Practical Behavior
Management Techniques
Richard Van Acker, Ed. D.
University of Illinois at Chicago
1040 W. Harrison
Chicago, IL 60607
Email: vanacker@uic.edu
Like all of us…
…children engage in
behavior to meet their
needs and desires.
Some of this we
call misbehavior.
Schools are a rather unique
setting…
Do we invite children to come to school?
When they come to
school, what do we
ask them to do?
Typically, you are the only one in your
classroom who volunteered to be there.
Why has classroom management
become so difficult?
• Changes is societal norms.
• Most teachers are ill prepared for
addressing challenging student
behavior.
• Increased diversity in the students
we serve – ethnic, cultural,
linguistic, and academic.
• Increase numbers of children and
youth with mental health disorders
(1 in 5)
• More children from lower income
households.
• Greater demands being placed on
educators.
Effective instruction calls for a
successful integration between…
Student Characteristics
Teacher Behavior
Curricular Demands
A mismatch between any two or all
three elements will likely result in…
… the display of
challenging behavior.
• Withdrawal
• Anger
• Frustration
• Fear
• Cheating
• Disruptive behavior
• Defiant behavior
Teachers too, can engage in
undesired behavior…
• Anger and aggression
– Over reliance on
punishment
• If punishment would have
worked – there wouldn’t
be a problem
• Punishment induced
aggression
• Results in increased
separation of student from
school
• Federal regulations –
IDEA 1997
• Ignoring the child –
curriculum of non
instruction
Most student behaviors are
attempts to problem solve…
… often the intent is reasonable; it is
the means the student is using to
solve the problem that is of
concern.
• To gain…
–
–
–
–
•
Attention
Peer affiliation
Tangible reward
Autonomy – self-control
To escape…
– To feel safe
– To feel competent – self-esteem
– To demonstrate autonomy
•
Internal stimuli
– Sensory needs
– Thirst, hunger
– Hallucinations
The Role of the Special Educator
• Has changed dramatically over the past two decades.
– Move towards inclusion – removed the vast majority of students
with disabilities out of our classrooms and into the general
education setting.
– Special education certification changes expand the breadth of
knowledge and decrease the depth of knowledge for the typical
special education teacher. Current changes exacerbate this
issue.
– The special educator’s role became one of collaborator and
consultant rather than the one who provided the direct instruction
to the students
– General educators not prepared to address the instructional and
behavioral needs of many students with significant special
education needs.
– Structure of the school day and demands on teacher time make
effective collaboration difficult if not impossible.
The Role of the Special Educator
– ‘No Child Left Behind’ and AYP demands a significant
challenge for students with disabilities.
– Dramatic cuts in educational funding result in larger
class sizes.
– Many students with special needs ignored, delegated
to paraprofessional as instructor, or placed back into
a more restrictive setting (especially those with
significant behavior problems).
– Special education teachers ill- prepared to address
the needs of the new special education class
population – typically cross-categorical with respect to
disability, increasingly diverse in their academic
needs, and present significant behavioral, emotional
and mental health needs.
The Best way to Address
Challenging Student Behavior…
• …is to prevent it!
– Nothing succeeds –
like success!
•
•
– Reading is essential
There is a strong relationship
between reading ability and
behavior.
Failure to read results in failure
at school.
In Washington DC and Houston, TX, on average,
entering kindergarten children scored between
the 5th and 17th percentiles on the PPVT.
http://www.interventioncentral.org/htmdocs/tools/okapi/okapi.shtml
Intensive
Chronic behavior
FBA & BIP
Targeted Interventions
At risk behavior
Increased cues and prompts
Intensive instruction
School-wide Effective Behavior Systems
100% of students
Clear expectations
Teach behaviors
Rules, routines and physical arrangements Effective instruction
Policy of consistent Administrator & Staff Implementation
Significantly disruptive behavior –
Partner classroom,
Contingent observation time out
FBA/BIP
Systematic Interventions to address
High rate, moderate to mild disruptive
Behaviors (e.g. DRL Group Contingencies, Student/
Teacher Game, Good Behavior Game).
Supplemental or Booster Instruction
Clear classroom rules – actively teach and
review clear expectations – examples and
non-examples displayed during instruction and
review. Quality differentiated instruction
Increasingly Intensive Assessment
and Intervention
Provide clear expectations for behaviors within the student’s
demonstrated ability or ‘zone of proximal development’.
Redirect to activities that student has mastered (sense of
confidence) and move to more challenging behavior.
Employ positive behavioral supports and natural consequences.
Conduct a ‘Simple FBA’ – explore functions behavior serves
through informal observation and informal interview. Provide
positive supports and aids.
Conduct a formal FBA and develop an individualized BIP. Monitor
implementation and outcomes.
Primary Supports
for all students
Clear Rules and Procedures
Quality Differentiated Instruction
Develop Lessons for the
Students we Teach
• The academic
diversity in our
classes makes lesson
planning a challenge.
Reading
Decoding
Reading
Comprehension
Math
Computation
Ability to
Attend
Strengths Interests
Jeremy Adams
6.5
6.4
7.2
20 min
NASCAR,
Sports
Nicholas James
3.2
2.9
4.3
6 min
Ships,
Guns
Cheryl Jeffrey
6.0
5.9
6.4
25 min
Horses
Diane McMurry
5.4
5.4
5.5
15 min
Sports
Student
Provide Technical Assistance or
Universal Design Applications
• Babelfish – Language translations
http://babelfish.altavista.com/
• ReadPlease – ‘cut and paste’ reader
http://www.readplease.com/
• Cognitive Rescaling – material summary – using
AutoSummary in Microsoft Word
http://www.uwm.edu/~edyburn/Cognitiverescaling.pdf
• Kidspiration – graphic organizers, outlines, visual
learning tools http://www.inspiration.com/
• SparkNotes – Literature support
http://sparknotes.com/
School personnel tend to
reward excellence… not
improvement
• Does your school acknowledge a
student who moves from a low
“F” to a high “F’?
• How about the student who
moves from a “B’ to an “A”?
• It often takes more
improvement to move from a low
“F’ to a high “F”.
• Many at-risk students may
never excel - but all can improve
Student Behavior can Signal When
Instructional Level is Not Appropriate:
Careful Observation to Identify Triggers
• Often as one of the people who spends the most
time directly interacting with a student, you may
quickly become aware of when a student moves
away from his or her typical or ‘baseline’
behavior.
• This may be signaled by an increase or a
decrease in behavior.
• A critical skill in working with children is to be
good at observing triggers that may serve to
move a student into a potential crisis situation.
Understanding the Crisis
Crisis
Escalation
De-escalation
Agitation
Trigger
Hangover/Recovery
Adapted from: Managing the Cycle of
Acting-Out Behavior in the Classroom
By Dr. Geoff Colvin
Understanding the Crisis
Crisis
De-escalation
Escalation
Agitation
Trigger
Hangover
Student Cognition
Understanding the Crisis
Crisis
De-escalation
Escalation
Staff Movement
Agitation
Away from Self Control
Trigger
Hangover
Student Cognition
Understanding the Crisis
Crisis
De-escalation
Escalation
Staff Movement
Agitation
Away from Self Control
Trigger
Staff Cognition
Student Cognition
Hangover
Understanding the Crisis
Crisis
De-escalation
Escalation
Agitation
Trigger
Area of Greatest
Influence
Hangover
Provide a ‘Win-Win’ Opportunity
• When confronted with challenging or noncompliant behavior, quickly revert to a
“curriculum of control”
• They forget what they were attempting to
accomplish with the student and switch to the
goal of getting the student to “do what he was
told!”
• Often they give situational control to the student
and simply follow their challenging behavior
attempting to gain the upper hand.
Let’s Think About a Student
• Randy is a freshman
•Randy and his family have recently
moved into the school district from
another urban school district (Dade
County Florida – Miami).
•Randy is a very reluctant learner.
•At times, Randy can become
disruptive to the classroom setting.
•Randy seldom completes the
assigned work and almost never does
homework
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
The classroom teacher has assigned the class to read the next 6 pages in
the Social Studies text and to answer the questions at the end of the
chapter.
Randy starts to try and do the lesson. He begins to look upset. He is
displaying increased movement and he is starting to look around the room
and to divert his attention from the task. He mumbles to himself and starts
to actively protest that, ”This shit is stupid. Nobody cares about this crap.”
The teacher moves towards Randy and asks if everything is okay?
Randy says, “I don’t know why we can’t do this as a class or with partners.
This is really boring!”
The teacher says, “I know you can do this if you try – just do your best”
Randy says, “I hate this shit!”
The teacher says. “Randy you need to watch your language. You can not
cuss in this classroom.”
Randy says, “Don’t tell me what I can and can not do. You aren’t my boss!”
The teacher says, “Randy, we have to all get along and do what is asked of
us – otherwise the classroom just won’t work.”
In a loud voice, Randy says, “I’m tired of this bullshit. I hate this f___king
class.” Randy starts to get up to exit the classroom.
The teacher steps in his way (to block his exit) and says, “Sit down right
now and do what I have asked you to do! Stop swearing!”
Randy says, “F__k you! I am out of here!”
The teacher moves towards Randy and grabs his arm – attempting to move
him back to his seat.
Randy shakes her hand off of his arm and pushes past her – exiting the
classroom.
Additional Information
• Randy is a student with both learning and
emotional disorders (Anxiety Disorders).
• He can become overwhelmed very easily and
often becomes frustrated and will either simply
‘shut down’ or he will become argumentative
(loud protests and threats to hurt others or to
leave the instructional area).
• The text is written at the 9.4 grade level. Randy
has 4.3 grade level decoding skills and even
lower levels of reading comprehension.
Debriefing
Student
Behavior
Staff Behavior
Escalate
Neutral
Reduce
Options
Debriefing
Student
Behavior
Staff Behavior
Teacher assigns 6
pages to read
Starts to look
agitated – This shit’s
stupid
Is everything ok?
Why not do this as a
class, partners – This
stuff is boring.
Try – Do your best
I hate this shit.
Watch your language
– can’t cuss
Don’t tell me what to
do – you are not my
boss
We have to get along
or school won’t work
Tired of this bullsh_t,
I hate this f_cking
class
Stop swearing – Sit
down right now –
Blocks exit
F_ck you! I am out of
here – starts to exit
Teacher grabs his
arm and attempts to
guide him to seat
Shakes her arm off He pushes past
teacher - exits
Escalate
Neutral
Reduce
Options
Even with Strong Academic Planning
… Behavior Problems are Inevitable
• “He knows what he
should do.”
• Knowledge is
necessary…
• … but not sufficient.
Behavior = The Development of
Neural Pathways
Immature neuron – few dendrites and/or axon endings
As we engage in repeated behavior the neurons thicken and make
many more connections (dendrites and axon endings) with other
neurons. Takes less energy to fire the neural pathway.
Anyone Learn to Drive with a Stick Shift?
• What were they
thinking?
• Three pedals
when we only
have two legs???
School personnel seem to forget
everything they know about learning
when we address behavior
• We often fail to clearly
identify expected behavior
How did you learn this?
• We seldom teach expected
4
behavior
• We employ vastly different ,
+ 4
and typically ineffective,
intervention strategies
We know what we should do to address
behavior – we simply don’t do it
When a student makes a
mistake reading….we teach
When a student makes a math
error …. we teach
When a student makes a
behavioral error… we
punish.
Clear Expectations
• Far too often, the
expectations for desired
behavior are implied rather
than clearly stated for
everyone to understand.
• This is especially true for
students with disabilities –
these students do not always
grasp the hidden curriculum
of the school setting.
• Often stress what a student
should not do, with no clear
indication of what
they should do.
Respect for adult
authority
• What situations are likely to result
in a student becoming
disrespectful?
“I don’t care if you do
think I’m ‘dissing’ you, I
want you in that
reading corner right
now!”
• How could a student in your
class/school indicate his/her
concern in a way that all of the
teachers would accept as
appropriate?
How will this be taught
to the students?
• Direct instruction related to the
expected behavior.
– Examples
– Non-examples (close and far approximations)
• Opportunities to practice the desired
behavior with feedback.
• Learning is a process – there will be
errors.
Establishing and Teaching
Rules and Procedures
• Rules:
– Reasonable (developmentally appropriate)
– Understandable (clearly stated and
predictable)
– Enforceable (you know when there is a
violation AND you provide consequences for
BOTH desired and undesired responses)
• Procedures:
– Common issues and situations that require
responses from students that must taught.
Let’s Look at your classroom rules
and procedures
Activity or Concern
Entering the
classroom
Warm-up activity
(bell ringer) – task
students begin as
soon as they walk
into the room
Student movement
within the
classroom (to get
paper, books, etc.)
My Procedure
How monitored
and reinforced
Notes:
The Bear That Did Not
Know What To Do
• Once upon a time there
was a bear who did not
know what to do. He had
never been to school. So
when he got on the bus,
the first thing he did was
to sit on the bus driver’s
lap.
• What should he have
done?
Create stories to address common procedures for lower grade students.
Student Storybook
• Blank Book -Draw
pictures and add age
appropriate words to
depict the situation.
– James was playing with the
blocks.
– It was time to clean up.
– James didn’t want to clean
up.
– James became angry and
threw the blocks….
– End with appropriate
desired action
PreCorrection
(Colvin, Sugai, & Patching, 1993)
• Pre-correction statements should be provided prior to the
students involvement in particularly problematic behavior
or prior to unstructured activities. This will help facilitate
the development of self-regulation skills.
• Pre-Correction typically involves seven steps):
– Identify the context and the predictable behavior(s) of concern.
– Specify expected behaviors (this should be done in a calm
informative manner not as a warning),
– Modify the context (as needed) .
– Conduct behavioral rehearsals (provide opportunities for student
to practice),
– Provide strong reinforcement for the display of expected
behaviors – (attend to desired behavior),
– Prompt expected behaviors prior to performance, and
– Monitor the plan
Student Expectations For Active
Engagement in Learning
• What specific behaviors should students display
to demonstrate active engagement in a lesson?
– Students will sit with their butt on the seat, and feet
flat on the floor.
– Students will wait for teacher signal to speak and will
raise their hand to seek assistance or to make a task
related comment.
– Students will display eye contact with the teacher of
direct their attention to the focus of instruction (e.g.,
book, blackboard, screen, etc.)
Student/Teacher Game
Students
Teacher
///// ///// ///// ///// ///// ///// ///// /////
/////
Students win 4/5 times – it’s a set-up!
Even older students can get into this competition mode – if they win 5 minutes free time.
This is the
level
missing in
most
classrooms
Secondary Supports
for students who display
Common High-Rate Behaviors
Talk-Outs, Out of Seat
Primary Supports
for all students
Clear Rules and Procedures
Quality Differentiated Instruction
Some Students will need extra
support…
• …to assist in the prevention of academic
failure and problem behavior.
– Peer tutoring
– Homework club
– Structured play and increased structure in free
time activities
– Adult mentors
– Leadership opportunities
– Choices in work assigned
Instructional Consequences
• Aggression
• Intensive anger
management curriculum.
• Disrespect/
• Lessons on dealing with
Insubordination authority and an adult
mentor
• Truancy
• Service learning
activity
DRL – Group Contingency or
Hero System
Start with greater # than average display of target behavior.
Group Contingency
– Number of marks or stars (somewhat larger
number than baseline level of target behavior)
– One mark is removed each time a target
behavior is observed.
– Group reinforced if any marks remain at end
of specified interval.
– Reduce the number of marks provided as
behavior improves or increase the length of
the interval for the number of marks provided.
Hero System – if the system is set up to address the behavior of one
student – but the reinforcer is provided to the entire class.
Library Envelope System
• Make one library pocket card for each
student
Number of cards
Aaron
Lashika
Randy
Sarah
Anita
Lashonda
Joe
based on
baseline data –
student need.
Mary
Scott
Reset the cards 3 or 4 times a day.
Learning = opportunities to succeed
Free ticket
2-3 minute delay Detention to recess or
loss of recess
passing
– 5 min delay
Honest and Caring
Communication and Feedback
INTENT
BEHAVIOR
What did you observe?
How did it make you feel?
Was that the intention of the
individual?
IMPACT
Problem Behavior in the Cafeteria
Simple and efficient consequences that allow
multiple opportunities to learn contingencies.
RULES:
• Be Safe
•Always walk in the cafeteria
•Keep hands, feet, and
objects to self
•No trading or sharing food
•Be Responsible
•Once seated ask before
leaving the table
•Clean up your area
•Be Prepared to Learn
•Keep track of your belongings
Rule violation = 3 minutes at quiet table – then return to regular table.
Occurance of Target Behavior
Verbal Reprimand vs.
Group Contingency
90
80
Reprimand
Group Contingency
70
60
50
40
30
20
10
0
Week 1
Week 2
Week 3
Week 4
Week 25
Van Acker & Grant, 1996
Tertiary Supports
for the most
Challenging Students
Secondary Supports
for students who display
Common High-Rate Behaviors
Talk-Outs, Out of Seat
Primary Supports
for all students
Clear Rules and Procedures
Quality Differentiated Instruction
How might we typically address
the following behavior?
• Brian is a third grade student.
• He has a mild learning disability.
• He lives with his mother and
three brothers - father has
died.
• Mother works a minimum wage
job.
• Brian loves pens and pencils
When the bell rings for lunch- Brian races
out of the room.
The Functional Assessment of
Behavior
• The identification of the target behavior
• An informed hypothesis as to function of the behavior
• Data collection
– Indirect data collection
– Direct data collection
• Verification – Triangulation of data
– Functional analysis of behavior
• Developing the behavior intervention plan
– Program to decrease undesired behavior
– Program to increase desired alternative behavior
• Monitoring the implementation and evaluation
Selecting an Appropriate
Consequence
(Function vs. Form)
• The nature of the surface
behavior has little to do with
the selection of an
appropriate consequence.
• The function of the behavior
should serve to direct the
selection of the
consequence.
Be Careful with Escape
• Escape and Avoidance is
often a function of
undesired behavior.
Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs
Self-Actualization
• Is Escape and Avoidance
a basic human need?
Self Esteem
• Typically, Escape and
Avoidance result from the
need for safety,
competence/self-esteem,
and/or autonomy.
Safety
Belonging
Physiological Needs
Two Aspects to Most BIPs
• Increase Reasonable
Alternative Behavior
that Addresses the
Function of the Target
Behavior
Can I play with the
dinosaur when you
are finished?
• Decrease the Display
of the Target
Behavior – Make it
Less Effective in
Meeting the Identified
Function
Give it to
me!
Direct Behavior Intervention Plan
Current Undesired Behavior:
Expected Behavior:
Student Displays the Desired Behavior
Yes
Response:
Promotion of Success: (This includes efforts
to bring level of instruction and
opportunities to respond to the student’s
level)
No
Response:
Prevention Efforts: (This includes efforts to alter the
environment, change in teacher behavior, etc.)
Student Recommended for CICO
CICO Implemented
CICO Coordinator
Summarizes Data
For Decision Making
Morning
Check-in
Parent
Feedback
Regular Teacher
Feedback
Bi-weekly Meeting
to Assess Student
Progress
Afternoon
Check-out
Revise
Program
Graduate
Program
Student: ___________________ Teacher: ________________ Date:________
Subject Area
Soc
Stud
Math
Science
Reading
Displays kind and welcoming behavior towards others
Teases, taunts or displays rude or disrespectful behavior
towards others
Threatens harm or displays verbal/physical aggression
towards others
4
1
0
4
1
0
4
1
0
4
1
0
4
1
0
4
1
0
4
1
0
Stays in the Assigned Area
Exits the classroom without permission (any time during
interval)
Out of seat or assigned area and fails to comply with initial
request to return
Remains in the seat or assigned area throughout the
interval
Out of seat or instructional area but returns the first time
asked
4
2
1
0
4
2
1
0
4
2
1
0
4
2
1
0
4
2
1
0
4
2
1
0
4
2
1
0
BE PREPARED TO
LEARN
On-task more than 85% of the interval
On task more than 50% but less than 85% of the interval
On-task more than 10% but less than 50% of the interval
On-task less than 10% of the interval
3
2
1
0
3
2
1
0
3
2
1
0
3
2
1
0
3
2
1
0
3
2
1
0
3
2
1
0
Work completed with reasonable level of effort (Not
concerned with accuracy or neatness at this time)
Effort expended at a reasonable level but work not
completed
Little or no work attempted
4
2
0
4
2
0
4
2
0
4
2
0
4
2
0
4
2
0
4
2
0
Behavior
BE SAFE
Uses Kind words and
actions
Active Task Engagement
Work Completion
Bonus Points
Comments:
Scoring Rubric
Blueprints for Intervention
• Identify common behavior problems in
your school.
• Identify possible alternative behaviors
that should be taught.
• Explore the various functions for these
behaviors and identify:
– Ways teachers can teach desired behaviors
and provide necessary practice and
feedback.
– Teacher behaviors and interventions to
avoid.
– Potentially effective ways to reinforce desired
behavior.
– Potentially appropriate ways to address
undesired behavior.
www.dpi.state.wi.us/dpi/dlsea/een/ebdbluepri.html
To effectively impact student
behavior, we must openly
address teacher behavior
• For the most part student
behavior works and there is
little incentive for students
to change.
• Teachers are not receiving
the support and guidance
they require to be successful
with an increasingly diverse
student population.
• Students pay the price!!!
Consider Peer Triads for Teacher
Support and Feedback
• Three teachers volunteer
and self-select triad
partners.
• Each week – one teacher
is the host teacher.
• At different times each
partner observes for
about 20 minutes.
• Provide feedback – two
things they did well and
two things that could be
improved.
• Host teacher can direct
observation if desired.
Teacher behavior impacts
student behavior
Student X X X X X X X X X X X X X
talks-out
Teacher 1 1 2 1 3 1 1 2 1 3 3 1 2
response
1 = Verbal Reprimand
2 = Planned Ignoring/No Response
3 = Positive response to talk-out
(response desired by student)
Classroom Layout
Teacher Attention and
Feedback
Opportunity
to Respond
Verbal
Reprimand
for Behavior
Verbal
Verbal
Academic
Praise for Praise for Correction
Academics Behavior
///// /////
////
(14)
/////
///
(8)
///
(3)
//
(2)
///
(3)
//
(2)
///// ///// //
(12)
//
(2)
Developing systems of
teacher support
• Teacher collaborators
• Technological supports
– Audio and video recording
– Timers and other cues
• Peer Triads/Peer Monitoring
• Automatic triggers for support
of teachers and students
– Third student referral
– Fifth teacher referral
• Programs for change and
support - in-service staff
development
Change is Like Going to
Heaven; Everyone Thinks It’s
a Good Idea, but No One