Behavior Gone Behavior Gone WildWild

Working with the Working with the

HyperactiveHyperactive Gabrielle Hart Gabrielle Hart

Do these behaviors look Do these behaviors look familiar?familiar?

TalkingTalking Sleeping/heads on the desk Sleeping/heads on the desk Lack of productivity Lack of productivity Power struggles Power struggles Poor classroom attitude Poor classroom attitude

My Most Difficult My Most Difficult Challenge Challenge

Take all of your common behavior problems Take all of your common behavior problems and put them ALL into one student. Now and put them ALL into one student. Now ask yourself, what comes of this student?ask yourself, what comes of this student?

An action research project…An action research project…

Why is this this my Why is this this my focus?focus?

When one student is disruptive they When one student is disruptive they may influence the behavior of the may influence the behavior of the class in many ways:class in many ways:

Attention Attention FocusFocus Flow Flow ManagementManagement Control Control

In the words of an In the words of an expert…expert…

Spencer Henry believes that:Spencer Henry believes that: All individuals must feel significant in the All individuals must feel significant in the

eyes of others. If a student’s basic needs eyes of others. If a student’s basic needs are not met in a positive way, they will be are not met in a positive way, they will be met in a negative waymet in a negative way

99% of the problems dealing with difficult, 99% of the problems dealing with difficult, challenging and at-risk students that occur challenging and at-risk students that occur in the classroom can be handled by the in the classroom can be handled by the teacher if they have effective strategies teacher if they have effective strategies

My Research My Research

What are the effects of different What are the effects of different disciplinary interventions on the disciplinary interventions on the classroom behavior and attitude of a classroom behavior and attitude of a student? student?

Getting StartedGetting Started

Pulling the student asidePulling the student aside A call homeA call home An after school meeting with the An after school meeting with the

studentstudent A behavior contract A behavior contract A second call home to inform A second call home to inform

parents of the contractparents of the contract

Contract SpecificsContract Specifics Limits on hall passes Limits on hall passes    Formal warnings for sleeping and Formal warnings for sleeping and

talking talking

Overdue assignments for partial credit Overdue assignments for partial credit

Seat change Seat change

Behavior evaluations Behavior evaluations

Behavior EvaluationsBehavior Evaluations Step 1 Step 1

Filling out a behavior form is part of our Filling out a behavior form is part of our contract. contract.

In the beginning these evaluations were used by In the beginning these evaluations were used by the student so he could evaluate his own the student so he could evaluate his own behavior behavior

Originally I had wanted Mr. Rico to fill out these Originally I had wanted Mr. Rico to fill out these evaluations so he could actually see, on paper, evaluations so he could actually see, on paper, what his contributions and areas of needed what his contributions and areas of needed improvement were improvement were

Mr. Rico had been filling out these forms since Mr. Rico had been filling out these forms since we had made our contractwe had made our contract

The following questions from the contract were The following questions from the contract were designed to derive meaningful answers through designed to derive meaningful answers through short responsesshort responses

What kind of mood was I in when I came into class What kind of mood was I in when I came into class today? today?

What kind of mood was I in at the end of class?What kind of mood was I in at the end of class?   Did I get any warnings for sleeping or talking today? Did I get any warnings for sleeping or talking today?

If yes, how many of each? If yes, how many of each?   If I could change something that I did today it would If I could change something that I did today it would

be…be…   A positive behavior that I would like to continue A positive behavior that I would like to continue

doing is…doing is… What was my contribution to the class today?What was my contribution to the class today?

Due to the following documentations…Due to the following documentations…I needed more help!I needed more help!

Abusing privilegesAbusing privileges Disrespectful to teacher Disrespectful to teacher Roaming the hallways Roaming the hallways Cussing Cussing Abusing passesAbusing passes ““I was sexually abused…just joking”I was sexually abused…just joking” ““Ms. Hart I think you have DID because Ms. Hart I think you have DID because

you change from class to class”you change from class to class”

In addition to the contract, I spoke with 4 In addition to the contract, I spoke with 4 principals and 3 teachers about Mr. principals and 3 teachers about Mr. Rico’s behavior, here were some of Rico’s behavior, here were some of their suggestions: their suggestions:

Try not to single him outTry not to single him out Let him have a pass if he asks for oneLet him have a pass if he asks for one Put him on the “no hall pass” list Put him on the “no hall pass” list Talk to him in the hallway Talk to him in the hallway Change his seatChange his seat Move his seat into the hallway Move his seat into the hallway Write him upWrite him up Send him to the office Send him to the office Keep him in class as much as possible Keep him in class as much as possible

Exploring these Exploring these interventions interventions

Try not to single him outTry not to single him out

Whoever said “If you give them inch they will Whoever said “If you give them inch they will take a mile” was right…take a mile” was right…

Talk to him in the hallwayTalk to him in the hallwayProves to be effective with other students, but Proves to be effective with other students, but not this onenot this one

Change his seatChange his seatWhether it is positive or negative, he’ll talk to Whether it is positive or negative, he’ll talk to anyone and everyone anyone and everyone

Move his seat into the hallwayMove his seat into the hallwayApparently “Take your seat into the hallway and Apparently “Take your seat into the hallway and

wait for me” sounds a lot like “Roam the halls”wait for me” sounds a lot like “Roam the halls”

Send him to the office/Keep him in Send him to the office/Keep him in class class

It is usually expected that students whom are It is usually expected that students whom are sent to the office are done so with a referralsent to the office are done so with a referral

I stayed away from this option because I wanted I stayed away from this option because I wanted to keep the student in class as much as possible to keep the student in class as much as possible

On occasion Mr. Rico removed himself from class On occasion Mr. Rico removed himself from class to go to the office to go to the office

I did not write him up when he removed himself, I did not write him up when he removed himself, I did however, call the office, explain the I did however, call the office, explain the situation and ask that he spends his time there situation and ask that he spends his time there doing his class work doing his class work

Let him have a pass/No hall pass listLet him have a pass/No hall pass list Is there a vending machine in the bathroom? Is there a vending machine in the bathroom?

Where did he get that 2 liter from…Where did he get that 2 liter from… This can usually work if he gets a time limit This can usually work if he gets a time limit

with his pass with his pass When the no hall pass list was mentioned as an When the no hall pass list was mentioned as an

intervention, Mr. Rico started to monitor his intervention, Mr. Rico started to monitor his hall passes more closely hall passes more closely

Write him up (sticking to the contract)Write him up (sticking to the contract) The first time that Mr. Rico broke our contract I The first time that Mr. Rico broke our contract I

gave him a detention (he needed more than 1 gave him a detention (he needed more than 1 warning for sleeping) warning for sleeping)

After the detention, Mr. Rico always put his After the detention, Mr. Rico always put his head up after his first warninghead up after his first warning

Behavior EvaluationsBehavior Evaluations Step 2Step 2

• Only continuous interventionOnly continuous intervention• AdditionsAdditions

Responded to commentsResponded to comments

Returned evaluationReturned evaluation• Step 2 made it a more powerful Step 2 made it a more powerful

interventionintervention

Behavior evaluation form from Behavior evaluation form from

a bad daya bad day

Behavior evaluation form from a Behavior evaluation form from a good daygood day

Effects of Effects of Step 2Step 2

After a bad dayAfter a bad day Explanation of behaviorExplanation of behavior Occasional apology Occasional apology

After a good dayAfter a good day Elevated moodElevated mood Usually leads to another good day Usually leads to another good day

What did not work…What did not work… Informal warnings Informal warnings

Often perceived as threatsOften perceived as threats Dealing with it Dealing with it in in the classroomthe classroom

Effects on the classroom Effects on the classroom Talking in the hallwayTalking in the hallway

Not taken seriously Not taken seriously

What was influential… What was influential… Giving time limits for hall passes Giving time limits for hall passes

Student knows they are being Student knows they are being monitoredmonitored

Giving alternatives (no hall pass Giving alternatives (no hall pass list) list)

Student’s previous experienceStudent’s previous experience

Support from administration Support from administration

What worked…What worked… Formal documentationFormal documentation

Rico started to take me seriouslyRico started to take me seriously Formal warningsFormal warnings

Fewer incidents of sleeping in classFewer incidents of sleeping in class Support from the administrators Support from the administrators

Confidence factors Confidence factors Feedback on behavior evaluations Feedback on behavior evaluations

Seeing his actions in writingSeeing his actions in writing

My comments My comments

If I had to do it all over If I had to do it all over again…again…

Rules on the first day of schoolRules on the first day of school Stick to them Stick to them ConfidenceConfidence Proactive versus reactiveProactive versus reactive

ResourcesResources Byham, C. & Pescuric, A. (1996). The new look of behavior Byham, C. & Pescuric, A. (1996). The new look of behavior

modeling. Training and Development. American Society modeling. Training and Development. American Society for Training and Development Inc.for Training and Development Inc.

Henry, S. (2001). Henry, S. (2001). Practical strategies for working Practical strategies for working successfully with difficult at at-risk students (grades6-12). successfully with difficult at at-risk students (grades6-12). Bellevue: Bureau of Education & Research. Bellevue: Bureau of Education & Research.

Kauffman, J., Conroy, M., Gardner, R. & Oswald, D. (2008). Kauffman, J., Conroy, M., Gardner, R. & Oswald, D. (2008). Cultural sensitivity in the application of behavior principles Cultural sensitivity in the application of behavior principles to education. to education. Education and Treatment of ChildrenEducation and Treatment of Children. . Roscoe Ledger. Roscoe Ledger.

Mendler, A. (2001). Mendler, A. (2001). Working successfully with difficult Working successfully with difficult students: a discipline with dignity approach.students: a discipline with dignity approach. Bellevue: Bellevue: Bureau of Education & Research. Bureau of Education & Research.

Taylor, R. (2001). Taylor, R. (2001). Practical discipline strategies to Practical discipline strategies to minimize behavior problems and work successfully with minimize behavior problems and work successfully with today’s students (grades 6-12).today’s students (grades 6-12). Bellevue: Bureau of Bellevue: Bureau of Education & Research. Education & Research.

Questions??Questions??