Posted by primastuti dewi on June 14, 2010
How do the most effective teachers…
- manage behavior in their multi-ethnic, multi-cultural classrooms?
- develop and use classroom rules and routines?
- use classroom consequences that work?
- design positive behavioral supports for challenging behaviors?
- avoid career- and health-threatening frustration and burnout?
The establishment and maintenance of safe
and supportive classrooms that contribute to high quality student
achievement are critical skills that are rarely taught at the
university. Consequently, those skills must be crafted and honed “on the
job.” Each school and each classroom presents its own unique
challenges, and because every year brings a new group of students,
teachers must become lifelong learners.
The foundation of this learning lies in
just a few research-supported principles and actions,
TeachSafeSchools.com and the Melissa Institute for Violence Prevention
and Treatment have condensed the information for ready consumption.
Everything starts with TEACH:
T.E.A.C.H.
T – Tailor for diversity.
Make it a point to know as much as possible about your students,
including their diverse cultural, ethnic, behavioral, and learning
characteristics, along with stressors they may experience outside of
school.
E – Encourage positive behavior. Aim for a 4:1 ratio of positive comments to negative corrections for all the students.
A – Arrange the environment for success.
Teach your behavioral expectations directly and immediately through
collaboratively-established classroom rules and well designed classroom
routines.
C – Consult your peers. Seek collaboration with experienced teachers and specialists before difficult problems start to become entrenched.
H – Hug yourself. Prevent stress and burnout by focusing each day on what you are accomplishing and not just on what is frustrating.
To help you implement the TEACH guideline, we have put together the
next section that elaborates, clarifies, and expands on these five
essential principles. We have divided them into three segments:
- The Needs of All the Students – The essentials for every student in every classroom
- The Needs of More Challenging Students – Managing challenging behavior effectively
- The Needs of the Teacher – Securing professional support and managing stress
The Needs of All the Students
Culture Counts!
The effective management of any classroom
starts with a solid understanding of who the students are. Schools
today are diverse groupings of children, youth, and adults who see the
world through their own lenses of experience, culture, and ethnicity.
The teacher who fails to take into account the profound influence of
these human differences can never expect to truly reach his or her
students in a meaningful way. Effective teaching and effective classroom
management means recognizing that the classroom is full of “other
people’s children,” and the teacher’s first task is to learn who they
are.
The many suggestions in these guidelines
must be taken in the context of cultural competence. What may be an
effective behavior management procedure for a classroom of middle class,
European-American students may be wholly inappropriate for students of
Haitian descent. Similarly, second or third generation Hispanic American
students bring a different set of experiences than do more recent
immigrants, and middle class African-American students see the world
differently than do students who live in pervasive poverty.
Among their recommendations for the teacher to understand:
- Family background and structure:
Where did the students come from? How long have the students been in
this country? What is the hierarchy of family authority? What
responsibilities do students have at home? Is learning English a high
priority?
- Education: How much previous schooling have the students had? What kinds of instructional strategies are they accustomed to?
- Interpersonal relationship styles:
Do cultural norms emphasize working for the good of the group or for
individual achievement? What are the norms with respect to
interaction between males and females? What constitutes a
comfortable personal space? Do students obey or question authority
figures? Are expressions of emotion and feelings emphasized or
hidden?
- Discipline: Do adults
act in permissive, authoritative, or authoritarian ways? What kinds
of praise, reward, criticism, and punishment are customary? Are
they administered publicly or privately? Are they directed to the
group or the individual?
Becoming a culturally competent classroom manager is a journey, not a
destination, and the effective educator is always on that road.
Teachers should access as many opportunities for professional
development as possible, and school district administration should
provide them.
The following resources are recommended:
For teachers:
Two enjoyable and informative books by Gloria Ladson-Billings:
The Dreamkeepers: Successful Teachers of African-American Children. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.
http://www.josseybass.com/WileyCDA/WileyTitle/productCd-0787903388.html
Crossing Over to Canaan: The Journey of New Teachers in Diverse Classrooms. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.
http://www.josseybass.com/WileyCDA/WileyTitle/productCd-0787950017.html
For Counselors and School Psychologists:
http://www.nasponline.org/resources/culturalcompetence/index.aspx#whatcompetence
For Administrators and Policy-Makers:
Research-Based Resources: Cultural Competency of Schools and Teachers In Relation To Student Success
http://www.nwrel.org/request/2005june/annotatedbib.pdf
Play by the Rules.
Probably the best investment in time a
teacher can make at the outset of the school year is the establishment
of communally-developed classroom rules. Done well and at the
appropriate developmental level, this investment can pay returns in all
of the days to follow. Rules are prevention-focused, designed to stop
the misbehavior before it happens. For the student, rules act as a kind
of “surrogate frontal lobe” by providing guidance on what to do and what
not to do.
Rules should be:
- Few in number; 4 or 5 is best
- Positively stated, telling the student what to do. For example, “Use indoor voices” is preferred to “No yelling”
- Communally developed with the students to encourage ownership
- Posted prominently for all to see
- Taught through modeling, role-play and daily examples over the first few weeks or so
- Firmly and fairly enforced
- Teachers should be certain the rules cover the major disruptive
behaviors of concern. Examples of positively-stated classroom rules
include:
- Bring all required materials to class each day (secondary level)
- Raise your hand to speak
- Use school voices and school language only
- Have permission to leave your desk
- Keep hands and feet to yourself
- Do as the teacher asks the first time
Have students take ownership of their
classroom rules by participating in their development. Teachers should
guide the process to ensure that all of the important bases are covered.
For example, an elementary teacher might say, “We need a rule to help us decide how loud to talk in the room. What’s a good rule for that?” A middle or high school teacher might start the discussion with, “If say I want ‘school voices and school language only’ in our class, what does that mean to you? How shall we define that?”
Once done, engage the students in a discussion about why each rule is
important and what might happen if the rule was not in place.
- Use a workplace analogy to help the students understand the reason
for the rules and the positively-stated format. For example, a rule in a
mechanic’s shop might say, “Return tools to their proper place when finishe,” rather than say “Don’t leave tools lying around.” This rule reminds the workers exactly what to do to keep a safe and orderly workplace.
Once in place, the teacher must enforce
the rules with a calmly-stated reminder and a mild aversive classroom
consequence. This should be done privately if possible and in a soft,
composed voice. For instance: “Jose, what does the rule say about leaving your seat? That means two minutes off recess. Please sit back down.” Rules should not cover everything, however. See the section entitled, “It’s Just Routine” below.
HELPFUL HINT:
Consistency is essential, especially in the first weeks as the rules are
being learned. Every time a teacher ignores a broken rule, the message
to the student is: “This rule is not very important.” A practical,
step-by-step guide on how to implement classroom rules can be found at
http://www.responsiveclassroom.org/newsletter/15_2NL_1.asp.
Consequences Count!
Implementing classroom rules means
implementing classroom consequences so that the rules can have real
influence on student behavior. If a rule is broken, there must be some
form of unpleasant consequence that follows. Remember: Rules without consequences are only suggestions. If it is not important, don’t make it a rule. If it is, enforce it.
Classroom consequences should link to the
seriousness of the rule violation. Forgetting to raise one’s hand might
be a rule violation, but it hardly demands a detention or loss of
recess. Most classroom consequences should be mildly unpleasant, but not
so unpleasant that they stimulate another problem, like an angry
student. Teachers can divide consequences into three levels:
- Level One for minor, first time violations
- Example: Reminder; brief time off recess
- Level Two for multiple violations of the same rule
- Example: Loss of recess or other reinforcing activity for the day
- Level Three, for more serious violations
- Example: Loss of recess or other reinforcing activity for the day and a phone call or signature-required note to parents
Students should learn from classroom
consequences, not just suffer from them. A negative consequence for a
rule violation should reduce the likelihood that the student will break
the rule again. Teachers can ensure that the rules are working
effectively by approaching them like an educator and not a
disciplinarian. For example, students who misunderstand general
curricular content are provided additional instruction to ensure
understanding. The same should apply to learning the rules.
- Does the student truly understand what a “rule” means? Some
young children come from households in which there are few if any
consistent, verbal rules and so have no prior learning to draw from.
Learning to adjust behavior based upon a written guideline requires a
level of cognitive maturity, understanding, and practice. Be
patient and teach.
- Old habits die hard, and students who come from previous
classrooms that did not contain effective rule structures have some
un-learning to do. Acknowledge that to them, and encourage their new
learning. Most will soon make the adjustment.
- Does the student have the necessary skill to adhere to the
rule? The biggest culprit here is impulsivity, including ADHD.
Adding verbal reminders, visual cues, and foreshadowing the onset of a
challenging time period will all help.
HELPFUL HINT:
Consistently administered mild consequences for misbehavior will be
effective for most of the students most of the time. Chronic rule
violators may need more in the way of classroom behavioral support, and a
consultation with the school psychologist or behavior specialist should
be sought as soon as possible.
The Bob Dylan Rule.
Building enjoyable activities into the
school routine serves a dual purpose. They give the students something
to look forward to, and they contribute to the overall positive climate
of the classroom. Anticipating an enjoyable activity – such as computer
time, class game, or a special Friday video – can serve as a motivator for work completion and rule adherence. Plus, it simply makes the school week more fun!
- In addition, remember that an effective and easily administered
consequence for rule violation is the loss or partial loss of a
rewarding activity. But first, the activities have to be in place. Like
Bob Dylan said, “When you ain’t got nothin’, you got nothin’ to lose.”
- The behavioral term for this is “response cost.” A “cost” is
exacted for rule violation. For example, a speeding ticket is a
response cost: You have money. You broke the rule. They take away some
of your money. In the classroom, the student has access to 15
minutes of free computer time at the end of the morning. The
student breaks a rule. The teacher takes away five of those
minutes.
HELPFUL HINT:
Enjoyable activities are not enjoyable if they always get taken away
because of rule infractions! A rule of thumb: Once a particular student
has lost the privilege for the third time, it is time for additional
behavioral support. Change the plan or seek consultation from a master
teacher, the school psychologist, or behavioral specialist. Do not stick
to a non-working classroom management plan. As the saying goes, “When
the mule is dead, it’s time to stop trying to ride it.”
It’s Just Routine.
Think about what you did in the morning
before you arrived at school. It was probably pretty much what you do
every workday morning – Bathing routines, dressing routines, eating and
transportation routines… We like regularity; it is comforting and lowers
stress because it reduces the many decisions we have to make over the
day. We don’t start the day agonizing over whether to brush our teeth
before or after the shower – we have our routine already established.
The same thing works for students in the classroom.
Classroom routines are teacher-designed
behavioral guidelines that inform the student, “This is how it is done
in my classroom.” For instance:
- When I say, “Get ready for recess,” we dismiss by rows starting when every desktop is cleared and every eye is on me.
- We hand papers in by folding them lengthwise, writing your name
on the top of the folded edge, and passing them forward from the rear.
- When you are tardy, sign your name on the tardy sheet on the door, put your pass in the box, and quietly take your seat.
Teachers will find it helpful to develop
clearly stated routines for all the repeated activities that are open
for possible problem behavior, such as:
- Entry and departure from the classroom (morning, recess, lunch, end of day)
- Entry when tardy
- Re-entry into the building from recess
- Removing material from cubbies or curriculum displays
- Getting help from the teacher
- Behavior when a visitor needs the teacher’s attention
- Behavior when a classroom assignment has been completed early
HELPFUL HINT:
As it is with classroom rules, it is important to teach the routines to
the class just as you would any other curricular subject. Use role-plays
and other practice techniques until all of the students understand, and
then… stick to the routine!
Catch ‘Em Being Good.
It’s an old bit of advice, but still one
of the best. Positive teacher regard is given when the student is
demonstrating desirable behavior. It’s really just that simple. Studies
of general education classrooms have shown that the ratio of negative
teacher comments to positive teacher comments over the course of a
school day can be as much as 20 to 1. Effective teachers, even those in
difficult circumstances with high risk students, have learned to
substantially reduce and even reverse this ratio. Once a teacher has had
to warn or reprimand a student, an effort should be made to “reverse
the ratio” by the subsequent addition of more positive interactions.
Positive comments should not be hollow, phony praise. Positive social praise should come only when it is earned, but then it should come. Other forms of positive comments are equally important, however, and will make up the majority of the total. For example:
- Greet each student by name every day
- Remark to individual students about attractive clothing, new hairstyle, etc.
- Ask friendly questions about popular culture, sports, etc.
- Use nonverbals such as smiles and thumbs-up to reinforce on-task or otherwise desirable behaviors
HELPFUL HINT:
The goal is more positives than negatives, especially with the most
challenging students. Once a student has been reprimanded, make a mental
note to increase the number of positive interactions. Some useful
advice on how to “catch ‘em being good” can be found at
http://www.behavioradvisor.com/CatchGood.html
The Needs of More Challenging Students
The behavioral support needs of most
the students in a typical class will be met by establishing a positive,
welcoming environment with an effective system of rules and routines.
For some of the students, however, this will not be enough support, and
additional measures will be required.
Follow the Law.
An important element to remember about
student behavior – whether appropriate or problem behavior – is that it
always follows certain laws or principles. The two most critical laws
for the teacher are:
- Behavior that pays-off (is reinforced) is more likely to be repeated in the future, and;
- Behavior that no longer pays-off is more likely to go away.
The classroom is full of potential pay-offs for both problem behavior and desirable behavior. The teacher’s objective is to reduce the pay-offs for problem behavior and increase those for desirable behavior. The three most common pay-offs in the classroom are:
- Peer approval
- Teacher approval
- Task avoidance
All of these consequences can follow and strengthen problem behavior or follow and strengthen desirable behavior. For example:
- During reading, Andy regularly makes animal noises and the class giggles. The pay-off for the problem behavior may be peer approval.
- During reading, the teacher frequently acknowledges the students who are following the rules. The pay-off for the desirable behavior may be teacher approval.
- Fed up with the animal noises, the teacher sends Andy to the principal’s office. The pay-off for the problem behavior may be now both peer approval and task avoidance.
HELPFUL HINT: Repeated problem behavior is paying-off or serving a purpose in some way for the student. Ask yourself: “How can I arrange it so that the student gets the desired pay-off but not through problem behavior?” For example:
- Can I make the task less aversive by shortening it?
- Can the student get peer approval if assigned to a leadership role?
- Can I increase my positive attention toward the student?
Most schools have a professional trained
in Functional Behavior Assessment (FBA), usually the school psychologist
or a special educator. This person can assist the teacher to discover
the purpose or function of the problem behavior and to design a
classroom intervention to address it. A full explanation of how to
conduct a FBA can be found at the Center for Effective Collaboration and
Practice –
http://cecp.air.org/fba/.
Attention, Please!
Teacher attention is a very powerful tool
in the hands of the skillful educator. Most students crave it.
Effective teachers understand this and use it to best advantage for
positive classroom management. When teachers are struggling with
classroom management, it is often because too much of their attention is
being directed toward suppressing problem behavior rather than toward
increasing desirable behavior. Which behaviors the teacher chooses to
attend to and which he/she chooses to ignore or punish are critical
decisions.
- When possible, ignore minor negative attention-seeking behaviors
that are not interrupting the learning of other students (pencil
tapping, rocking, hand waving).
- When the attention-seeking student is engaged positively in the curriculum, then and only then provide attention.
Attention from peers for disruptive
behavior can also be very powerful, especially as the students get
older. This can be challenging for teachers to address if left to
flourish.
- Speak with peers privately and inform them of your expectations to
avoid laughing at or otherwise reinforcing the disruptive student.
- Problem-solve with them for ways to avoid this behavior (turning away, being assertive to the disruptive student).
- Provide the peers with positive feedback when they successfully ignore the disruptive behavior.
Remember, the more the peers are
successfully engaged in the classroom curriculum, the less likely they
are to participate in disruptive behavior as an audience.
HELPFUL HINT:
Some students arrive at school from homes in which there was very little
praise or attention provided to positive behavior. These students have
learned that if you want any adult attention at all, you must misbehave.
For these unfortunate students, negative teacher attention can be
reinforcing, and verbal reprimands and classroom consequences seem only
to fuel the misbehavior. In this circumstance, the teacher must
creatively manufacture opportunities for the student to be successful,
and then give them the gift of positive attention. Patience,
understanding, and persistence are key; there may be a great deal to
overcome.
Keep ‘Em In Class!
Effective classroom managers aim to
address 95% of all behavioral problems through rules and consequences in
the classroom. It’s when teachers are really struggling that the office
referral slips start to come out and the lines begin to form in the
principal’s office. Nationwide, the two most common results from a trip
to the principal are a verbal tongue-lashing or a suspension, and
neither has been demonstrated in the history of education research to
have a positive effect on student behavior. Attempting to manage student
behavior through fear of an office visit is destined to failure.
- The best predictor of being suspended is being sent to the office,
and the best alternative to suspension is classroom consequences.
- Teachers and administrators should meet and agree on which
behavioral violations should warrant an office referral and which should
receive consequences in the classroom, and then stick to the agreement. For example
- Classroom:
Horseplay, non-aggressive defiance, lack of supplies, inappropriate
language, minor teacher disrespect, student-to-student verbal aggression
(the list continues…)
- Office: Physical
aggression, gang-related behavior, sexually or racially inappropriate
language or behavior, verbal aggression to teacher, teacher concerns for
student or staff safety (the list continues…)
HELPFUL HINT:
Behaviorally troubled students are not afraid of anything that a school
can do to them, and thus fear of consequences is a poor management
strategy. A much better approach is a firm, consistent, and predicable
classroom augmented by additional positive behavioral supports,
discussed here in the “
An Ounce of Prevention” section.
Remember also that the student who is engaged in the curriculum is much
less likely to engage in problem behavior. Further discussion regarding
increasing academic engaged time can be found at
http://www.nwrel.org/request/oct00/textonly.html
An Ounce of Prevention.
Like the rest of us, students who exhibit
high rates of disruptive behaviors tend to be creatures of habit. Day
to day, pretty much the same things set them off – transitions between
subject lessons, teacher compliance requests, unstructured time,
independent seat work, peer interactions, and so on. Addressing the
behavioral needs of these students is accomplished most effectively by
efforts to prevent the problems before they arise by setting up positive behavioral supports
(PBS). These classroom supports answer the question: “What additional
guidance or structure does this student need in order to be successful
in this activity?”
The answer to this question may, at
times, be obvious to the teacher, but at other times may require the
eyes of a trained observer who can better determine the function or
purpose of the problem behavior. Once that is decided upon, PBS can be
set up to address the behavior. For example:
Environmental Supports:
- Is the student’s desk placed in the area most favorable for academic engagement and positive behavior?
- Would the creation of a small “office” away from distracters help during independent seat work?
Incentive Supports
- Consider the use of a written behavioral contract that spells out
the expectations and provides a reinforcing incentive for the student.
- Tie desired behavior to a preferred activity, such as extra computer time.
- Use group contingency programs such as the “Good Behavior Game” or “Response Cost Lottery.” (see Intervention Central – www.interventioncentral.com)
Peer Supports
- Seat student near peers who will model desired behavior and can ignore problem behavior.
HELPFUL HINT:
The Training and Technical Assistance website at the College of William
and Mary has numerous links with helpful positive behavioral support
advice –
http://www.wm.edu/ttac/links.html#9 . The Positive Behavior Support process is explained fully at
www.pbis.org. Click on “High School PBS” for a comprehensive discussion of the use of positive supports with this age group.
