Promoting Positive Classroom Behavior

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Promoting Positive Classroom Behavior

• Kristy Murphy
• Bill Ostroski
• John Sharkus

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Misconceptions

• My kids arent babies. By junior or senior high
  school, students know the importance of coming to
  class on time, doing homework, respecting other
  peoples property, and raising their hands to
  make a comment. Besides, theres so much material
  to cover, I cant waste time teaching rules to
  kids who should already know this stuff.

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Misconceptions

• Rules vary from classroom to classroom
• Teacher specific expectations
• Basic classroom routines

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Research on Classroom Behavior

• Preventive Discipline Practices
• Commitment, on the part of all staff, to
  establishing and maintaining appropriate student
  behavior as an essential precondition of learning
• High behavioral expectations
• Clear and broad-based rules
• Warm school climate.

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Research (cont.)

• A visible, supportive principle.
• Delegation of discipline authority to teachers.
• Close ties with communities
• Practices for Enforcing School Rules
• Punishment, in some forms
• Counseling
• In-school suspension
• Contingency contracting
• Home-based reinforcement

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Research (cont.)

• J. S. Kounin, Discipline and Group Management in
  Classrooms, 1970
• Behaviors of teachers that keep students focused
  on learning with minimal disruptions
• Withitness
• Overlapping
• Smoothness and momentum in lessons
• Group alerting
• Stimulating seatwork

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Defining Your Expectations for Behavior

• Four Principles for Planning Classroom Rules
  (Table 4-1, p. 58)
• Rules should be reasonable and necessary
• Rules need to be clear and understandable
• Rules should be consisted with instructional
  goals and with what we know about how people
  learn
• Classroom rules need to be consistent with school
  rules

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Guidelines for Developing Classroom Rules

• Establish rules early
• Involve students
• Limit the number of rules
• State rules positively in short, clear terms
• Identify rewards and consequences

• Post rules and have a copy for each student
• Practice and review frequently
• Inform parents
• Monitor behaviors systematically
• Enforce rules consistently

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Classroom Routines

• Class-Running Routines
• Nonacademic routines that allow smooth classroom
  execution
• Taking attendance
• Distributing School notices
• Procedures for student movement
• Cleaning the classroom

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Classroom Routines (cont.)

• Lesson-Running Routines
• Behaviors necessary for teaching and learning to
  take place
• Knowing what materials they need
• Format for graded assignments
• How they should behave during a lesson
• What should be done if students finish
  assignments early, or do not finish on time

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Classroom Routines (cont.)

• Interaction Routines
• Rules for speaking in class
• Talk between teacher and student
• During class discussions
• When the teacher needs the students attention
• When a/the student(s) need the teachers
  attention
• Talk among students

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B.I.P.

• Behavioral Intervention Plan
• Used for students with I.E.P.s
• Alerts the teachers as to how to deal with student

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F.B.A.

• Functional behavior assessments
• Required by IDEA
• Evaluation process

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10 step process

• Determine the function of the undesired behavior
• Determine an appropriate replacement behavior
• Determine when replacement behavior should occur
• Design a teaching sequence

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10 step process (cont.)

• Manipulate the environment to increase the
  probability of success
• Manipulate the environment to decrease the
  probability of failure
• Determine how positive behavior will be
  reinforced
• Determine consequences for instances of problem
  behavior

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10 step process (cont.)

• Develop a data collection system
• Develop behavioral goals and objectives

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Sources

• Schoolwide and Classroom Discipline
• School Improvement Research Series (SIRS)
• www.nwrel.org/scpd/sirs/5/cu9.html
• Classroom and Behavioral Management
• Alabama Professional Development Modules
• http//web.uk.edu/mccay/apdm/classmgt/classm
  gt_d.htm
• A Climate for Learning
• Action in Schools to Promote Positive
  Behavior and Reduce Low-Level Disruption
• http//www.hmie.gov.uk/documents/publication/
  rbblr-05.html
• Promoting Academic Success
• Promoting Academic Success via Classroom
  Structure