CLASSROOM MANAGEMENT|issues

Nelly Zafeiriades ELT School Advisorwww.zafeiriades.weebly.com

Teacher’s Reflection Could this problem

be a result of inappropriate curriculum or teaching strategies?

What do I demand and prohibit?

Why do certain behaviors bother me?

Is this behavior developmentally appropriate?

Do I focus on a behavioral excess or a deficiency?

Will resolution of the problem solve anything else?

Kauffman, J. M. , Hallahan, D. P., Mostert, M.P., Trent, S.C., & Nuttycombe, D.G. (1993). Managing Classroom Behavior. Boston: Allyn & Bacon

Good Teaching Instructional goals are clear Knowledgeable of content and

strategies for teaching it Student expectations are clearly

described Provide practice that enrich and clarify

content Teach metacognitive strategies

Good Teaching Knowledgeable about student’s abilities,

adapt instruction according to their needs

Monitor student progress Provide feedback Accept responsibility for student

outcomes Are thoughtful and reflective about their

practice

Teacher Behaviors Provide frequent positive praise and

reinforcement Ignore minor misbehaviors Reward positive behaviors Avoid power struggles with students Do students like being in the

classroom? Students are achieving academic and

social gain Provide clear expectations

Teacher Behaviors Cont. Provide clear behavioral expectations -

rules should state what students should do

Teacher expectations should be high for all students

Signal control:audible or body language to cue student

Blocking: teacher moves between two students to interfere

Selecting Rules Allow students to give input Base rules on acceptable behavior State rules positively Select 5 or 6 rules Select rules for academic and social

behaviors Change rules when necessary Relate rules to EFL Syllabus goals Consider cultural differences

ABC’s to Behavior Management

Antecedent Behavior Consequences

Defining Behavior Describe behavior objectively and

precisely (not: “he irritates me”) Can you observe the behavior when it

begins and when it stops– can you count the number of occurrences

each day– can you measure the duration of the

behavior Can you observe what happens just

before and just after it occurs

Identifying Antecedents

What are the events or conditions that immediately precede the problem behavior?

Can you manipulate the antecedents to avoid the behavior? (e.g. providing choices for activities)

Reading Antecedents Facial Expressions: tight thin lips,

clenched teeth, widened eyes with nostrils flared

Body Posture: head down, slumped shoulders, clenched hands, sucking or chewing

Incidental Behavior: rapid shallow breathing, sighing, kicking, mumbling, tearing paper, breaking pencils

Identifying Consequences

What does the student “get” out of the behavior?

Are students getting attention, avoiding work, receiving stimulus, or enjoy seeing adults upset?

Changing Behavior Provide instruction with simple and

clear directions Gain student’s full attention before

giving instructions Provide one instruction at a time - do

not provide too many different instructions

Monitor compliance - provide time limits Provide appropriate consequences for

compliance

Behavior Management Techniques

Positive Reinforcement Negative Reinforcement Extinction Response Cost Punishment Proximity Control Decontamination

Positive Reinforcement The positive reinforcement must be

rewarding to the student The reinforcers must be contingent on

the behavior you want to increase The reinforcers should be delivered

immediately Provide appropriate units of rewards for

the expected unit of behavior

Negative Reinforcement Definition: reinforcing a behavior by

removing or preventing something unpleasant - allows the individual to escape or avoid a negative consequence

Not recommended as a prominent part of classroom management– negative reinforcement relies on the presence or threat of negative

consequences– deliberate negative reinforcement sets the stage for

coercion/intimidation

Extinction

To eliminate a behavior - you eliminate its reinforcement, the behavior no longer produces the desired effect (positive or negative)

Disadvantages: slow process and when extinction procedures are first implemented, the behavior will likely become worse before better

Response Cost The behavior “costs” something by

withholding or withdrawing a positive reinforcer contingent on a specific misbehavior

Example: students receive 10 tokens at the beginning of class, every time a problem behavior occurs, the teacher gets 1 token back. The tokens can be exchanged at the end of the day or class for free time.

Proximity Control

Visual - visually monitor student activity from any position in the classroom

Physical - teacher positions her/himself close to each student to inhibit antecedent

Decontamination

Preventive action by inspecting classroom for two types of objects– Distractors: entice students to engage in

off-task behaviors (e.g. toys, slide projectors, hazards: exposed wires, broken windows

– Potential Weapons: letter openers, knives, broom handle, hammer and yard stick

Informal Interventions

Attention for compliance - verbal praise– Use social praise consistently– Provide praise only to students who earn it

Ignoring: only appropriate when:– the target behavior is temporarily tolerable– the target behavior is under the influence

of a reinforcer that you can control

Structured Interventions

Group Consequences Individual Consequences Individual Contracts Self Management

Group Consequences Provide a set of behavior rules or

expectations Determine the interval of time for the

contingency - the longer the interval, the more valuable the reward

Provide a menu of choices to avoid satiation

Develop a record keeping system Determine criterion for reinforcement

Individual Consequences

Surprise Tokens: reinforcers are delivered at times that are not predictable by students

Random Drawing: students place their name on a piece of paper and place into a jar when they comply to rules, at the end of the day, conduct a drawing for prizes

Individual Contracts An agreement between the teacher and

the student about a desirable change in behavior

Parts of the contract– The parties to the contract– The target behavior– The goal for the target behavior– The time period for the contract– The reward available for meeting the terms– The penalty for failing to honor the contract

Self Management Behavioral Definition: help the student

choose a behavior to monitor Teach the student to record behavior

– Event recording– Permanent Product recording

Teach the student how to plot the data Teach the student how to apply self-

reinforcement Use contracts to provide structure

Identifying Coercive Interactions Starts with an antecedent that is

aversive and the student tries to escape or avoid the activity.

Two parties are trying to control each other.– How do these interactions start?– At what point could I avoid the process by disengaging from

it?– How could I start a different interaction that does not end in

a power struggle?– How could I try to replace coercive interactions with ones

ending in positive consequences?

Teacher Stress

Burnout Symptoms– Feeling of boredom, overwork, emotional

exhaustion, and fatigue– Development of negative, cynical, or

depersonalizing attitudes toward students– Lack of sense of accomplishment from the

job

Managing Teacher Stress

Time management Student behavior Interpersonal relationships Role expectations Personal concerns

Poor Time Management Uncontrolled rushing Chronic vacillation between unpleasant

alternatives Fatigue with many hours of unproductive

activity Constantly missed deadlines Insufficient time for rest and personal

relationships Sense of being overwhelmed

Time Management Techniques

Self-Management– Time analysis– Goal setting– Prioritization– Delegation– Action

Interpersonal Concerns

Poor staff relations Insufficient opportunities for

professional growth Administrative ineffectiveness Lack of recognition

Role Expectations

Teachers often set expectations around being liked, helpful, and in control

Role ambiguity: confusion of the scope and specific responsibilities of the job

Role conflict: discrepancy between teacher’s perception of the job and the perceptions of significant others

Personal Solutions Relaxation Compartmentalized Thinking:

separation between work and personal life

Detached Concern: do not dwell on things over which you have no control

Personal Time Cognitive Restructuring: focus on

strengths not weaknesses