Managing Behavior Verbal Nonverbal Intervention Strategies

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Managing BehaviorVerbal/ Nonverbal Intervention
Strategies
Created by Diana Rossetti, Ann Donelan
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• Students enter our classrooms/schools daily
  having been either positively or negatively
  impacted by various environmental stimuli prior
  to their arrival.
• In behavioral terms these are called antecedent
  events and they are important to understand
  because they are the precipitant to the behavior
  being exhibited.

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• Antecedent events that might cause a student to
  exhibit problematic or negative behaviors in your
  classroom
• Physiological
• Psychological/Emotional

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• What is/are the behavior/s being exhibited and
  what are the implications for how you should
  approach the student?
• Anxious or upset
• Agitated and verbally defensive

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• Implications
• Once you approach the student you have the
  ability to influence the situation positively or
  negatively.
• Often and unintentionally our interaction/interven
  tion results in negative outcomes.
• How can we attempt to avoid a negative outcome?

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• First
• Evaluate the type of behavior exhibited-
• Is the student anxious or upset?
• Is the student acting oppositional or being
  verbally combative or confrontational?
• How will you know?
• What do these behaviors sound/look like?

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• When a student is anxious they may be
• Pacing, crying, wringing hands, head on the desk,
  non-directed expenditure of energy
• When a student is agitated they may be
• Asking challenging questions, refusing to respond
  to your directive, talking back and button
  pushing.

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• Discussion
• What strategies do you use when approaching a
  student who is showing signs of anxiety or
  agitation?

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• Second
• Once you approach the student, monitor your
  nonverbal behavior
• Maintain a neutral posture, keep your hands
  visible and maintain your personal space-Why?
• Maintain a neutral tone of voice. Use appropriate
  volume for the situation. Try not to communicate
  impatience, sarcasms or judgment in your
  voice.-Why?

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Communication Iceberg
Verbal- What we say.
Para-verbal-How we say what we say.
Non-verbal
Ray Whitsell
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• In a small group brainstorm
• What do students do or say that challenges your
  ability to maintain a neutral demeanor?
• What are your hot buttons?

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• How can you help yourself maintain a neutral
  demeanor and approach?---
• Depersonalize the behavior-remember the behavior
  may have nothing to do with you
• Know what behaviors or comments cause you to
  overreact at times and attempt to control hot
  button reactions.

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• Third
• If the student is exhibiting anxious or upset
  behavior
• Acknowledge the behavior
• Ask the student if you can help in some way and
  listen attentively.
• How?-display eye contact, validate their
  feelings, use a calm and assuring voice

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• If the student is presenting with oppositional,
  verbally combative or confrontational behavior
• Remember-They may not be thinking clearly at
  this time because they are angry.

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• In a small group discuss
• Have you ever experienced or witnessed such a
  situation?
• How did the adult react?
• Did the adults behavior escalate or deescalate
  the situation?
• Share some strategies that you have found
  effective.

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• What are the verbal and nonverbal approaches you
  should use at this time?
• First, make a statement that acknowledges the
  behavior.
• What might this sound like?

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• Then
• Set limits for the student letting them know what
  the expected behavior is and what will happen if
  they choose not to comply with your request.
• Remember
• Always state the positive choice first
• Ex.-Yes, you can sit with your friends if you can
  work cooperatively to complete your assignment.
• Then state the less than desirable choice
• Ex.- But, if you choose not to do that, you will
  have to do your work alone back here.

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• Role Plays

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• Following any exhibition of behavior that has
  involved an intervention by the teacher to either
  calm or deescalate the student, you should
  always
• connect with student on a positive and empathetic
  level. Do this when the student is calm and
  rational. Reflect on the situation and make a
  plan for dealing with similar issues differently
  in the future.
• remember to talk with onlookers to reassure and
  acknowledge the situation, especially if the
  incident escalated to physical acting out.
• debrief with any staff involved to discuss what
  went well and what could be done differently next
  time.

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• Reflection is the key to future success.
• It is extremely important to talk about any
  behavioral intervention with the team of
  responders to determine if there may be some
  proactive strategies that will help avoid the
  situation in the future, as well as to determine
  if the intervention could have been carried out
  more effectively.

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• Teams should practice for situations that may
  require physical intervention as a last resort.
  Refer to DOE Restraint Regulations
• 603 CMR 46.00
• Ask your building administrator to attend a
• Nonviolent Crisis Intervention Training.