10/23/11

Behavior Bit - Bucket Filling

As the adult in the room, you set the tone. Are you a bucket filler or a bucket dipper? Consider the simple power of words.

Here are some great links to encorporate bucket-filling with your students. The last one is specifically meant for upper elementary/middle school.

Be Great

Don't be afraid of greatness.
Be Great
For your students
for yourself
for your colleagues
for our stakeholders
our community
our county

Be Great
for The Future.

[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ybt8wXIahQU&w=420&h=315]

What's Next?

At this point, students fall into several categories.  Read on to see where your students stand!

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Tier 1a - All students receive quality instruction.

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Tier 1b - Students below 25%tile or otherwise identified placed on PMP  with basic interventions and graphed.

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Tier 1c - Students identified as not making growth on PMP, move to Tier 2

By Monday, October 31st 

Electronic Upload:

1. Tier 1 TPST Form*

2. Academic Plan for Tier 2

Hard copies of:

3. graphs

4. updated, signed PMP

5. SAT10 spring and fall

6. current grades

7. attendance report

8. FAIR reports

(*In the meeting summary of the Tier 2 TPST form, this is where the notes from your discussion about lack of progress from the PMP interventions go.)

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Tier 2 - Students receive additional interventions/more time/less students in group

The teacher needs to print the Tier 2 fidelity form and keep track of the interventions.  Perhaps you could talk as a grade level about how each person is implementing both Tier 1 and Tier 2 interventions.

Due January 5th:

1. printed, updated graphs

2. fidelity forms

3. current grades

4. FAIR reports

10/18/11

Behavior Bits - Inattention in Class

If the student is unfocused and inattentive in class:

Teach using Visual, Auditory and Kinesthetic methods.

Design engaging lessons.

Keep whole group lessons to less than 20 minutes.

Seat the student near you in your teaching 'action zone', the section of the room that you tend to face most often when addressing the class.

When giving individual instructions to--or making a request of--the student, first make eye contact, call the student's name, and be sure that he or she is clearly attending to you.

Post a daily agenda on the board describing the main activities planned for the class. Include the approximate amount of time that each activity will require.

Preview this agenda with the class before beginning instruction. Keep the agenda on the board through the entire class period.

Break longer assignments down into smaller 'chunks' or sections. Allow the student the option of taking a short break after successfully completing each section.

Before the student begins an independent assignment, have the student describe his or her work plan out loud for you. Tell the student that you plan to check in with him or her at the end of class to see what progress the student has made toward accomplishing his or her work goals.

Teach at a brisk pace that is more likely to hold students' attention.

Provide a quiet, less-distracting corner study space  in a less-frequented section of the classroom where the student can go when he or she needs to concentrate on independent work.

Seat the student next to an accepting classmate with good work habits. Teach the student how quietly to ask the classmate for help whenever the student becomes confused or unsure about a class activity.

10/9/11

Behavior Bit - Deescalating

As adults in a school, we demand respect. At times, our demands are met with resistance from students. Like hostage negotiators and first response crisis managers, we should know how to deescalate situations.  Engaging in a power struggle with children is pointless and teaches nothing.

Stage 1: Anxiety - The student demonstrates an observable increase in anxiety.

Teacher: Do not deliver ultimatums. Listen and offer the student simple choices to help the child gain emotional control.

Stage 2: Questioning/Ignoring - Students may quickly jump to this stage and seek to control the conversation.

Teacher:  State simple, clear expecations with logical consequnces.  Try to get the message across that you care and understand the student's position.

Stage 3: Refusal Phase - teachers frequently engage in power struggles during this phase.

Teacher: Although difficult, the teacher must remain calm during this phase.  Provide a solution that protects the student's dignity.

Stage 4: Emotional Release - loss of control. Often, the teacher will enter into a fight or flight physiological response. The student may engage in verbal or physical itimidation or actual assaults.

Teacher: gently removing the student (verbally) from the stiuation is necessary at this point.

Stage 5: Tension Reduction Phase - the student may become sullen, withdrawn, apologetic or fearful.

Teacher: Give the student time to further release and gain their self control. The student needs time to prepare mentally to deal with the consequences of their behavior.

 

 

 

 

 

Behavior Bit - Emotional Neglect

I didn't choose this topic because we need to suddenly report emotional neglect/abuse to the hotline, but it is something to keep in mind when dealing children with less-than-stellar social skills/behaviors. If we work hard to fill the bucket of defiant, bossy, bullying, aggressive, withdrawn students, that alone can make a huge impact in not only their frustrating and distracting  behavior, but can also impact them positively in academics and ultimately change the course of their life as it improves feelings of self esteem and worth.  

Symptoms of emotional abuse/neglect:

* difficulty in forming relationships

* inability to relate and bond to other children

* lack of self confidence and emotion

* extreme shyness

* being victimized and exploited by other children

* fatigue and listlessness

* helplessness and hopelessness

* feelings of inadequacy

* pessimism and preoccupation

* difficulty concentrating on school activities

* self denial

* inability to engage and enjoy pleasurable activities

* self injury--hair pulling and twisting, nail biting, accident proneness

* self-deprecating remarks, such as "stupid," "no good," etc.



The following is a list of behavioral indicators of a child who responds to the emotional abuse in aggressive ways:

* bullying and hostile to others

* intimidating and threatening

* bullying and defiant

* ridiculing to others

* cruelty to other children and animals

* destruction of property and fire setting

* repeated truancy or tardiness

* reluctance to go home

* constant attention seeking and hyperactive behavior


In all instances, whether the child responds to the emotional abuse, passively or aggressively, the child's grades and achievement are far below the child's academic ability.