“Can you hear me now?”
How Student Behavior Informs
Instruction
ASCD Annual Conference
Orlando, FL
2005
clarkdi@gvsu.edu
garriotp@gvus.edu
Session Objectives
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How we respond to behavioral deficits vs. how we
respond to learning deficits.
Identify ten common student behaviors that interfere
with learning and teaching
What inappropriate student behaviors tell teachers,
administrators and parents.
How schools can use information from student
behaviors to create classrooms that foster academic
success and positive social interaction between
students, teachers and the community.
Compare procedures for
academic and behavior problems
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Assume student is
trying to make
correct response
Assume error was
accidental
Provide more
practice
Assume student has
learned incorrectly
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Assume student is
not trying to make
correct response.
Assume error was
deliberate
Practice not required
Assume student
refuses to cooperate
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Assume student has
been taught the
wrong way
Diagnose the
problem
Determine more
effective manner to
present material
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Assume student
knows what is right
and has been told
often.
Provide negative
consequences
Withdraw student
from normal
context.
Top ten Behaviors*
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Student does not work on assigned tasks
unless closely supervised.
Student engages in physical activity
inappropriate according to frequency
situation, and setting.
Does not follow (or is slow to follow directives
expected of all students)
Student engages in disruptive behavior when
seeking attention from peers or adults.
Additional behaviors…
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Student engages in tantrum behavior when
requests are not met.
Student makes demands of others and
threatens negative consequences if
compliance is slow or demand is not met.
The student handles property of others in
destructive manner.
The student engages in aggressive behavior
when provoked.
More behaviors…
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Student engages in verbally aggressive
behavior without provocation
Student engages in physically
aggressive behavior without
provocation.
* Taken from Beyond Functional Behavior
Assessment by J. Kaplan
“I don’t understand what you
expect of me.”
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Ask the student to tell you what you
have asked him to do.
Ask the student to show you what you
have asked him to do.
Ask the student to model or
demonstrate for another student
Give an example
Give a non example
“I don’t know how to do what
you are asking me to do”
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Has the student been taught and had the
opportunity to practice the task?
Has the student demonstrated that she is
capable of completing the task or engaging in
the required behavior?
Does she need to learn how to practice the
desired behavior in a new setting?
Does she need feedback for approximating
the task?
“I don’t know what I’m doing
wrong”
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Ask the student what she is supposed to be
doing
Ask the student what she is doing
How is that different from what you asked
her to do?
Ask her what she needs to fix it.
How will you help her?
How will she know when she is doing the
right thing?
“I really can’t control my
behavior”
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Are there any medical situations that would
prevent the student from controlling his
behavior?
Are there environmental situations (people,
situations, conditions) that make it difficult for
the student to control my behavior?
Does the student know he is engaging in an
inappropriate behavior?
Set up a signal system to alert the student to
inappropriate behavior.
“It works better for me to misbehave.”
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Are the consequences of engaging in the
maladaptive behavior more rewarding than
than engaging in the positive behavior?
Can you work together to identify some
rewards that would be a motivation for
engaging in the positive behavior?
Check along the way to see if compliance is
working out better for the student than noncompliance.
“My beliefs are contrary to your
behavioral expectations.”
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Do you know what beliefs your student has
regarding her behavior? Have you asked
during a time when there is no conflict?
Can you help her separate her belief structure
into “school” context and “out of school”
context?
Do you have parental support?
Is there a way you can get peer support?
“I don’t want to be a loser”
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Make sure you offer a positive setting
Create “win-win” lessons
Celebrate every student’s success
Make sure students know how to
celebrate the success of others
Encourage and facilitate group work
Create a sense of community in your
classroom.
“I’m not in control.”
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Students believe that other people and
situations control their destiny
Students need an internal locus of control.
Create opportunities for choices
Assign responsibility for good decisions and
poor decisions to the student
Children who feel powerless are not
motivated to change their behavior, they
don’t believe they can.
“I don’t believe I can do it”
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Encourage the student to repeat, recognize
and acknowledge success
Provide opportunity for success as often as
possible
Provide opportunity for the student to
demonstrate or share her skill
Divide the task into small parts so she
doesn’t get overwhelmed.
Be sure to let her know when she completes
the task as requested.
Maslow’s basic human needs
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Physiological Needs-Coping information
Security Needs-Helping information
Social Needs, affiliation-Enlightening
information
Ego Needs, self esteem-Empowering
Self-Actualization
Reclaiming youth at Risk*
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Spirit
Spirit
Spirit
Spirit
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*Brendtro, Brokenleg, and Van Bockern
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of
of
of
of
Belonging, shared community
Mastery, competence
Independence, autonomy
Generosity, helping others
Some final thoughts
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Every student wants to succeed
Every student wants to belong and be liked.
Students who don’t know how to make that
happen, do what they know how to do
Non, compliant behavior is hard work.
If we took the same approach to build
success with behavior that we do with
academics, behavior would improve.