Students are pushing boundaries with behavior rules. How do you navigate their challenges effectively?

Engaging students in the rule-making process can significantly enhance their sense of ownership and responsibility towards the classroom environment. This approach fosters a more positive and inclusive atmosphere, encouraging students to adhere to the rules they helped create ? Begin with an open discussion about the importance of rules in creating a safe and productive learning environment. ? Organize sessions where students can suggest rules they believe are important ? Work towards building a consensus on the final set of rules. Ensure that the rules are clear, specific, and achievable. By involving students in the rule-making process and regularly seeking their feedback, you create a sense of shared responsibility and community.

When trying to understand why a student is engaging in challenging behavior, we need to know what the triggers and setting events are. Triggers are anything that immediately causes the behavior. It could be asking them to do something, it could be asking them to stop doing something, or it could be independent of you and something internal. Tracking the behavior and writing down what happened before the behavior, and how/what caused the behavior to stop can give us some good information when building up a case history/assessment.

To effectively address behavioral challenges, it’s essential to delve into the underlying reasons why students push boundaries. Observational analysis is a powerful tool in this endeavor. By systematically observing and recording patterns of behavior, teachers can identify specific triggers and contexts that lead to disruptions. For instance, a student might act out more frequently during certain subjects or at particular times of the day. This data-driven approach allows educators to pinpoint stressors such as academic difficulties, social issues, or even environmental factors like classroom seating arrangements.

Beyond clarity, I would say consistency. Children need consistency in order to learn behavior. Even if there are clear boundaries/rules failing to follow through will not decrease the child’s behavior.

In addition to clear boundaries and expectations, there should be clear consequences. Using a student code of conduct, behavior contingency planning, etc. Will help guide the efficacy of your behavioral intervention, but you must follow though.

Building a personal connection with students is fundamental to understanding their behavior and addressing their needs. When students feel valued and understood by their teachers, they are more likely to communicate openly about their struggles and concerns. Educators can foster these connections by engaging in regular one-on-one conversations with students, showing genuine interest in their lives outside of school, and being consistent and approachable in their interactions. For example, a teacher might learn that a student’s disruptive behavior is linked to stress at home or anxiety about schoolwork.

Beyond that, make sure the positive reinforcement is attainable. Meeting a child where they are at and systematically increasing the expectation for the positive reinforcement aids in generalization later on.

Something I've seen be helpful when a group of students are struggling has been the Good Behavior Game, it's engaging, motivating, and instantly rewarding when the game ends. There are various ways to implement this game across K-12.

This is why tracking behavior is important. We can pick up on patterns and pre-cursor behaviors so we can address early before more intense behaviors occur. Furthermore, starting in early intervention is important as the intensity of the behavior is likely lower due to their size. If we don’t address challenging behavior early, the kiddos we work with may become bigger and stronger paired with more demands often leads to more intensive challenging behavior.

Generally speaking, the challenging behavior is telling us that much more is going on. Therefore a collaborative approach with behavior analysts, SLP, OT, teachers, support, etc. is crucial in n identifying recommendations for the child and perhaps parents as well.