I always believe the punishment should teach some lesson otherwise there is no point.
Don't find band-aid solutions to problem behavior. Figure out what your child is trying to communicate.
On A Peach for the Teach on Facebook, I invited people to ask their most challenging behavior questions. We got some great questions, each of which really tied together. Dona asked, I have a student that comes to me from second grade (I teach 1st) for my entire reading block, who likes to shout out talk back and just shuts down when you ask him to do something. He then treats his 2nd teacher with severe disrespect when he goes back to class. Rebecca asked, I have a class of 25 this year. 1 student is below K level (I teach 1st grade), 2 are identified as ADHD, we are working towards another student getting identified as ADHD, and I have 2 students who have really disrespectful attitudes. I have tried talking with parents, I have changed their seating, I have tried encouraging them and pointing out the positive......nothing seems to be working. Ideas? Lindsay asked, I need motivation tips for kids who can do the work but basically refuse to... These are such common issues that teachers face daily. I think they all tie together and have similar interventions, which led me to write this blog post-- How to Help Calling Out and "Class Clown" Behavior. "If you put a kid in the position of choosing between looking bad or looking dumb, he will choose to look bad." - Rick Lavoie, Motivation Breakthrough When a student is performing at a level lower than his peers, he is often aware of that. That could be part of the reason for the acting out. Maybe the child is embarrassed and would rather be seen as a class clown than struggling. It allows the child a sense of control over a situation where he would otherwise feel out of control. Try giving him some control in a positive way. To intervene, start with an informal play meeting. Meet with the student individually when he is calm, to play a preferred, non-academic game at the beginning or end of the day. He may be more likely to open up honestly in that type of setting through informal conversations (e.g., favorite TV shows, games, etc.). Casually ask what he likes and doesn't like about school, and "admit" to him that you always had a hard time with [insert his least preferred subject]. Try not to make it obvious that this is the whole point of your conversation. He might give you some insight into what's causing this. It's also great for establishing rapport, which will help you to get the student on your side. Give him some sort of task with which he can be successful, and give him positive attention for completing it. Avoid patronizing him or making it obviously at a level lower than the other students. Instead, try non-academic leadership positions, like a class helper, teacher's assistant, etc. Maybe give him the opportunity to call on students with questions. "Class, today we are going to try something new." Next, set limits. Start by telling the whole class that today we are going to try something new. Starting today, the teacher will no longer answer any calling out. Explain that we need to practice raising our hands and not calling out. Demonstrate, practice, and ask for volunteers to show you what hand raising looks like. Establish a non-verbal cue (e.g., a cue card with an image of a hand, or simply hold up your hand), and completely ignore calling out. Instruct the class to also ignore calling out. Have students practice calling out while you ignore it. Explain why you're doing this, so the student knows it's not just him being ignored. Ignore the behavior, not the child. You might want to give one verbal cue, such as, "I'd be happy to answer you when you raise your hand." This is your new procedure that will happen every single time a student calls out. You could still say it in a positive tone of voice, but it's all you will say. Give a Little, Get a Little Use positive language to elicit positive language. If a student is using disrespectful language, being threatening will teach the child to talk back with threatening language. Think about your reaction when somebody confronts you with doing something wrong. You initially feel a little attacked, so you want to react. Give the student the opportunity to save face. For example, instead of, "How dare you speak to me that way?" try a, "Whoops, that sounded disrespectful. I know you could ask me using nicer words," and only respond when he uses nicer words. If he doesn't, say, "I'll be over here when you're ready to use nice words to ask me." Dodge the Power Struggle To nip disrespect in the bud, we need to avoid power struggles-- even when a student questions what we're doing. That's the part that really tricks even the most skilled behavior interventionists. We want students to believe in, trust, and respect us. When they question what we're doing, we want to tell them. Please don't. You don't need to justify yourself in this moment. You may be skilled with planned ignoring, but when the child asks, "Why are you ignoring me?" it's too tempting to reply with an explanation, but resist the urge. If you planned and practiced this procedure previously, the child already knows why you're ignoring him. He may try to get you to give him anything other than the ignoring. Stick to the ignoring, and he will eventually try using nice words to get you to reply. It may also be helpful to teach a lesson on the words "disrespect" vs. "respect." Teach the meaning, and explain situations and words that are unacceptable. Teach this with empathy, and practice it. If the child uses negative language in class, prompt with a, "Please use your nice words if you need me to respond to you." Completely ignore anything else. I know that using a firm prompt followed by planned ignoring sometimes feels like you aren't doing anything to stop the behavior, but that's the best thing about it-- doing "nothing" stops the behavior. It completely eliminates the power struggle and argument. The child will be forced to use kind words to get any type of reaction out of you and to gain access to his wants/needs. This also works with whining. I told my little ones that my ears can no longer hear whining, and they all stopped whining. Now if only I could use planned ignoring on messes to make my kitchen clean itself! Words of Caution Sometimes when implementing planned ignoring, the child may initially test the limits and engage in more attention-seeking behavior. This is typical and should pass when he sees that he won't get a reaction. I got a comment on this post that really made me think and add another word of caution about this strategy-- exercise caution when using this for students with bonding and/or attachment needs. We certainly do not want to intensify feelings of abandonment, and we want to be sure that we are responding to their needs. It is vitally important to make sure that we are ignoring the behavior, not the child. Give the child plenty of positive attention for positive behavior. Make giving positive attention during appropriate behavior part of your behavior protocol for this child. When the negative behavior ends and the child begins acting positively, give positive attention. No need for a lecture at that moment. After the Procedure is Learned Once you are sure that the student understands how he will appropriately gain access to wants/needs, you can begin to address the calling out caused by impulsivity and habit. Make a T-chart, and write the positive behavior on the left and negative on the right (e.g., "Called Out" and "Raised My Hand"). Instruct the student to tally when he does each. This alone is often enough to curb the negative behavior. Other times with more severe behavior, it helps if tallies are tied to reinforcement. For example, the student can earn [something preferred] if he has more positive than negative tallies at the end of each block. You could also set goals based on baselines. For example, if the student reduces his calling out by ___% or does not exceed ___% incidents of calling out, he can earn [something preferred]. Class Dojo is another fun way to track this! The teacher can track the behaviors throughout the day, or the students can self-monitor behaviors on their T-Charts and plug them into the Dojo at the end of the day. Establish a procedure that students must earn more green (i.e., "positive") than red (i.e., "needs work"), or a certain percentage of green, in order to earn a reinforcer, positive note home, etc. Another helpful strategy is bonus free time. It's often harder for a student with ADHD and/or behavior needs to attend to instruction for a given length of time, so plan three breaks in the day. I call them "five minute free time" to play with something fun, and I end each of my subjects with it. It gives me five minutes to clean up or correct work, and it gives the students five minutes to regroup. If you're strapped for time, you could have students complete exit tickets, assessments, etc., and give the student with ADHD the special free time. It also gives him something to word toward, as he has to earn the free time. If a student engages in negative behavior or work refusal, I ask if he is earning his free time or if he is to make up his work during free time. Never underestimate the power of a question instead of a demand. A simple, "Are you earning your free time?" is often enough to set the behavior back on track. An additional motivational tool is a task chart where students rank their tasks by preference. They earn little reinforcement for easy/preferred tasks and high reinforcement for non-preferred tasks. You can download that chart for free here. What are some ideas you use in your classroom to help calling out and "class clown" behavior? Do you have any questions about behavior challenges? Please share in the comments below! A Peach for the Teach
Help guide your child through an angry episode using one of the phrases here that resonates with you - there are 26 to choose from!
Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) problem solving is an emotion regulation skill that helps clients identify their problems and be more effective in getting the results they want. Depending on the situation they’re dealing with, they can apply different techniques that resolve conflict and bring clarity afterward. The DBT Problem Solving Skills handout provides clients with a simple explanation of how this skill works. It provides seven steps they can follow when approaching a problem they’re dealing with. This includes identifying the current problem, checking the facts, identifying the goal, and brainstorming possible solutions. Using this handout helps kids and teens practice resolving problems in a more manageable way and encourages accountability. While your child is reading the handout, feel free to recommend some goals they may set, such as improving relationships with their friends or siblings, or achieving success in school. This handout can be paired with our DBT Problem Solving worksheets for additional application of this skill. *This item is an instant digital download. A link to download your files will be emailed to you once payment is confirmed. Want more resources like this? Check out our full catalog of DBT worksheets and handouts. References: Linehan, M. M. (2014). DBT skills training handouts and worksheets. Guilford Publications. Lp, J. E. P. (2015). Dialectical Behavior Therapy Skills Training with Adolescents: A Practical Workbook for Therapists, Teens & Parents. PESI Publishing & Media.
Download WholeHearted School Counseling's free solution focused scale to check in with students and help them solve problems.
Baby hacks and tips for new parents offer invaluable benefits. They provide practical solutions to common challenges, streamline daily routines, enhance baby's comfort, promote bonding, reduce stress & empower parents with knowledge to navigate the wonderful journey of parenthood with confidence.
One thing I've learned about 3rd graders....they think they are right. They don't mean to argue with adults, it's just...you are wrong and they are right and they are just explaining. They are doing you a favor. You should be grateful. This is their perception, and you know what they say about perception...it is reality. So I've been training myself to rephrase things in a way that stops any arguing, excuse me, any student lead explanations of misbehavior. I found a great guide that has helped me rephrase my words, it's from Love and Logic of course!
I've been working on a few things for Behavior Management so I thought I'd join the party! Check out The Lesson Plan Diva to see others who have linked up! I've seen a lot of clip charts and stop lights in blog land and I have to say that I am not a fan. Don't get me wrong--I think they are pretty, easy to use, and a quick visual for the teacher at the end of the day when getting things ready to go home. BUT I strongly believe that kids should not be publicly embarrassed for their behavior. EVERYONE makes poor choices from time to time. Would you want the entire staff to know when you missed a deadline or made a mistake? I know this is not the intention, but it happens anyway. Instead I use a binder. I wish I had a photo to show but sadly it is locked up at school. In the binder is a chart with student numbers instead of names. When students make poor choices, they are asked to visit the behavior binder where they place a check mark next to their number. There is also a copy of our Quality Student they should quickly review. When sending students to the binder, I make sure to do it privately so the student is not embarrassed. Each Monday we discuss the previous week's data, celebrate if we made a goal, and make new goals for the coming week. The binder is also handy at conference time. As a class, we set goals for the number of checks we will try to stay under per week. Students also may have personal goals for how many checks they will have each week or grading period. Recently I found Homeworkopoly on Ladybug's Teacher Files and decided to teacher-lift it. She uses this for students who consistently complete their homework, but I decided to use it as a behavior incentive. ALOT of people have been posting about doing away with the prize/treasure box and this could work for that too. I included two "prize box" places on the board but you could easily replace them with something else. I am still working on the Chance cards and I also added a spot for "Student-written questions." My plan here is to have students write their own review questions for topics already covered. So my printer is running low on ink and the colors are a bit distorted but this is the basic idea. My plan is to post it on the chalk board and use pictures of the kids faces to make magnetic playing pieces. Students who made it the entire week without any checks in the behavior binder (or who met their personal behavior goal) will get to take a turn on the Behavioropoly Board. Check out Ladybug's Teacher Files to see how she runs the game. ***Update*** Due to a high volume of requests I am no longer sending out my template by email. You can go to my TPT store and download the files for free!
Are you looking for some new greetings to spice up your daily class meetings? Here are some awesome examples of Class or Morning Meeting Greetings in action! 1. My name is ___ and I can do this! Love this greeting! Students individually introduce themselves and perform a unique action. The rest of the class repeats and mirrors the action. 2. Dice Greeting. Instead of greeting their direct neighbor, have students roll a die then greet the student sitting that number of spaces away from them. Knock, Knock. Great call and response greeting for practicing individual speaking skills in front of a group! One-Minute Greeting. Quick, simple, and to the point. Find a partner, look them in the eye, greet them by name, and shake their hand. Pass It Around. Students sit in a circle and pass a special item while greeting their neighbors. Would be fun to use themed items throughout the year! Partner Skills Match. Students are randomly given sets of matching partner cards, such as fractions and pictorial representations. Students find and greet their match before returning to the circle. Love how this could incorporate so many different learning skills! Hope these have inspired you to shake things up with your Class or Morning Meetings! If you have any favorite greetings that you use with your class, please share them! My students and I always love to try new ones! If you liked reading this post and want to learn more about Classroom Meetings or Morning Meetings, take a look at the following blog posts. Thanks so much, and happy teaching!
For students who struggle with impulse control or self-control, this worksheet will help them better understand what is socially appropriate behavior.
The words and language that we use as both educators and parents to talk about the children in our lives, be it our own children or students, has an impact on how we relate to them, care for them, and even the interventions we choose to use with them...We can use choose to use language that is probl...
I've been having a hard time lately with some of the older kids I see. They don't see the point or the importance of what we are working on. I have been very frustrated, and our sessions have been less than productive. In desperation, I turned to Pinterest, and came across some UNO activities. I figured - what could it hurt? We aren't getting anything done anyway! Well, it was no less than MAGICAL!!! My most difficult student didn't want to come see me, but I asked him to give me just 10 min. We played the game, and he was happy about it. I started to pick up the cards, and he grabbed the UNO cards and starting dealing out the cards. We ended working for 30 minutes with smiles all around. Below is the activity I did today. Click on the picture for activity details. After the session, my mind was buzzing. Although the student did well, and shared, he didn't really listen to my comments. So I came up with this idea. This student needs to work on writing, so I made a handout so that he has to write down the other participant's comments. Click on the picture for activity details. There is just something about UNO that everyone loves. Here is another great idea showing how to use UNO cards in a session. Click on the picture for activity details. Thank you Pinterest for such great ideas and breaking my therapy block with my older students. I look forward to coming up with some more ideas. I'll let you know how it goes.
When a situation is getting heated with your child, a script that has been spoken many times before may threaten to come out of your mouth. “That’s ENOUGH!” “I […]Continue Reading
Unlock valuable behavioral solutions with our collection of 4 social stories targeting common behavior problems, designed specifically for special education teachers and parents of autistic students. Addressing issues such as frustration, time-outs, jealousy, and sensitivity to loud noises, these stories are short and visually supported, making them an effective and user-friendly intervention for various behaviors. Social stories provide direct instruction and training for social skills, helping children respond appropriately in social situations. Whether used before anticipated events or on a regular basis, these mini stories offer a practical and supportive resource for promoting positive behavior. Laminate or use page protectors for extended durability!
All about parenting related articles that help newly married couples or new parents.
“I Feel, I Can: A Coping Skills Toolbox to Assist Behavior Regulation” provides teachers, parents and other professionals a flexible tool for teaching students about coping skills which can help them learn to better regulate their own emotions and behavior. The materials contained in this resource target coping, frustration tolerance and stress management skills and are ideal for implementing related IEP goals or behavior intervention plans. Materials which incorporate the 5 Point color/number scale, inspired by "The Incredible 5-Point Scale," created by Kari Dunn Buron and Mitzi Curtis (2003), are also included to address emotional literacy by encouraging students to recognize and label their escalating emotions and related triggers. In addition to offering a comprehensive and interactive visual support, materials are included to teach each of twelve specific coping skills. Each skill has been task analyzed and a suggested list of discrete steps is included for each one. Both color and black and white versions of the visual supports are included and the coping skill tokens are provided in two forms: one which pairs visual icons with words and another which includes only words. A template is provided which outlines a research based strategy for teaching behavior skills and includes examples of how to use it. The materials included in this resource have all been designed to meet the unique needs of a wide range of learners in general and special education classrooms. Worksheets are provided to expand the learning while supporting differential instruction. These can be mixed and matched in a variety of ways so they appeal to a wide variety of age and ability levels. “I Feel, I Can: A Coping Skills Toolbox to Assist Behavior Regulation” could easily become a go-to resource in most any classroom or therapy setting. It can be adapted for use in the whole group, small group or one-to-one setting. Instruction can be delivered during structured lessons, as needed to take advantage of “teachable moments,’” or through independent practice to maintain the learning.
This guide explains the symptoms of stress in students from elementary school through college and provides strategies teachers and parents can use to help.
These favorite classroom management ideas and tools are easy, inexpensive and effective classroom management solutions for any classroom.
Hello Parents! Welcome to your blog. Read articles on parenting, experiences of other parents and tips and advice from our parenting experts.
Behavioral economics has identified dozens of cognitive biases that stop us from acting 'rationally'. But instead of building up a messier and messier picture of human behavior, we need a new model.
