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Mistake
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Alternative
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1. Defining behavior by how it looks
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Define behavior by its function: to get something, to avoid something. |
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2. Why did you do that?
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Assess behavior directly to determine its function. Don't ask. If you do ask, be prepared to get some interesting answers such as, "I felt like it." |
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3. When an approach isn't working, try harder.
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Try another way. Ask other Staff how they might handle a specific behavior issue. Research and read. |
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4. Violating the principles of good classroom rules
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Follow the guidelines for classroom rules: #4-6, measurable, observable, positive; teach rules directly; post & review often; follow-through with consequences for compliance (Catch 'em being good!) and non-compliance (Breaking rules.)
Best rule ever from former Principal Walter Caldwell: Respect work time. Respect people and property. Do your work to the best of your ability. Attend class on time and as often as necessary to earn the grade that you want. I made this into a banner and posted it on my wall in my high school classrooms. I referred to it often by asking questions. Are you respecting others? Are you on time? Can you earn the grade you want if you are absent again? Are you doing your best work?
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5. Treating all misbehaviors as "Won't Dos"
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Treat some behaviors as "Can't Dos." Teach and model expected behaviors. Reinforce students who are following specific rules: "Thank you to those who are beginning the assignment now." Ask students for examples of behaviors that show someone is following a specific rule. What does that rule look like?
A student in the JDC was given a 5-page writing assignment. He didn't do it so he was on isolation. The Staff who assigned this task simply forgot that this student was functionally illiterate. He could not do that task. We gave him an alternate task. What did you do wrong? What should you have done instead? What rule did you break? I wrote that rule down in positive terms which he copied x-number of times per that Staff person's request. Some "won't dos" are "can't dos." And, adolescents will choose to be "bad" over "dumb" in front of their peers every time!
Another student in the JDC always asked in morning meeting what the PE activity for the day was going to be. If it was basketball, he always found a way to get locked in his cell for three hours during PE time. Why? He didn't know how to play basketball and found a way to escape that embarrassment. I asked the Staff responsible for that task to teach basketball skills. He did. The student learned to play and didn't avoid PE time again.
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6. Lack of planning for transition time
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Plan appropriately for transition time. Set time limit for transition and state expected behaviors during transition. Wait to begin lesson until all students have completed transition. Invite students to help gather and disseminate instructional materials for next activity. During transition time, monitor and praise appropriate behaviors. Use timers. You have 3 minutes to ... Set the timer. Ring. Time for next activity. This is also kept me on task. |
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7. Ignoring all or nothing at all
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Ignore wisely. Not all behaviors should be ignored. Safety first! Ignoring teaches students what not to do, but not what to do. |
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8. Overuse & misuse of time-out
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Time-out is not a place. It is a process whereby all opportunities to get reinforcement are withdrawn. For time-out to work, the time-in area must be more reinforcing than the time-out area. |
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9. Inconsistent expectations & consequences
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State, teach, and reinforce expectations that are identifiable and consistent. Reviewing expectations and rehearsing rules builds routine and minimizes potential for problems. |
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10. Viewing ourselves as the only classroom manager
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Include students, parents, and others. The power of the peer group can be used to produce positive changes in student behavior when it is done as a teaching-learning process, not to humiliate or hurt. |
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11. Missing the link between instruction & behavior
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Effective academic instruction is the best behavior management tool. Good teachers have fewer behavior problems than less talented teachers. What makes a good teacher and effective academic instruction? That's another story. A section on effective teaching strategies is in the works ... |
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12. Taking student behavior too personally
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Take student behavior professionally, not personally. Misbehavior is a teaching opportunity. This is a tough one, and I need to say that when there is a strong relationship between the teacher and the student, sometimes, taking behavior personally and saying so affects an appropriate change in the student's behavior. |
