What positive prevention measures that can be used to help eliminate inappropriate behavior in the classroom?

Question

What positive prevention measures that can be used to help eliminate inappropriate behavior in the classroom?

Answer 1

If you google Positive Behavior supports, there are several websites with lots of information available.    Try the state department of education of whatever state you are located in.  There may be free trainings available.  More than 30 states are actively using this school wide approach to discipline.

A simple summary might be : establish clear expectations in language the kids can understand.  Provide  a continuum of consequences.  Acknowledge attempts of appropriate behaviors.   Of course, severe behaviors like trying to choke another student, are removed from the room and dealt with outside of classroom setting, if possible.   At our school we have fewer than a dozen referrals to the office per quarter in last two years... and we house the EBD program for the elementary schools in our district along with about 450 other kids.   We spend time at the beginning of each quarter and after vacations to introduce and then review expectations.  We use lots of modeling and role playing.  We have expectations posted all around the school.  We use picture posters for younger kids.   We use " eyes , guys" signal followed by a count to 5 to get kids' attention. ( There is actually a poster for this available commercially)  When in assemblies we clap our hands in a pattern , to indicate silence, the kids shut their mouths and repeat the clap.  Sometimes we have to do another clapping pattern, but never more than 3 ... and that is to get the whole school to quiet down and pay attention. This works with our hearing impaired, ESL, and Visually impaired students as well.   We  have a little story for the younger kids about Native American children learning the rules of a hunt which include : there is a time to be silent, a time to show respect, a time to share etc.  the kids make a bracelet with a different colored bead for each rule.  The concept is used throughout the year.  Our kids have received several positive comments for their good behavior at assemblies and on field trips.  Not that we expect a regimented silence only atmosphere, but there are times to be quiet and times to talk, times to run around, and times to settle down.

We also use peer mediation, encouraging kids to settle their own problems.  Well, I could probably write dozens of suggestions, but I am not sure what your grade level or specific problem is, so try going to a PBS ( Positive Behavioral Support)  training , or at least a website or two.  Hope this gets you started. Good luck.

Answer 2

PARENT OF FORMER TROUBLE KIDS

My son's class there was a felt chart and it looked like a stop light. On it it had the names of all the students on little Velcro things. All of them started on green at the beginning of the day. First infraction the student would go to yellow(the warning) next infraction they would be on red and loose their playtime. It worked for my 2nd son.

Ultimately if it is the same student time after time I would really consider having a notebook log to go back and forth between you and the parents so they would absolutely know when their kid is misbehaving and they can address it the same day. As a parent it is hard to punish a child for an infraction that happened a week ago (I have this problem with most of my children's educators). Not to mention you can have the parent give you insight into what his mood is for the day or why he is behaving that way. It worked as well because I used to praise him up and down when he had a good day. Those days he used to proudly get the book out and say "HEEEEY MOMMM!!! I did Good today" THIS DID WORK FOR MY 3rd CHILD!!! by the end of the year he was the student of the month. I

Answer 3

Use positive reinforcements when positive behavior is observed and a loss of rewards when negative behaviors are displayed... always staying calm yet firm, assertive and not aggressive and above all else stay consistent with consequences (positive and negative) when each type of behavior exists... either a gain or loss of activity or token.