POSITIVE APPROACHES TO NEGATIVE BEHAVIORS Presenter Jim Calhoun

INTERESTING TIBITS Any behavior management book offering “sure-fire” or “quick-fix” strategies should be filed under “fiction”. Your worst behaved student will have a perfect attendance record. Any positive behavior you have instilled in a "difficult" student will disappear over the holiday break. When your most troublesome student is finally moved to a more appropriate setting, the behavior of the student who replaces him/her will be 10 times worse All great interventions were discovered by mistake. Good behavior management is indistinguishable from magic. The key to effective discipline is to work smarter, not harder.

TO PONDER “I’ve come to a frightening conclusion that I am the decisive element in the classroom. It’s my personal approach that creates the climate. It’s my daily mood that makes the weather. As a teacher, I have tremendous power to make a child’s life miserable or joyous. I can humiliate or humor, hurt or heal. In all situations, it is my response that decides whether a crisis will be escalated or de-escalated and a child humanized or dehumanized.” Haim Ginott

STRESS How do we deal with our stress? How do the students we work with deal with stress?

Feelings vs Behavior ALL BEHAVIOR HAS MEANING BEHAVIOR REFLECTS NEEDS OUR STUDENTS ARE DOING THE BEST THEY CAN TO MEET THEIR NEEDS WITH THE SKILLS THEY HAVE LEARNED

Behavior and Emotions Behaviors Emotions

80 – 15 – 5 80% of your students will do what they need to do regardless of your interventions 15% will be on the fence, sometimes doing what is right, sometimes not 5% will require most of your attention in regards to behavior management

Controlling Behaviors How do we get what we want? What are the behaviors our students use to influence our behaviors What are the behaviors we use to influence our students

ALL BEHAVIOR HAS MEANING BEHAVIOR REFLECTS NEEDS

NEEDS CIRCLE Love / Belonging Freedom / Choices Fun Power

I CAN’T WORRY ABOUT NEEDS I got to teach these students academics I am just an assistant, that’s the teacher’s job! Kids need to behave, I am in charge and they should respect me and listen Blah blah blah …….

Defining Discipline WHAT IS MISSING? Traditional discipline is defined by procedures that focus on control with punishment consequences WHAT IS MISSING? The development and support of prosocial behavior Punishment in and of itself does not work!

A NEW DEFINITION The steps or actions teachers, administrators, parents, and students follow to enhance student academic and social behavior success

ACCOUNTABILITY & RESPONSIBLITY How do we hold students “accountable” and/or “responsible” for their actions? How are you going to fix it?

ANGER Anger can undermine objectivity Anger is an emotional and physical state When we are at our angriest, we are at our stupidest. Cognitive abilities are reduced

Power Cycle The Stressful incident Adult Response Young Persons Feelings Young Persons Actions Cycle

OKAY, WHAT NOW? Talking to students, not at them Re-defining student perceptions of “bad behaviors” Baby steps come before giant leaps Processing events

Rephrasing Our Comments “Why” questions The word “YOU” The words “NO” and “DON’T” Lecturing / Nagging / Berating

PROACTIVE APPROACH Behavior Expectations are Defined Behavior Expectations are Taught Appropriate Behaviors are Acknowledged Appropriate Behaviors are rewarded Behavior Errors are Corrected Proactively There Are Still Consequences for Negative Behavior

CREATING POSITIVE PEER PRESSURE The importance of RELATIONSHIPS Defining Expectations Giving up the Illusion of control

Always Remember If we overpower students, what have we taught them? "Don't think, just obey.“    "I've got to get some power so that I'm the one who gives orders and bosses people around." Do we really want our kids to follow the directions of others (e.g., child molesters, gang leaders, drug dealers) without thinking about it?

When possible, we should seek cooperation in our classroom, especially because: we don't have much left nowadays that can coerce kids it creates a positive classroom climate it teaches kids how to behave appropriately it brings joy to our teaching and their learning

You get what you give, so give good things!

The 10 Demandments of Behavor Management 1. Always treat youngsters with respect and preserve their dignity. 2. Always do what is in the students' best interests. 3. Seek solutions, not blame. 4. Model tolerant, patient, dignified, and respectful behavior. 5. Use the least intrusive intervention possible.

6. Connect with your students and build strong personal bonds with them. 7. Instill hope for success (otherwise there is no reason for kids to behave in your class). 8. NEVER do anything disrespectful, illegal, immoral, ineffective, bad for health/safety,         or you wouldn't want done to you. 9. 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. 10. CATCH KIDS BEING GOOD . . . A LOT!!