Changing Student Behavior: Part 2
Research data consistently shows there has been an increase in negative student behaviors in schools, students exhibiting ADD/ADHD like features, and students with mental health issues (anxiety/depression).
-The Anxious Generation, John Haidt
In Changing Student Behavior Part One, we looked at the reasons behind the changing student behaviors in the classroom. You can read the blog HERE
The increase we are seeing in students with impulsivity, lack of focus, and social/emotional struggles is a systemic issue caused by environmental factors that stem from the home environment.
Our ability, as educators, to completely change these behaviors is limited. But there’s a lot we can do to mitigate them and bring out the best in our students and guide them towards reaching their full potential.
The most important thing to know about students is that EVERYTHING revolves around how they FEEL.
Do they feel loved and cared for?
Do they feel valued?
Do they feel safe and secure?
Do they feel successful?
OR
Do they feel like their teacher is always mad at them?
Do they feel as if they can do nothing right?
Do they feel confused about what is expected of them?
Do they feel frustrated because everything is too hard?
It is not our job to make sure students ALWAYS feel good. If a student is misbehaving, there are expectations and consequences that MUST be followed. Students WILL NOT learn to regulate their emotions and behaviors if they are not held accountable for them.
They NEED to feel discomfort and frustration to know that their behavior needs to change. But once a consequence is given, we move on and remind that student how much we value them and intentionally find ways to give behavior specific praise. See the 5:1 ratio below.
Read more about ensuring students’ essential needs are met through Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs HERE!
Changing Student Behavior: STRUCTURE, ROUTINES, PROCEDURES, ACCOUNTABILITY
Have high expectations for student behavior and consistently enforce those expectations. The expectations you have for your students affect their self-esteem and feelings of self-efficacy. If you have high expectations for your students, they will know that you believe in them, making it possible for them to believe in themselves. Hold your students to a HIGH STANDARD.
STRUCTURE - Have a daily schedule and routine that is communicated to the students visually and verbally at the start of each day. Make sure students know what learning will happen and when. Include any special activities or events (music, library, etc.).
ROUTINES & PROCEDURES - Begin by teaching students your expected routines and procedures for every part of the school day. This includes the expectations for spaces outside of the classroom. ALL students should be able to tell you verbally and show you physically what each classroom expectation looks like from how to ask for help, to getting a tissue, coming in and out of the classroom, and more.
ACCOUNTABILITY - When a student DOES NOT adhere to a classroom or school expectation, they are held accountable. EVERY TIME. Accountability can be as simple as a verbal reminder or having the student tell you the correct way to do something. Accountability can be a natural or predetermined consequence for multiple infractions. Accountability does not need to happen the exact moment the infraction incurs. Accountability can be delayed as you do not want to disrupt the flow of teaching for minor incidents.
BUILDING RELATIONSHIPS
By building relationships with students, you are meeting a student’s need for belonging. When you foster a classroom culture where students are part of a classroom community that listens to and values each other, they “belong”.
Positive relationships with students are built on positive interactions. When you authentically praise a student, they feel good and want to feel that way again. Behaviors are repeated, students earn praise, a motivation cycle is created. On the flip side, when students do not receive positive feedback, they may not engage in the types of behaviors that move them into the cycle of motivation.
Students who learn and think differently often have more negative interactions than positive ones. For example, students with ADHD may receive constant reminders to be on time and stay on task. Always provide feedback and reminders, but be intentional with outweighing those with positives.
Praise is the easiest classroom behavior strategy a teacher can use to reinforce student behavior. Positive student behavior is a key to student achievement, and student achievement is our goal! Teacher reprimands (especially when done publicly) have been found to increase student misbehavior and non-compliance. Elementary school students who receive more teacher praise than reprimands focus up to 20 to 30 percent more in the classroom. (Educational Psychology)
It is unreasonable to think that a teacher will NEVER reprimand a student (privately or publicly). Students who are especially disruptive MUST be reprimanded so that inappropriate behavior STOPS. Just keep in mind the 5:1 ratio and balance a reprimand with specific praise when appropriate.
Research supports a 5:1 praise to criticism ratio. This means for every one redirect a student receives, they should receive 5 specific statements of praise. When praising a student’s behavior, it must be stated specific to the behavior you are wanting to support.
ACADEMIC RIGOR
Students can exhibit behaviors because the academic expectations are too rigorous. The opposite can be true, as well. There are students who need more rigor and are easily bored. It may not be the academic rigor that is overwhelming, it could be the time given to complete classwork for a student that works slower than others or the need for organization of supplies and materials for a student lacking executive functioning skills.
When students feel overwhelmed by the academic expectations they experience cognitive overload. Cognitive overload is experienced when a student is given too much information at once, or too many tasks to complete, resulting in not being able to perform or process the information. The working memory is overloaded. The result can be anger, frustration, apathy, anxiety and a variety of other emotions and behaviors.
Ultimately, we want all students to feel successful. Use assessment data to know exactly what each student’s academic abilities are. While you must teach grade level standards, you can differentiate to accommodate those needing interventions and extensions. Provide opportunities each day for students, primarily those performing below grade level, to work in a small group with students at a similar learning level, so they can see they are not alone and can feel successful. Be sure that all students can access the grade level curriculum and engage in learning in some way.
STUDENT ENGAGEMENT
Lessons in the classroom often include a lot of down time for students. This may or may not be intentional, but it is inevitable unless you change your student engagement strategies.
When a student is reading aloud and their reading fluency is slow, the rest of the class is having to wait, causing their minds to wander. When students are given time to complete independent work, there will always be the fast finishers. Have must do/may do activities to keep them busy while others finish. But do not wait until everyone is finished, doing this could take you until the next day :) Be reasonable about the amount of time given to complete work, then move on once the majority are ready.
Be sure to employ active student participation with frequent movement breaks during instruction. Teach at a quick pace to communicate that your time and students’ time is important and shouldn’t be wasted. For students who cannot keep up with the pace, plan to pull those students in a small group to assist them in finishing work and ensure their understanding of concepts.
Student engagement strategies should communicate that learning is the ultimate goal and all students will be held accountable for learning. If a student is disrupting the learning of others, there will be a consequence.
SHARE CONTROL, STUDENT CHOICE
When teachers get frustrated with student behaviors, sometimes they feel as if they need to tighten the reins. Unfortunately, this can actually make behaviors WORSE. Just think of your teenage self. The more rules and restrictions you place on a teenager, the more they want to break those rules.
Teachers who are micromanagers show a lack of confidence in their students to make good choices. They suffocate academic and social growth. They think for their students. They discourage independence.
Students need the opportunity to make their own choices, to make their own mistakes, and to figure things out for themselves. THEN, after you’ve given these opportunities, if a student is unable to manage their choices and behavior, tighten the reins and make choices for them for a while before loosening the reins again.
To share control with your students, start by giving them simple choices.
“You can use crayons or markers.”
Then allow for bigger choices.
“You tend to talk when you are with Alexa and Rylan. You can sit next to them, and if you are too talkative, I will need to move you OR you can find other students to work with.”
Some teachers have a philosophy similar to Teaching with Love and Logic: You are free to do anything that doesn’t cause a problem for someone else. I am a believer in this philosophy, within reason of course.
EMOTIONAL OBJECTIVITY
Effective teachers with emotional objectivity implement and enforce rules and procedures, carry out discipline, and build relationships without taking any negative actions personally.
They are unemotional and matter of fact when managing behavior. While they care about their students and foster positive relationships, they keep a psychological distance and have a professional view of their students. They carry out aspects of classroom management without becoming emotionally involved regarding the outcome - without personalizing the actions of the students.
When interacting with a student that challenges you:
•Stay calm. Take a deep breath or two if needed.
•Stand with assertive body language. Make and keep eye contact.
•Speak clearly and deliberately with a calm, firm voice.
•Show empathy. No judgment. Having empathy doesn’t mean letting go of accountability. Hold children accountable, but with understanding and curiosity for why they might be misbehaving.
Never let them see you sweat. Be aware of what is going on in the classroom at all times. Remain calm at all times.
Most importantly, ALWAYS KEEP THE FOCUS ON LEARNING.
To learn more about effective classroom management visit the Classroom Management page of How to Teach Elementary School
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