Module 1

Editor's Notes

• #3: Page (16) When a student repeatedly displays off-task behavior, it is important to define the specific behavior and pinpoint the setting (or settings) in which it occurs. We recommend that teachers describe the behavior problem in concrete terms that are easy to communicate to the student and simple to measure. If descriptions of behaviors are vague (for example, “Jacob is always disruptive”), it is difficult to assess the extent of the problem, when and where it most often occurs, and how to intervene appropriately. Examples of concrete descriptions of problem behaviors are: Abraham blurts out answers without raising his hand during whole-class instruction. Thanh is physically aggressive toward his peers (hits, kicks, punches) during recess. Silvia frequently leaves her seat without permission during small-group instruction.
• #4: Page (16) When a student repeatedly displays off-task behavior, it is important to define the specific behavior and pinpoint the setting (or settings) in which it occurs. We recommend that teachers describe the behavior problem in concrete terms that are easy to communicate to the student and simple to measure. If descriptions of behaviors are vague (for example, “Jacob is always disruptive”), it is difficult to assess the extent of the problem, when and where it most often occurs, and how to intervene appropriately. Examples of concrete descriptions of problem behaviors are: Abraham blurts out answers without raising his hand during whole-class instruction. Thanh is physically aggressive toward his peers (hits, kicks, punches) during recess. Silvia frequently leaves her seat without permission during small-group instruction.
• #5: Page (17) Key information to note about each instance of the behavior includes: Time of day. Classroom location (for example, computer center, reading area). Subject matter being taught. Type of learning activity. Difficulty of the task. Presence of particular peers or adults. Teachers might also consult with parents about whether they see similar behavior at home and, if so, the specific context of its occurrence (for example, with adults or peers). Once these data are collected, teachers may decide to discuss the findings with colleagues or local school or district behavior experts (see recommendation 4). Patterns revealed by this information will provide important clues as to what prompts the problem behavior, when it is most likely to happen, and what reinforces it.
• #6: Page (17) Teachers might also consult with parents about whether they see similar behavior at home and, if so, the specific context of its occurrence (for example, with adults or peers). Once these data are collected, teachers may decide to discuss the findings with colleagues or local school or district behavior experts (see recommendation 4). Patterns revealed by this information will provide important clues as to what prompts the problem behavior, when it is most likely to happen, and what reinforces it.
• #7: Page (17) Patterns revealed by this information will provide important clues as to what prompts the problem behavior, when it is most likely to happen, and what reinforces it.
• #8: Page (17) Because students learn to behave in ways that satisfy a need or result in a desired outcome, it is important to examine the frequency and context data they have collected to figure out the prompts and outcomes for a particular student’s misbehavior.
• #9: Page (17) Carefully examine triggers that may prompt a student’s misbehavior by asking themselves when, where, and with whom problem behaviors are most likely to occur. Common environmental triggers usually cluster in three general categories  (next slide)
• #10: Page (17) We recommend that teachers also carefully reflect on what usually happens after the behavior occurs, including: how they react how other students react, and the consequences that may be reinforcing the behavior. Reinforcers of a student’s persistent problem behavior usually derive from two common outcomes: the student’s attempt either: to get something, such as attention or access to a preferred activity or to escape something, such as demands, reprimands, or difficult tasks.
• #11: Page (19) Michael’s disruptive behavior during math instruction is distracting others from participating and learning. When the teacher asks three students to solve a problem at the board, Michael teases the students when they walk past his desk. The snide remarks continue while they are solving the problems, and at one point, Michael takes the pencils off one of the student’s desk and hides them in his desk. When the teacher’s reprimand is not effective, she moves closer to his desk to monitor his behavior. This only causes Michael’s misbehavior to escalate and further disrupt the lesson, so she sends him out of class to the principal’s office. To anticipate Michael’s disruptive behavior and adjust environmental triggers and reinforcers, his teacher noted what happened before the misbehavior to prompt it (its antecedents) and after the misbehavior to reinforce or decrease it (its consequences).
• #12: Page (19) What happened before (antecedent): A difficult concept in math was modeled to the class and students were called on to work problems at the board. Behavior: Michael distracted and teased students who were participating in whole class exercises in math. The disruptive behavior recurred two days later during a math lesson. hat happened after (consequence): Verbal reminders, physical proximity, and finally removal from class (allowing student to avoid doing the math lesson).
• #13: Page (19) The teacher observed that the disruptive behaviors only occurred during math, indicating that Michael may have wanted to avoid engaging in the lesson. The teacher asked herself if the concept was too difficult or too easy to sustain his attention and gauged the developmental appropriateness of Michael’s behavior against the instructional and disciplinary strategies in play. She realized that removal of Michael from the classroom may have inadvertently reinforced his disruptive behavior because it allowed him to avoid doing the task. Because the context for the disruptive behavior was identified, the teacher planned to adjust the antecedent and consequences by using the developmentally appropriate strategies described below, and to continue to observe his behavior to evaluate the success of her new approach.
• #14: Page (19) Adjusted antecedents: Forewarn Michael when new concepts will be introduced in math and tell him he will be one of the students called on to offer an answer to a problem. Gauge Michael and his classmates’ understanding of the new concept by asking several questions and offering a variety of problems for students to solve. Adjust the difficulty of the problems on the basis of the students’ success. Consequences: If misbehavior occurs, take Michael aside and remind him of behavior expectations during whole-group lessons. Describe how the observed behavior affects students’ learning. If behavior persists, give Michael a choice of participating in the lesson or relocating to a designated area to work on problems independently until he is ready to return to the whole group.
• #15: Page (19) As demonstrated in the example, teachers’ attention to the antecedents and consequences of reoccurring behavior problems can inform the development of more effective and efficient behavioral support strategies to prevent or reduce behaviors that interfere with successful classroom learning. Roadblock 1.1. “I don’t know how to collect all this information about behavior problems when I’m trying to teach a room full of students.” General education teachers in public schools must attend to, on average, more than 20 students in their classroom,15 so to add data collection responsibilities to their tasks can seem impractical or impossible. Suggested Approach. We recommend keeping methods of information gathering very simple. For example, if the problem behavior occurs several times a day, we recommend that teachers record occurrences over just a few days. If the problem behavior occurs infrequently (such as a few times a week), we recommend that teachers gather data over one or two weeks to be sure to include enough instances of the behavior to inform a plan for intervention. For daily observations teachers can use a chart of their daily classroom schedule and make a simple tally under the time of day and lesson activity when the target behavior occurs (see table 3). Over time patterns should become apparent, showing when the behavior is more likely and less likely to occur. For a behavior of low frequency teachers can make a very brief entry in a notebook or journal during transition periods (for example, at recess or between lessons) or at the end of the day about the immediate antecedents and consequences of the target behavior (see table 4). After recording and reviewing a number of these observations, teachers should be able to denote patterns in the frequency and triggers of the misbehavior.
• #16: Page (19) Roadblock 1.1. “I don’t know how to collect all this information about behavior problems when I’m trying to teach a room full of students.” Suggested Approach. Keep methods of information gathering very simple. For example, if the problem behavior occurs several times a day, record occurrences over just a few days. If the problem behavior occurs infrequently (such as a few times a week), gather data over one or two weeks to be sure to include enough instances of the behavior to inform a plan for intervention. For daily observations use a chart of your daily classroom schedule and make a simple tally under the time of day and lesson activity when the target behavior occurs (see table 3). Over time patterns should become apparent, showing when the behavior is more likely and less likely to occur. For a behavior of low frequency make a very brief entry in a notebook or journal during transition periods (for example, at recess or between lessons) or at the end of the day about the immediate antecedents and consequences of the target behavior (see table 4). After recording and reviewing a number of these observations, teachers should be able to denote patterns in the frequency and triggers of the misbehavior.
• #17: Page (19) As demonstrated in the example, teachers’ attention to the antecedents and consequences of reoccurring behavior problems can inform the development of more effective and efficient behavioral support strategies to prevent or reduce behaviors that interfere with successful classroom learning. Roadblock 1.2. “This class has so many behavior problems, I don’t know where to start.” Students’ problem behaviors can be a source of great frustration and confusion to teachers, especially when they are persistent and appear to be inexplicable. Suggested Approach. Multiple problem behaviors, such as disruption, inattention, and noncompliance, often originate from similar student needs, so by concentrating on one behavior in one setting, teachers may have a positive impact on others. We suggest that the teacher identify one priority behavior problem—not necessarily the most troublesome or disruptive—on which to focus initial efforts. By assessing the antecedents and consequences that prompt and reinforce the problem behavior and developing strategies that specifically link to the underlying function of the student’s behavior, there may be immediate relief of problems across multiple settings and even across other problem behaviors and students. When such improvements are noted, however small, celebrate those successes with the students involved to encourage behavior improvements in other contexts.
• #18: Page (19) Roadblock 1.2. “This class has so many behavior problems, I don’t know where to start.” Students’ problem behaviors can be a source of great frustration and confusion to teachers, especially when they are persistent and appear to be inexplicable. Suggested Approach. Multiple problem behaviors, such as disruption, inattention, and noncompliance, often originate from similar student needs, so by concentrating on one behavior in one setting, teachers may have a positive impact on others. We suggest that the teacher identify one priority behavior problem—not necessarily the most troublesome or disruptive—on which to focus initial efforts. By assessing the antecedents and consequences that prompt and reinforce the problem behavior and developing strategies that specifically link to the underlying function of the student’s behavior, there may be immediate relief of problems across multiple settings and even across other problem behaviors and students. When such improvements are noted, however small, celebrate those successes with the students involved to encourage behavior improvements in other contexts.
• #19: Page (21) Roadblock 1.3. “I identified the trigger for the problem behavior and applied an intervention, but the student is still misbehaving.” Sometimes problem behaviors persist following careful selection and implementation of an intervention. Suggested Approach. First, it is important to be sure that the intervention has been given enough time to work. As a general rule, teachers should stick with an intervention for about a month or more to adequately assess its effect on problem behavior. It is not uncommon for teachers to observe a rebound effect, the worsening of behavior problems following an initial decrease, so patience and persistence are important. It also is important to remember that a single problem behavior may stem from multiple triggers, so sometimes a succession of changes in classroom conditions is required to remedy one problem behavior. Thus, we suggest that teachers continue to collect data and observe any recurrences of a problem behavior after an initial intervention has been implemented, identify antecedents and consequences, and assess if there might be another explanation for the behavior. With this additional information, teachers can try another approach that responds to the function of the misbehavior and continue to collect data to assess the effectiveness of the intervention.
• #20: Page (21) Roadblock 1.4. “The problem isn’t in my classroom—it travels into my classroom from the playground.” Some teachers recognize that disruptions outside the classroom can carry over and disrupt learning within it, but they are unsure how to deal with it or do not feel it is their responsibility to correct such problems. Suggested Approach. To maintain positive behaviors in the classroom, we recommend that teachers agree together to invest time and attention in monitoring behaviors that ensue throughout the school (see recommendation 5). By stepping out of the classroom and observing lunchtime or recess activities, teachers can identify where behavior problems tend to erupt, the antecedents and consequences of those problem behaviors, and where increased adult supervision or behavioral interventions may be warranted to improve the situation. Brief but regular conversations between general education teachers and other staff (for example, lunchroom and recess aides, P.E. teachers, and music teachers) can bridge support systems responsible for supervising students’ behavior inside and outside the classroom. Teachers also can inform students that their behavior will continue to be monitored outside the classroom and that in-class rewards and consequences will be administered accordingly. In addition, to calm and focus students after they reenter the classroom from an outside activity or class, teachers can implement a brief cool down period before beginning a lesson. The structure and duration of the cool down can be adjusted to the students’ developmental levels. For example, younger elementary students could be expected to refocus their attention after the conclusion of a song; older elementary students may need just a 10-second countdown before proceeding with instruction.
• #21: Page (21) Roadblock 1.4. “The problem isn’t in my classroom—it travels into my classroom from the playground.” Suggested Approach - Cont’d In addition, to calm and focus students after they reenter the classroom from an outside activity or class, teachers can implement a brief cool down period before beginning a lesson. The structure and duration of the cool down can be adjusted to the students’ developmental levels. For example, younger elementary students could be expected to refocus their attention after the conclusion of a song; older elementary students may need just a 10-second countdown before proceeding with instruction.