PBS 101: The Power of Clearly
Defined Behavioral
Expectations
Mary Jean Knoll
Challenge…
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Schools are facing an increasingly challenging
population of students with fewer financial
resources
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How do schools enhance their capacity to
respond effectively, efficiently, & relevantly to
range of problem behaviors observed in
schools.
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“Work Smarter”
Goals of this Training Session
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Develop and/or strengthen existing PBS systems at
school sites
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Examine the importance of defining and teaching
common rules/expectations
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Address common implementation mistakes
Team Process
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PBS is active, alive -- not static
It’s not something we’ve done – it’s something we’re doing
Requires regular team meetings with a team that represents ALL
school staff
Team keeps PBS alive through ongoing planning, support, and
decision making to address needs as they arise
Looking at data & maintaining & developing programs to meet
needs
 Constantly asking:
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What can we do to address this need?
What can we do to decrease this trend?
How can we improve the current programs we have in place?
School-wide Rules: Creating a
Culture
Guidelines for Developing
School-wide Rules
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3-5 Positively Stated Rules
Rules should be:
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Broad enough to cover all potential behavior
Positively stated
Easy to remember
Catchy – personalized to your school
Example
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Be Safe, Be Responsible, Be Respectful
Publicly Post School Rules
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Post expectations in prominent places
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Why Post ?
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Provides prompts for staff & students
Increases accountability for staff and students to use language &
follow rules
Signs can reduce confrontation
Plan Ahead
(before school year)
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Before we can teach, reinforce, and enforce
anything in our school or classrooms
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Clearly define:
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fair behavioral expectations &
behavioral routines
Based on the culture and physical layout of the school
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physical layout of the school
student
school schedule (breaks, lunch, recess, etc.)
SETTING
Expectations
Teaching
Matrix
All Settings
Hallways
Playgrounds
Cafeteria
Library/
Computer
Lab
Study, read,
compute.
Sit in one spot.
Watch for your
stop.
Assembly
Bus
Respect
Ourselves
Be on task.
Give your
best effort.
Be prepared.
Walk.
Have a plan.
Eat all your
food.
Select healthy
foods.
Respect
Others
Be kind.
Hands/feet to
self.
Help/share
with others.
Use normal
voice volume.
Walk to right.
Play safe.
Include others.
Share
equipment.
Practice good
table manners
Whisper.
Return
books.
Listen/watch.
Use appropriate
applause.
Use a quiet
voice.
Stay in your
seat.
Respect
Property
Recycle.
Clean up
after self.
Pick up litter.
Maintain
physical
space.
Use equipment
properly.
Put litter in
garbage can.
Replace trays
& utensils.
Clean up
eating area.
Push in
chairs.
Treat books
carefully.
Pick up.
Treat chairs
appropriately.
Wipe your feet.
Sit
appropriately.
Defining Expectations
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Base expectations on school rules
Outline expectations specific to each setting
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Positively stated expectations
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Seek input from staff, especially from those who work in
specific settings
Walk in the hallway v. No running
Helps cue staff to recognize positive, not just negative
behavior
Focus on clear, specific behaviors
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Keep hands & feet to self v. Keep body under control
Behavioral Expectation Grid
Defining Expected Behavior across Classroom Routines
School Rules
Be Safe
Responsible
Respectful
Classroom
Keep hands and feet
to self, know
emergency drills
Be prepared and
participate
Listen quietly, follow
teacher directives, respect
others thoughts
Routine
Class entry
Walk quietly into
the room and find
seat
Take out materials for this
class, put other stuff on
floor under desk
Talk with an appropriate
volume and respectful
tone
Routine
Group Instr.
Chair legs on floor
Keep hands, feet
and objects to self
Be prepared and ready to
participate
Raise your hand to speak
& wait patiently; follow
teacher directives
Hallway Pass
Walk, look out for
opening doors, sign
out and take pass
Go directly to/from the
location of your pass
Talk in a hallway voice,
keep hands and feet to self
Setting Fair & Reasonable Expectations
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Setting unreasonable expectations leads to
inconsistency in enforcing expectations
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If I believe expectations are unfair or unreasonable,
I will not enforce them
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Inconsistency = reduced credibility
Lining up in hallway
Be careful not to set up expectations that will not be
enforced
Teaching Behavioral Expectations &
Routines
Basic Strategy for Establishing Behavioral
Routines
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1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
Why? What is the purpose of the behavior
Specify Student Behaviors
Model Desired Behavior
Coach - Lead - Practice – each individual
student should have an opportunity to practice
the routine
Test/ Monitor
Follow-up -- reinforce & reteach regularly
Teaching Behavioral Expectations &
Routine
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Make lessons fun and engaging, just like any lesson
should be
Make instruction developmentally appropriate
Lessons can be more challenging with older kids;
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may rely more on verbal explanation of rules, with practice as
a response for not following rules & regular reinforcement for
following rules
Although, practice is always very valuable
Choose skills to teach wisely
Presentation & attitude are important
What great teachers do…
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Have students physically practice the
behavior in the setting
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Simply talking about the rules or describing them
is not nearly as powerful as having the student
practice and “show you” they can do it
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Teacher should demonstrate the wrong way
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Have students explain why this is the wrong way
Students should practice the right way
What great teachers do…
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Learning takes frequent practice of “doing it the right way”, so we
build in frequent opportunities to practice the right way to do it
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Students also need to know if they are doing it the right way or
wrong way, so we…
 Provide immediate feedback when students do it the right
way
“great job of ….., that was just like we practiced”
or provide corrective feedback if they do it wrong way and
provide them more opportunities to do it the right way
 “whoa, remember what we practiced, can you show me
what we’ve been practicing?”
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Difference between Teaching & Nagging
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Nagging = repeatedly stating to a student what they
are doing wrong
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Reactive response
Teaching provides students with support to ensure
they can perform the expected behavior, with the
opportunity to practice & clear feedback (positive
feedback or corrective feedback)
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Can be used proactively or reactively
Remember that good teaching is
one of our best behavior
management tools