Ch.

8, 9, 10 Questions

Megan Aiton

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1. Seven teacher behaviors were listed in chapter 8 of the Levin and Nolan text as prerequisites
to appropriate student behavior. The question as to whether or not these should be considered
prerequisites is extremely conflicting to me. On the one hand, teachers must possess these
basic competences to effectively run a classroom. These include providing clear directions
and explanations of the learning material, clearly communicating, rationalizing, and
consistently enforcing behavioral expectations, etc. The seven teacher behaviors listed must
be something that teachers possess in order to teach effectively. The book even states that
these are the basic minimum competencies that teaches must possess (with an emphasis on
minimum). The book is being extremely explicit by stating these expectations. However, this
is where I disagree with these being a prerequisite. These must be engrained in ourselves as
teachers, the fact that this book even has to state that these are prerequisites is a little
embarrassing to me. I believe that we must go beyond these. While the book states that these
are minimum requirements, Im a little embarrassed that we as teachers even must be told to
possess these qualities.
4. The following are specific techniques a teacher can use in regards to the following proactive
intervention skills:
a. Changing the pace: Teachers need to restructure the situation and involve the students.
Games, stories, and other favorite activities that involve active student participation can help
refocus students. When I think of changing the pace I think of incorporating brain breaks. In
my internship class I liked to incorporate trivia games played with teams. Each table group
would become a team. The team with the most points at the end wins.
b. Interest Boosting: This technique is for students who are off task. Teachers walk up to the
off task student and ask them how their work is going or they can check the completed
problems. Asking students to write the correct problem on the board is another way to do
this. In my internship classroom when we are going over work, I will often say I would like
bob (pseudonym) to share their answer. They had a really good answer to this problem or
something along those lines. I think that this keeps students who are not usually motivated in
the mind set to learn.
c. Redirecting Behavior: This technique requires the teacher to act as if the off-task student
was on task. The teacher may call on the off task student(s) to read a passage or answer a
problem. The purpose is not to embarrass the student. I am not a fan of this technique
because I had a teacher who used this when I was in high school. This teacher lectured for
the entire time period of the class so it was often hard to stay on task. To check to make sure
everyone was still paying attention he would cold call students and ask them to answer a
particular question. I felt like I was often subject to answering these questions and often
times I did not know the answers because I had not been paying attention. This embarrassed
me into paying attention in class 24/7.

d. Providing Cues: Providing cues for expecting behavior is used in many classrooms. This
can be flicking the lights to have students stop talking or even the bell. Nonverbal cues can
be used to redirect off task students or even call students back to attention after a group
discussion.
5. The hierarchy of remedial intervention skills is presented as a decision making model as
opposed to an action model because before any intervention may be used, the teacher must have
a basis on which to make decision concerning common inappropriate behaviors in the classroom.
This is in order to avoid any inconsistency and arbitrariness.
7. Student behavior that would cause a teacher to bypass initial remedial nonverbal intervention
skills and enter the hierarchy at the proximity or touch interference level would be behaviors that
need immediate attention; they can be neither ignored nor allowed to continue. The example they
give in the Levin and Nolan text is a boy who is repeatedly touching another students back.
8. Intervention techniques should be employed in a manner that provides students with the
greatest opportunity for them to control their own behavior because we want students to learn
how to be self-regulating. Students need to learn how to control and manage their own behavior.
In the real world, there will not be a teacher or parent telling or disciplining students when they
have misbehaved. Students need to learn right from wrong and need to learn how to make
decisions on their own in regards to their own behaviors. We do not want to control every move
students make. By using the hierarchy of remedial intervention, we allow students to correct their
behavior by themselves.
9. I disagree with the statement provided in the book that states that the hierarchy is a waste of
time. Like I stated in my response to the previous question, the hierarchy allows students to
correct their own behavior. The teacher serves as someone who provides subtle cues or
reminders to students that what they are doing is not something that they should be doing. This
allows students to correct their behavior by themselves and then slowly moves up the hierarchy
to more severe actions based on student behaviors. The hierarchy allows students to learn what
types of behaviors are acceptable as well as what types of behaviors are not acceptable and
allows them to change these behaviors.
10. Principle 1: As was stated in my responses to questions 8 and 9, the intervention techniques
discussed in this chapter allow students to correct their own behavior first before moving onto
more severe actions. The goal of the hierarchy is to allow students to become self-directing
individuals. Through signal interference, proximity interference, and even touch interference we
allow a scaffold for students to correct their own behavior.
Principle 2: Using a preplanned hierarchy of remedial intervention skills allows teachers to
improve the teachers ability to influence students exhibiting common behavior problems to
behave appropriately. We as teachers must plan prior to a lesson in regards to student behavior.
We must have a procedure set in place to follow when students are misbehaving. This allows
teachers to be fair and not to act on their own emotions.

Principle 3: The nonintrusive, nonverbal teacher behavior allows students to be notified when
they are misbehaving. This does not interrupt the teaching and learning process and allows
students to correct their behavior on their own.

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2. a. Student wont get started on seat work: Using the positive phrasing approach I would say to
the student when you complete your work, youll learn more.
b. Student pushes her way to the front of the line: Using the questioning awareness effect I would
say Are you aware that you are pushing others to get to the front of the line when we are all
going to the same place?.
c. Student talks to a friend sitting on the other side of the room: Using the adjacent reinforcement
approach I would point out two students who are on task and who are not talking. Bob and Sam,
I really like how you are not talking across the classroom and that you are paying attention.
4. Develop logical consequences for each of the following misbehaviors:
a. Student interrupts while teacher is talking to a small group of students: Please do not interrupt
me while I am talking to this group. You have a choice. Either go back to your seat and continue
your work or Ill interrupt your time when it is time to leave at the end of the day.
b. Student steals money from another students desk: Because you decided to steal money from
another student, you have decided to take a trip to the principals office.
c. Student copies a homework assignment from someone else: Because you decided to not do
your homework on your own, you have decided to take home extra homework tonight.
d. Student squirts a water pistol during class: Because you squirted the water pistol during class
and disrupted my time, you have decided to stay after class so I can disrupt your time.
e. Student throws spitballs at the blackboard: You have a choice. You can stop throwing
spitballs or you can clean the blackboard after class.
f. Student physically intimidates other students: You have decided to take a trip to the
principals office.
g. Graffiti is found on the bathroom wall: If no one can admit to writing on the bathroom wall,
everyone will clean the bathroom.
5. Some common teacher verbal interventions that fall under the types on ineffective verbal
communication patters include public intervention, you. Hey, you, and sharp, abrupt gestures.
9. Principle 1: An intervention hierarchy that consists of nonverbal intervention, followed by
verbal intervention, and application of logical consequences, when necessary, seems most
effective in intervening for common behavior problems. This reminds me of a three strikes,
youre out approach. The teacher allows students multiple opportunities to get their behavior
back on track.

Principle 2: The way that you speak to a student determines the outcome of the behavior. If you
make students understand that they were the one who decided the negative consequence they are
more likely to understand where they went wrong.

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1. The teachers who were the most successful in building positive relationships were those
teachers who went out of their way to show that they cared. These were the teachers that took the
time out of their day to talk to students. I remember in Kindergarten when I had my tonsils taken
out, my teacher came to the hospital that night with a book that had a little girl on the cover that
looked like me. She got it signed by the entire class. This act of kindness showed that this teacher
really cared about me. Teachers that are good at building positive relationships with their
students went beyond the classroom. Teacher was not confined to the hours of the school day
rather they took the time to show students they cared outside of the classroom. For students who
have chronic behavior problems, I believe this means we as teachers need to love on these
students even more. These students need our attention even more so than other students.
4. In regards to developing a self-monitoring instrument, I am a huge fan of the instrument
provided in the book. This allows students to rate their behavior throughout the day. I would
modify this chart to include calling out, talking to neighbors, and staying focused on seat work. I
would make this chart to where students would need to reflect on their behavior every two hours.
The rating system would still be included as well.
6. I think that students who exhibit chronic bad behavior should receive special rewards for
behaviors that are expected of other students. However, I think that rewards should be limited. I
do not think that these students should be bribed with rewards. However, I do believe that these
students need to be recognized when they are on task or are exhibiting good behavior.
8. Extra computer time Phone call home Sit in the teachers chair No shoes in the classroom
Read on the carpet lunch with the teacher
9. 1. Expected Behavior: Jonathan will do his homework every night, will not get into fights,
and will not disrupt the class.
2. Time Period: October 25, to November 15
3. Rewards: If Johnathan completes his homework every night he can, a. receive a free
homework pass b. Ms. Aiton will telephone his parents to describe his improvement in behavior.
If Johnathan does not start fights or disrupt the class he can a. play with a football at teacher
directed PE b. pick the teacher directed PE activity c. share with the class something he likes
about sports
4. Evaluation
a. At the start of each day, Ms. Aiton will mark whether or not Johnathan completed his
homework.

b. Throughout the day, Ms. Aiton will mark how many times Johnathan disrupts the class or
fights with others,
11. I agree with the teacher to continue intervention. The chart shows whether or not the
reinforcement made by the teacher to give the student detention worked or not. Based off of the
chart, it did work. This can be used for reference later.
13. Principle 1: I completely agree with this statement, the teacher should first try to resolve any
problem first in the classroom. If this does not help, the teacher should resort to getting help from
a behavior specialist.
Principle 2: Teachers must get to the root of the problem and oftentimes students feel
discouraged when learning. Breaking this cycle can often times help improve student behavior.
This involves getting to know your students and providing encouragement throughout the day.
Principle 3: I believe that private conferences with students who exhibit chronic behavior
problems allows these students to open up to the teacher when they wouldnt normally do so.
This allows the teacher to provide the extra attention these students may need.
Principle 4: Interventions that require students to recognize their own inappropriate behavior and
its impact on others can allow for increased self-monitoring. Many students do not understand
the effects of their behavior on others. Self-regulating will allow students to see the effects of the
negative behavior.
Principle 5: Making students accountable for their own behavior will allow students to regulate
their behavior on their own. This reduces the need for teachers to constantly get on to students
about their negative behavior.

Signal Interference

Proximity Interference
Touch Interference
Name Dropping

I Message

Any type of nonverbal behavior that

communicates to the students that the
behavior is not appropriate without disturbing
others. Ex: eye contact with off-task student,
pointing to a seat when a student is walking
around, holding up an open hand to stop a
students calling out.
Any movement toward the disruptive
behavior.
A light, nonaggressive physical contact with
the student.
Teacher redirects the student to appropriate
behavior by calling on the student to answer a
question or by inserting the students name in
an example or in the middle of a lecture if
asking a question is not appropriate.
The I Message is a three-part message that is
intended to help the disruptive student

Direct Appeal
Positive Phrasing
Are Not Fors
Glassers Triplets

Explicit Redirection

Broken Record

You have a choice

recognize the negative impact of her behavior

on the teacher. Three parts of an I message 1)
a simple description of the disruptive
behavior 2) a description of its tangible effect
on the teacher and/or other students and 3) a
description of the teachers feeling about the
effects of the misbehavior.
Courteously requesting that a student stop the
disruptive behavior.
Stating the outcomes of appropriate behavior
can redirect student from disruptive to proper
behavior.
Pencils arent for drumming on desks;
pencils are for writing.
Teachers direct students to appropriate
behavior through the use of three questions:
1)What are you doing? 2) Is it against the
rules? 3) What should you be doing? These
should be asked privately.
Consists of an assertive order to stop the
misbehavior and return to acceptable
behavior.
The teacher begins by giving the student an
explicit redirection statement. If the student
doesnt comply or if the student tries to
defend or explain her behavior, the teacher
repeats the redirection.
The teacher gives the student a choice to
correct their behavior.

I think that the are not fors as well as the you have a choice are the most confrontational. I
believe that these approaches will sounds too much like their parents. The signal interference
seems like the least confrontational. I would use all of these techniques. I believe that each class
is different and you need to try many different techniques for different classrooms to see which
ones work and which ones dont.