10 Mistaken Beliefs About Behavior Management

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10 Mistaken Beliefs About Behavior Management

• 1. Teaching rules is the parents job.
• Reality At home, yes. At school, its my job.
• 2. Children should know what I expect.
• Reality Students need time to learn my rules
  and expectations.
• 3. I cant afford to take precious time away
  from instruction.
• Reality I cant afford not to.
• 4. If I cover the rules thoroughly at the
  beginning of the year, I shouldnt have to do it
  again.
• Reality Rules need to be taught and practiced
  repeatedly.
• 5. Explaining the rules to children should be
  enough.
• Reality Rules need to be taught with words AND
  actions.

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10 Mistaken Beliefs About Behavior Management

• 6. If children hear my rules enough, the message
  will eventually sink in.
• Reality Actions speak louder than words.
• 7. Children wont take me seriously unless Im
  strict.
• Reality Being strict without being respectful
  incites rebellion.
• 8. When my students sense I care, they will
  cooperate.
• Reality Caring is important but not
  effective without firm limits.
• 9. Students resent firm rules and the teachers
  who make them.
• Reality Students respect teachers who are firm
  and respectful.
• 10. Male teachers make the best disciplinarians.
• Reality In the classroom, power and authority
  belong to those who exercise them appropriately.

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What the Kids Have Learned

• There are two sets of rules in my class.
• Rules in theory Written and spoken words that
  communicate our hopes and expectations for how
  students behave. Usually consistent across
  classrooms and are created by school-wide
  expectations.
• Rules in practice How much misbehavior I am
  willing to tolerate. Usually inconsistent across
  classrooms and are created by my personality.

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Two Things ALL Kids Are Committed to Learn

• And what will happen if I dont?
• What are my teachers buttons?

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What Else the Kids Have Learned

• How I teach my rules.
• 1) Permissively Characterized by lots of
  repeating, reminding, warning, offering second
  chances, pleading, cajoling, bargaining, bribing,
  arguing, debating, reasoning, and lecturing.
• The permissive approach usually is respectful but
  not firm, and it is a breeding ground for power
  struggles.

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The Permissive Interaction
A
Teacher Behavior
Student Behavior
Adam disrupts
Ignores behavior
Continues talking
Gives unclear directions
Continues talking
Warns appeals for cooperation
Repeats and reminds debates
Continues talking
Lectures
Continues talking
Threatens consequence
Continues talking
Begins to follow through
Protests
Gives in
Aha moment
B
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What Else the Kids Have Learned

• How I teach my rules.
• 2) Punitively Characterized by roles of
  detective, judge, jailer, and probation officer
  involves investigating deeds, determine guilt,
  assign blame, impose penalties, and carry out
  sentences.
• The punitive approach is usually firm, but lacks
  respect. It works for 80 of the kids, but it is
  a breeding ground for rebellion, resentment, and
  power struggles with strong-willed children.
  Often shame producing.

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The Punitive Interaction
Teacher Behavior
Student Behavior
A
Adam disrupts
Investigates
Adam denies responsibility blames others
Stern, disapproving look
Adam continues to disrupt
Intimidates reprimands
Shames (feels angry)
Denies guilt
More intimidation taunts
Uses name-calling
B
Sends Adam into hallway
Refusal to comply with consequence
Threatens more consequence
More challenges more refusal
Adds additional consequences
Aha moment
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What Else the Kids Have Learned

• How I teach my rules.
• 3) Mixed Characterized by a mix of punitive and
  permissive models.
• Brings out the worst in most children. The
  fastest track to burnout for the teacher.

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The Mixed Interaction
Teacher Behavior
Student Behavior
A
Adam disrupts
Appeals for cooperation
Adam clowns around
Waits for cooperation
Raises voice, feels exasperated
Complains
Continues clowning
Reminds
Explodes shames
B
Sends to office
Disruption stops
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What Else the Kids Have Learned

• How I teach my rules.
• 4) Democratically Characterized by maintaining
  a respectful attitude, holding ones ground
  firmly, stating rules and expectations clearly,
  and following through with consequences
  immediately and every time.
• Eases teachers anxiety by putting teacher in
  control of the classroom. Less teacher
  anxietyless student anxietymore teachingmore
  learning.

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The Democratic Interaction
Teacher Behavior
Student Behavior
A
Adam and Mary disrupt
Gives clear message and limited choices
Mary cooperates Adam continues to disrupt
B
Follow through with loss of privilege
Disruption stops