Month: January 2018

These behaviors do not occur in isolation.  Many times behaviors occur due to a combination of these behaviors. 

Step 1: collect ABC data!

ABC data sheet

Follow the instructions on the bottom of ABC data sheet, to identify the function.

 

Now you are on your way to identifying the function and establishing a replacement behavior!

Think about all the good things in your class.

• what is going well?
• what are you proud of?
• who is doing well?  why are they doing well?
• create a list

Now think about all those things that are not going the same way you planned.

• who is struggling?
• why are kids not following instructions? completing work? attending to my directions
• create a list

Now I want you to look at your list.

Who is to blame?  Let’s think about it as just a problem to solve.

Start by re-framing your views.  Re-write your frustrations as observable statements.

Instead of saying ‘the child is always yelling and refusing to do work’…..

‘the child does not complete work and engages in loud vocalizations’

‘The child is bad and won’t listen’… ‘the child does not follow directions’.

If you can objectively state what is seen, then solutions are much easier to identify.

 

Take yourself and your emotions out of the picture… what is the behavior?  how can we fix it?

I have heard this time and time again.  We need to change our view.  The students are not choosing to be unengaged and disrespectful, but need to be taught to be MOTIVATED, ENGAGED AND RESPECTFUL!

In case you weren’t informed of this during student teaching or your first few years of teaching, you certainly have the whole child to educate.  Your students will come to you needing love, support, social-emotional guidance, protection, advice, and countless other things.  It is your job to create an environment in which your students feel safe to drop their guard and learn… but also approach you with their needs!

In order to assist in the shaping and problem solving procedure, we need to go back to our roots.

• Why did you get into teaching?
• What makes you excited about your day?
• What is going well?
• What do you hope to get out of your teaching career?

Then continue the soul-searching…. either same day or afterwards

• what is frustrating about your job?
• what do you want to do better?
• why don’t you love going to work every day?
• what are you feeling right now?

 

With both of those in mind, we will begin to plan for great changes.

Take your list of concerns and frustrations, and prioritize.

Think about:

• can I fix this on my own?
• do I need to get my administration or supervisor involved?
• do I need parent participation?
• the components that are needed to make these things happen.

Throughout the next few weeks, I will be providing tips and tricks to assist in these concerns, but first you must brainstorm and begin to problem solve the issues, and stakeholders.