Critical Leadership: Unlocking Student Potential Requires This One Action from All Educational Leaders
Professional Crisis Management Association
Training Solutions Proven to Create Safe & Positive Learning Environments
For two decades, I’ve been supporting behavior improvement in schools. One of the most powerful approaches I’ve witnessed as a means of improving behavior and bringing out the best in students is when teachers focus on building relationships with them. When students have positive relationships with their teachers, they feel valued, heard, and respected. This decreases the likelihood they will engage in challenging behavior and increases the likelihood of a positive educational environment characterized?by high student engagement; moreover, when teachers model appropriate social behavior and provide guidance on how to interact positively with others, students are more likely to learn effective communication, self-management, problem-solving strategies, and reciprocate positive interactions.
But here’s the thing. It’s not just about the relationships between the students and teachers. You can’t expect the teachers to bring out the best in the students if the school leaders aren’t focused on bringing out the best in the teachers. This also requires relationship building! Let’s replace the nouns in the paragraph above to illustrate the point.
For two decades, I’ve been supporting behavior improvement in schools. One of the most powerful approaches I’ve witnessed as a means of improving behavior and bringing out the best in teachers are when school leaders focus on building relationships with them. When teachers have positive relationships with their school leaders, they feel valued, heard, and respected. This decreases the likelihood they will engage in challenging performance and increases the likelihood of a positive educational environment characterized by high teacher engagement; moreover, when school leaders model appropriate social behavior and provide guidance on how to interact positively with others, teachers are more likely to learn effective communication, self-management, problem-solving strategies, and reciprocate positive interactions.
As you can see, the concept is exactly the same! In short, you can't make it about the students without making it about the teachers. I could write another paragraph about district leaders building good relationships with principals, but you get the point. In the behavior sciences, we call these connections interlocking behaviors. Think of it as a domino or ripple effect across a school that is driven by the students' wants (reinforcers) and needs (skills). Except in this case, the ripple effect works both ways as improved student behavior tends to positively impact teacher behavior, and improved teacher behavior tends to positively impact leader behavior. In each case up and down the performance chain, the educators' reinforcers and skills must also be taken into consideration as performance issues always boil down to a skill or will issue.
Now, this all might make common sense to you. But to be honest, good relationships throughout schools, especially those that are struggling, are uncommon. Why is that? Well, unfortunately, most people don’t understand the practical science behind building relationships. As such, they end up hurting their relationships in the name of student achievement when behavior or performance goes wrong. For example, the teacher who yells at the student for misbehaving or the school leader who reprimands the teacher for underperforming. In both cases, corrections must be made. But, it’s not just what you say, but how you say it - and when; in addition, when these corrections are made in an environment that is not focused on strengthening skills and building relationships, they will backfire. And when these corrections are made in a way that does not teach while simultaneously demonstrating respect for the individual, they will likely compound the very issues that are trying to be resolved.
If you believe good relationships are fundamental to success, then you need to bring EveryDay BehaviorTools to your school or district. Those trained in EveryDay BehaviorTools will learn practical behavioral science for:
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Oh, and if you are in a PBIS school and wondering how to rapidly and systematically build relationships in a way that improves behavioral outcomes, even in the most difficult schools, be sure to check out my free Webinar on June 29th. In it, I will share practical approaches grounded in organizational behavior science for making PBIS systems work.
For more about improving your school culture by becoming an EveryDay BehaviorTools Instructor, check out the video below or contact Drew Carter at [email protected]!
Specializing in human performance, coaching, and organizational leadership, Dr. Paul "Paulie" Gavoni is a behavior scientist and educator who has worked across education and human services for almost three decades. In this capacity, he has served the needs of children and adults through various positions, including COO, Vice President, Director of School Improvement, Leadership Director, Professor, Assistant Principal, School Turnaround Manager, Clinical Coordinator, Therapist, District Behavior Analyst, and Director of Progam Development and Public Relations at?PCMA . Dr. Gavoni is passionate about applying Organizational Behavior Management (OBM), or the science of human behavior, to make a positive difference in establishing safe, productive, and engaging environments that bring out the best in faculty and staff so they can bring out the best in the learners they serve. He is an active board member of the?Opioid Awareness Foundation ?and?World Behavior Analysis Day Alliance .
Known for his authenticity and practical approaches, Dr. Gavoni is the host of the Top 1.5% globally ranked?Crisis in Education Podcast ?and a sought-out speaker at various Educational and Behavior Analytic Conferences Internationally. He a the Wall Street Journal and USA Today best-selling co-author of The Scientific Laws of Life & Leadership: Behavioral Karma; Quick Wins! Accelerating School Transformation through Science, Engagement, and Leadership; Deliberate Coaching: A Toolbox for Accelerating Teacher Performance; and MMA Science: A Training, Coaching, and Belt Ranking Guide. Dr. Gavoni is proud to introduce OBM and Applied Behavior Analysis to worldwide audiences through his numerous publications and his work with PCMA to create productive, safe, and positive cultures.
Beyond his work in education and human services, Dr. Gavoni is also a former Golden Gloves Heavyweight Champion and a highly respected striking coach in combat sports. Coach “Paulie Gloves,” as he is known in the Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) community, has trained world champions and UFC vets using technologies rooted in the behavioral sciences. Coach Paulie has been featured in the books?Beast: Blood, Struggle, and Dreams a the Heart of Mixed Martial Arts , A Fighter’s Way, and the featured article Ring to Cage:?How four former boxers help mold MMA’s finest . He is also an author who has written extensively for various online magazines such as Scifighting, Last Word on Sports, and Bloody Elbow, where his?Fight Science series ?continues to bring behavioral science to MMA. Finally, Paulie was also a featured fighter in FX’s highest-rated show at the time, The Toughman, and as an MMA coach in the Lifetime reality series?Leave it to Geege .