Difficult Students, Whats An Educator to Do

1
Difficult Students, Whats An Educator to Do?

• Presented by
• Kim Marcum
• kimmarcum_at_comcast.net

2
OBJECTIVES

• Review and refine strategies which create a fair
  discipline system which teaches and reinforces
  desired behaviors
  
• Provide information based upon present realities
  instead of myths
  

3
Haim Ginott

• Ive come to a frightening conclusion that I am
  the decisive element in the classroom. Its my
  personal approach that creates the climate. Its
  my daily mood that makes the weather. As a
  teacher, I possess a tremendous power to make a
  childs life miserable or joyous. I can be a
  tool of torture or an instrument of inspiration.
  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

4
DISCIPLINE MYTHS AND MISCONCEPTIONS

• Discipline worked better
• Graduation rates
• 1990 75-79
• 1946 48
• 1900 6

5
PUNISHMENT HAS POWER

• Role-bound authority
• Get tough attitude
• Take my recess
• Call my mom
• In school suspension
• After school detention

6
THE BASICS

• Monitor
• Reinforce
• Mild reprimands
• Continuous feedback

• Behavior is Learned
• Teach the behaviors
• Structure for success

7
BEHAVIOR IS LEARNED

• Was taught at home
• Today children are raising children
• Dysfunctional families who dont know how to
  teach behaviors or who are not capable

8
TEACH THE BEHAVIORS

• Determine what the behavior looks and sounds
  like
  
• Determine the steps needed to teach the behavior
• Teach I do, we do, you do
• Provide plenty of practice

9
T Charts
What Should it Look Like? What should
it sound like?
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Seat Work
What should it look like? What should it
sound like?
Students sitting at their desks 0
level voice working on their assignments Askin
g a partner for assistance Level 1
voice when there is a question Partners checki
ng each others Level 1 voice
Assignments Students walking quietly
0 level voice to the assignment box to
turn in completed work Reading one of three
library 0 level voice books
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Packing Up
What should it look like? What should it
sound like?
Students sitting at their desks 0
level voice working on their assignments, or fo
cused on the teacher until the signal is given t
o clean up Students writing assignments
0 level voice in assignment logs
Students cleaning up their area level 1
voice Students standing quietly waiting to be
dismissed 0 level voice
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BEHAVIOR INSTRUCTION PRACTICE

• Please choose one classroom procedure such as
  turning in papers, and construct a T-chart for
  it. You will have 5 minutes for this task, then
  we will ask you to share with the group.

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MONITOR

• Monitor
• Monitor
• Monitor

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REINFORCEMENT

• Praise-high level
• -proximity-dont wait for thanks
• Specific
• High rate in the beginning
• Use unpredictable and intermittent reinforcement
  to maintain the behavior

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REINFORCEMENT REMINDERS

• Use the lowest level reinforcer that works
• Praise
• Special Privileges
• Preferred Activities
• Stars/Written Praise Statements
• Stickers
• Phone calls home
• The list is endless...

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Students Who Respond Negatively to Positive
Feedback

• Is the student embarrassed by the feedback?
  Provide Private Feedback
  
• The student needs to maintain a tough image.
• Provide Private Feedback, or Non-contingent
  attention.
  
• The student lacks control and is passive
  resistant. Provide Non-contingent Attention

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Reinforcement Cautions

• Avoid reinforcing older students publicly for
  compliant behavior
  
• Use non-contingent reinforcement for those
  students who respond negatively to praise
  
• Try 2x10

18
REINFORCEMENT PRACTICE

• Share reinforcement you would give to a student
  who is working quietly on their assignment.
  
• Share reinforcement you would give to a student
  who has written an excellent summary.

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Intermittent Celebrations

• Special acknowledgement- Immature students and
  students with behavior problems are good
  candidates for celebrations.
  
• Ratio of Interactions 31

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Motivation

• Expectancy X Value Motivation (Feather, 1982)
  
  
• Expectancy The degree to which an individual
  expects to be successful at the task.
  
• Value The degree to which and individual values
  the rewards that accompany that success.

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So Motivate Me

• Enthusiasm Be an effective coach.
• Explain how the task will be useful.
• Give students a vision of what they will be able
  to do eventually.
  
• Relate new tasks to previously learned skills.
• Rally the troops!

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WHY THEY MISBEHAVE

• The student doesnt know what you expect.
• The student doesnt know how to exhibit
  responsible behavior.
  

• The student is experiencing pleasant outcomes
  from exhibiting the misbehavior
  
• The student is successfully avoiding some
  unpleasant outcome by misbehaving. (Doesnt have
  to do the work.)

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TEACHER ACTIONS

• Modify conditions Lessons to teach the
  behaviors
  
• Assign a different seat.
• Pick up the pace of the lesson.
• Avoid the void.

• Remove pleasant outcomes that result from the
  misbehavior.
  
• Ignore misbehavior designed to get attention.
• Respond calmly when they push your buttons.
• Ensure they are not getting out of doing the
  assignment.

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Ability Type Misbehavior

• Determine if the student is physiologically
  capable of exhibiting the goal behavior.
  
• If not, modify the environment.
• Use the following steps for a student who lacks
  the knowledge
  
• Lessons/Discussion
• Respond in an instructional manner.
• Make accommodations
• Provide positive feedback

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Attention-Seeking Misbehaviors

• Is the misbehavior really attention-seeking in
  nature?
  
• Is the behavior itself acceptable and the problem
  is with the amount of the behavior?
  
• Is the misbehavior to severe to ignore?
• Will I ignore the behavior from all students or
  just the target student.

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What To Do?

• Develop a plan to ignore and present the plan to
  the student (and family).
  
• Respond to all instances of the behavior by
  ignoring the student, continuing what I was
  doing, and provide positive feedback to the other
  students.
• Give the student attention when the misbehavior
  ceases.
  
• Maintain frequent interactions with the student
  when he/she is not misbehaving.
  
• Monitor the behavior.

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Purposeful/Habitual Misbehaviors

• For chronic misbehavior that does not stem from a
  lack of awareness or ability, or a need for
  attention
  
• remove any positive/satisfying aspects of
  demonstrating the misbehavior for the student.
  
• continually show the student that positive
  behavior leads to positive results.
  
• use appropriate corrective consequences.

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Steps in Dealing With Chronic Misbehavior

• Analyze the nature of the problem (collect
  data).
  
• Develop a preliminary plan based on your
  analysis.
  
• Discuss the plan with the student (and family).
• Implement the plan for at least two weeks,
  collecting data to determine progress.

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MILD REPRIMANDS

• Unemotional
• Specific positive direction
• Move away quickly

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REPRIMAND PRACTICE

• Students are to be working on math problems at
  their seats. Jeanie is cutting paper at her
  desk.
  
• Give an example of a mild reprimand for Jeanie
  and share this with your group.

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CONSEQUENCES

• It isnt the severity of consequences, but the
  consistency that makes them effective
  
• We need a repertoire of small consequences that
  we will use consistently
  
• 1 minute timeout/loss of recess
• Go to the back of the line
• Change seats

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CONTINUOUS GROUP FEEDBACK

• Three positives to one negative
• ALL YEAR LONG!
• Include non-contingent attention

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STRUCTURE FOR SUCCESS FIRST DAY

• Meet at the door with a positive greeting
• Daily routine assignment
• Teach your attention signal
• Teach your most important rules
• Teach procedures as needed

34
STRUCTURING FOR SUCCESS

• Avoid the void
• Design the classroom for easy monitoring
• Create procedures for everything and use them
  consistently

35
AS IF RULE

• TREAT YOUR STUDENTS AS IF THEY HAVE ALREADY MET
  YOUR EXPECTATIONS.

36
Dealing with students who have misbehaved

• This is not you. You are a person who
• We all make mistakes
• How are you going to repair the damage?
• Consequence
• I know you will be successful

37
ESCALATING BEHAVIOR

• Avoiding the good theater
• Why sending them to the hall can backfire
• How is the student getting attention
• What is the motivation for the behavior

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PRACTICE SESSION

• A student new to your school comes the first day
  without records. He does what is asked, but
  responds with flat monosyllable answers. After
  complimenting other students the teacher
  compliments him on the fine job he is doing on
  his math work. The student responds Yeah, like
  you care.

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PRACTICE

• What could you say that would deescalate the
  situation?

• What could you say that would escalate the
  situation?

40
Active Participation

• Think Pair Share
• What are ways that students can respond in a
  lesson?
  
• 1.
• 2.
• 3.
• 4.
• 5.
• 6.
• 7.
• 8.

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Active Participation

• Think
• Have students think and record responses.
• As students are writing, move around the
  classroom and record their ideas and their names
  on an overhead transparency.
  
• Pair
• Have students share their ideas with their
  partners. Have them record their partners
  best ideas.
  
• As students are sharing, continue to record ideas
  on the overhead.
  
• Share
• Use the transparency for sharing with the class.
  
  

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Active Participation - Choral Responses

• Choral ResponsesStudents are looking at the
  teacher.
  
• Ask a question.
• Put up your hands to indicate silence.
• Give thinking time.
• Lower your hands as you say, Everyone.
• Students are looking at a common stimulus.
• Point to the stimulus.
• Ask a question.
• Give thinking time.
• Tap for a response.

43
Active Participation

• Think
• Have students think and record responses.
• As students are writing, move around the
  classroom and record their ideas and their names
  on an overhead transparency.
  
• Pair
• Have students share their ideas with their
  partners. Have them record their partners
  best ideas.
  
• As students are sharing, continue to record ideas
  on the overhead.
  
• Share
• Use the transparency for sharing with the class.
  
  

44
Active Participation - Choral Responses

• Choral ResponsesStudents are looking at their
  own book/paper.
  
• Ask a question.
• Use an auditory signal (Everyone.).
• Hints for Choral Responses
• Give adequate thinking time.
• Have students put up their thumbs OR look at you
  to indicate enough thinking time.
  
• If students dont respond or blurt, repeat.

45
Active Participation - Partners

• Partners Assign partners.
• Pair lower performing students with middle
  performing students.
  
• Give the partners a number.
• Sit partners next to each other.
• Utilize triads when appropriate.

46
Active Participation - Partners

• Other hints for partners
• Teach students how to work together. LOOK,
  LEAN, AND WHISPER.
  
• Teach students how to give and receive
  encouragement and compliments.
  
• Teach students that cooperative practice relates
  to the work place not to friendship.
  
• Change the partnerships occasionally (every three
  to six weeks).
  
• Join two partnerships to form cooperative teams.
  If you plan to use cooperative teams often, give
  students in team numbers 1, 2, 3, and 4. Make 1
  and 2 partners and 3 and 4 partners. When
  requesting responses on partnerships, refer to
  evens and odds.

47
Active Participation - Partners

• Uses of partners.
• 1. Say answer to partner.
• 2. Retell content of lesson using a graphic
  organizer.
  
• 3. Review content (Tell, Help, Check).
• 4. Brainstorm (Think, Pair, Share).
• 5. Explain process, strategy, or algorithm using
  examples.
  
• 6. Read to or with partner.

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Active Participation - Partners

• Other Uses of partners.
• 1. Monitor partner to see if directions are
  followed.
  
• 2. Share materials with partners.
• 3. Assist partners during independent work.
• 4. Collect papers, handouts, assignments for
  absent partners.
  
• 5. Provide feedback on written products of
  partner.
  
• 6.
• 7.
• 8.

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THE BASICS

• Monitor
• Reinforce
• Mild reprimands
• Continuous feedback

• Behavior is Learned
• Teach the behaviors
• Structure for success

50
COMMON AREA IDENTIFICATION

• Any area that is not consistently under the
  direction of the students classroom teacher
  
• cafeteria -bus rides
• hallways -playground
• bus lines -assemblies
• bathrooms -library

51
GROUP DISCUSSION

• DETERMINE THE COMMON AREAS FOR WHICH YOU WISH TO
  HAVE RULES
  
• DECIDE HOW YOU WILL HAVE RULES FORMULATED
• Whole staff?
• Committees?
• Will non-teaching staff be involved?

52
What are the behaviors we need to teach?

• Plan to teach what you expect
• salad bar
• assemblies
• substitutes
• Keep it simple and positive
• Practice Practice Practice

53
TEACH THE BEHAVIORS

• Determine what the behavior looks like and sounds
  like
  
• Determine the steps to teach
• Teach I do We do You do
• Provide plenty of practice

54
T Charts
Looks Like Sound Like
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Cafeteria Behavior
Looks Like Sounds Like
People standing in line one behind the other
People sitting at tables eating
Students make room for others at tables
People clean their own table Students stay in caf
eteria until dismissed
1-2 Voice level Thank you. to food servers App
ropriate language used at all times
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Next

• Determine
• Who will teach these behaviors?
• When will they be taught?
• How will new students learn these skills?

57
Take Action!

• Join a group working on a topic you would like to
  see taught at your school
  
• Make a T chart for how the area should look and
  sound if everyone is meeting expectations
  
• Discuss who will teach the behaviors and when
  they will be taught
  
• Be prepared to share your T chart with the large
  group

58
Attention Signal

• Attention.3.2.1
• Microphone Signal
• Lights Low
• Band begins alma mater
• None needed

59
Take Action Decide What You Will Use As An
Attention Signal
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How will you reinforce the behavior?

• Reinforcement
• Praise
• High Level
• Specific
• High Rate in the Beginning
• Unpredictable Intermittent

61
Take Action!Create a Menu of Reinforcers That
Might be Appropriate in Your Area
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What mild reprimand will you use?

• Consequences fit the crime
• Repeat the behavior appropriately
• One minute time out
• Turn around and walk 10 steps
• Stand on the wall at the playground and notice
  ten appropriate behaviors
  
• Unemotional
• Move away quickly

63
Take Action Create a menu of mild consequences
you will use
64
How Will You Give Students Feedback About How
They Are Doing?

• Use the intercom
• Announce at public gatherings
• Newsletters
• Classroom visits
• Daily bulletin
• Use the broadcast system

65
Take ActionDiscuss How Students Might Be Given
Long Term Feedback About their Behavior in Your
Area
66
In Review

• If you expect it, teach it
• Model it yourself
• Practice expectations
• Be Proactive
• You Have the Power!

67
BUILDING CONSENSUS

• Techniques for determining staff commitment
• Operating principles
• Consensus votes

68
Operating Principles

• Procedures and Practices that define how we make
  decisions and resolve conflicts in our
  organization

69
Sample Operating Principles

• Decisions must support student achievement
• Disagreement does not equal disloyalty
• Conflicts need to be resolved at the lowest
  level
  
• Those affected by a decision will be a part of
  the making the decision
  
• The person with whom I disagree needs to know of
  it before I share it with others

70
Sample Operating Principles Continued

• I will be courageous and honest when
  participating in decisions. This means I will
  express my concerns and only agree to a decision
  when I can live with the results of that
  decision
• If I disagree with a decision I will work with
  the group to find an acceptable alternative
  
• Once a decision is made I will work hard to see
  that it is successfully implemented
  
• If, after we have given a decision a fair chance
  to work, I still feel it is flawed, I will bring
  it back up to the group to be reconsidered

71
FIST OF FIVE

• Five Fingers I support and will provide
  leadership
  
• Four Fingers- I support, but will not provide
  leadership
  
• Three Fingers I do not care either way

• Two Fingers I do not support
• One Finger I do not support and will work to
  scuttle the decision
  

72
INTERPRETING THE VOTE

• A vote of all threes or greater equals consensus
• A vote with any twos or ones is not consensus and
  requires that concerns and interests be addressed

73
RED, GREEN, YELLOW CONSENSUS VOTE

• Consensus is reached when all cards showing are
  either green or yellow
  
• Consensus is not reached if any reds are showing
• Concerns and interests must be addressed

74
Thumbs up, thumbs down, thumbs sideways
75
(No Transcript)
76
Interest Based Vs. Positional Negotiations

• What is the interest behind your position?
• How can the interest be met with another
  solution?
  
• How can we compromise and still have a win-win
  situation?
  
• This approach can be used with staff, parents,
  students and the community

77
B.A.T.N.A

• Best Alternative to a Negotiated Agreement

78
Interest A
Interest B
79
Your school facilitator team decides that
everyone is required to be in the hall way
supervising when the bell rings at the end of the
day. The after school drama teacher is opposed
to this idea. Discuss What might be the interes
t behind the facilitator teams decision?
What might be the interest behind the after
school drama teacher resistance?
What compromises might be made?
80
Interest A
Interest B
81

• Your school improvement team has been given the
  task of coming up with some effective
  consequences for misbehavior. They are
  recommending that an after school detention
  program be established, staffed on a rotational
  basis by every certificated staff member. You
  have had a consensus vote and 3 staff members
  strongly object to this idea. They are the
  football coach who has practice after school each
  night in the fall, an English teacher who
  doesnt plan to send students to detention so
  wants no part of the plan and a special ed.
  teacher who is afraid of this option as being too
  negative for some of his students
• Identify the interests of the school improvement
  team
  
• Identify the interests of the staff members who
  are objecting to this proposal

82
Interest A
Interest B
83
Overview of Referral Procedures

• Types of Misbehaviors Which Warrant Office
  Referral
  
• Creating a continuum of consequences
• Establish Effective Record Keeping
• Set up Well Defined Procedures When Students
  Report to Office
  
• Arrange for an Array of Resources

84
Office Referral

• When to Refer
• Illegal Behavior
• Physically Dangerous Behavior
• Defiance-The Overt and immediate refusal to
  follow a staff persons direction
  
• Think about it as a DUI
• Referral as part of a Plan

85
Illegal Behavior

• Possession of controlled substance, threats, etc
• Must be Reported to an Administrator
• May need to be reported to law enforcement

86
Defiance-The overt and immediate refusal to
follow a staff persons direction within a
specified Time

• Overt (Observable)
• Sit down and begin your assignment-observable
• Change you attitude (not observable)

87

• Immediate
• Finish your assignment by the end of the
  period-not immediate
  
• Allen, stop running in the hall and come speak
  to me. -immediate
  
• Reasonable Adult Direction
• Considered reasonable unless it is unsafe

88
HAVE A PLAN

• Ask student to comply - Give time
  
  
• Walk away - If yes Thank you If no
• Calmly and quietly share possible consequence
  Ask again and walk away
  
• If yes Thank you No- Quietly share
  consequence and move away
  

89
Physically Dangerous Behavior

• Assault
• Fighting
• Any behavior that has a high likelihood of
  physical harm

90
Procedures for Responding to Office Referral

• Notice must be given when supervision is being
  given to office personnel
  
• Identify where the student should wait
• Supervised
• Uninteresting
• Not near teacher mail boxes
• All staff should know not to respond
• What if the administrator isnt available?
• Chain of Command

91
Training Office Staff

• Staff need to know how to interact
• Little Attention
• Neutral Demeanor
• Avoid Lecturing
• Inappropriate Language
• One Time-Tell them its inappropriate
• If misbehavior continues, refer to an
  administrator/designee immediately

92
Office Referral (Contd)

• When the student is waiting
• If short time, they can sit
• Longer than 5 minutes, provide a debriefing form
• What did you do?
• Why did you do it?
• What should you have done instead?
• What do you need to do next?
• Can you do it?

93
Take Action!

• How will you insure adequate supervision of
  students at the time of a referral?
  
• Where is a referred student supposed to wait for
  the administrator?
  
• What happens when two or more students have been
  referred at the same time?
  
• Who will intervene when the administrator is
  gone?
  
• When the administrator is in a conference or on
  the phone should they be interrupted?
  
• What will students do while they wait?
• What should be done if the student is out of
  control or appears likely to become so?

94
Take Action!

• Identify those behavior which constitute office
  referrals in your building. Give definitions and
  examples. Discuss a plan for reaching consensus
  with the entire staff.

95
Planning for Responding to Emergency Situations

• Develop primary and backup procedures to summons
  help
  
• Intercom
• Phone
• Radios
• Red Card

96
Red Card-This is an Emergency

• Preprinted Location, i.e. PLAYGROUND
• Fighting or out of control-send help
• Serious Injury! Call 911
• Student Hurt. Send trained Personnel
• Stranger on the playground
• Student left the grounds
• Abduction. Call 911
• Other_____________

97
Red Card Procedures

• Student takes to office
• Office staff immediately respond

98
Planning for Emergency Response (Contd)

• Chain of Command 4 Deep
• Principal, Counselor, Special Ed. Teacher, Head
  Teacher
  
• Code for Responding
• Would the CARE team report immediately to the
  lunch room, please?
  
• Crisis training
• De-escalation Training

99
Why Physical Restraint Should be Avoided

• Problems with physical restraint
• Possibility of injury to staff or students
• Restraint can be a reinforcing event
• May be reinforced by peers
• Communicates that the student cant control her
  own behavior
  
• Avoid whenever possible

100
Room Clears-An Alternative to Physical Restraint

• Room clear procedures are explained to students
  in advance
  
• All students are removed from the area
• Reduces possibility of injury
• Removes attention
• Gives student message he needs to and is capable
  of getting under control

101
Room Clear Procedures

• Evacuate the classroom to a pre-assigned buddy
  classroom
  
• Receiving teacher notifies the office of the
  current problem
  
• One adult supervises out of control student to
  insure student safety

102

• Staff not expected to intervene when materials or
  property are being damaged
  
• After the behavior is under control, assign a
  corrective consequence, including responsibility
  for any damaged property
  

103
Take Action

• Examine current procedures for dealing with
  emergencies. Determine when a room clear should
  be used. Determine what procedures exist and
  what procedures need to be identified. Make a
  plan for accomplishing these tasks during the
  school year.