa Monica, CA, 1993.

Clark, Ron, The Essential 55, Hyperion, New York, New York, 2003.

Cook, Delores, Cue Cards for Teachers, Positive Approaches for Teachers, 1997.

DeBruy, Robert L. and Jack L. Larson, You Can Handle Them All,Manhattan, KS, 1984.

Duvall, Rick, Building Character & Community in the Classroom, Creative Teaching Press, Cypress, CA, 1997.

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Gray, Jenny, Teaching without Tears, Your First Year in the Secondary

School, Fearon Publishers, Belmont, CA, 1968.

Mendler, Allen N., Power Struggles, Discipline Associates, Rochester, NY, 1997.

Morrish, Ronald G., Secrets of Discipline, 12 Keys, WoodstreamPublishing, Fonthill, Ontario, Canada, 1998.

Nelsen, Jane, Positive Discipline in the Classroom, Prima Publishing, Rocklin, CA, 1997.

Resources for Better Schools, Behavior Packets, Advantage Press, Inc.,

Lisle, IL, 1999.

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Rosenblum-Lowden, Renee, You Have to Go to School, Sage Publications, Inc., Thousand Oaks, CA,

Smith, Rick, Conscious Classroom Management (or “Just Say No”), Inservice Training.

Wolfgang, Charles H. and Carl D. Glickman, Solving Discipline Problems,Allyn & Bacon, Inc., Boston, 1986.

Wong, Harry, The First Days of School, Harry K. Wong Publications,Mt. View, CA, 1998.

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