What is behaviour?

Behaviour is a means of communication.

What is behaviour management?
We sometimes make the mistake of interchanging the terms behaviour management and
classroom management. The two terms are related but different. Classroom management means
creating systems that supports the positive behaviour across the classroom. Behaviour
management are the strategies and systems that manages and eliminates difficult
behaviour that prevents students from succeeding in academic environment.
Now here we need to understand what causes a behavior that needs to be managed. Behaviour
is only maintained when its rewarding in some way. So whats the pay check? Whats the pay
off?
What factors influence student behavior?
Misbehaviour that comes from student can be heavily influenced by other factors in their lives
Factors that influence student behavior:
Learning difference:
In many cases, students may behave in a certain way because the teacher has failed to consider
their individual learning differences. These learning differences include:
Gifted and talented students, students who are performing below stage/ year level, students
with disabilities may lose interest and become disruptive if they miss out the delivered content.
Also students with impairments eg one who is hearing impaired may lose interest and become
disruptive if they miss out on the delivered content.
The home
Students do not drop their values and attitudes that they have been brought up with at school
gate.. If a student has been brought up in an environment that doesn’t respect education, then
that can reflect on the students classroom behavior. Other home issues can also affect behavior.
These issues could include: an unstable relationship with a parent, unstable family life eg
divorced parents or parents with illness or disorder. Abuse or violence.
The society:
Peer pressure has an extreme effect on classroom behavior With children, there is a significant
pressure to fit in and mixing in with the wrong crowd can have effects on behavior.
Peer pressure can be positively used within the classroom management. For eg
Table grouping.. Again the message, although directed at group two, is intended for everyone
else
By staying positive and focusing on the whole class behavior, you are effectively pushing any
disruptive students behavior into better behavior so they wont be left out by their other
classmates
Seeking Attention:
Being the centre of attention is a common desire of every student, some more than others.
Acting out by making fun, talking out of turns or simply being uncooperative are a few ways
to gain attention.
Lack of self confidence.
A general fear of failure occurs when a student feels he cannot possibly live up to any
expectations. These students misbehave as a way to avoid participating in anything that leads
to failure
Classroom Environment:
A classroom not designed for optimal learning may contribute to student misbeahvior. For eg
poor seating arrangements, extreme temperatures, or a high noise level are all elements that
hinder the learning experience.
Theory of behaviour modification:
Behavior modification model by B.F Skinner
Theory Corrective Positive Negative Advantages limitation
strategies reinforcement reinforcement
Behavior is Introduce a Displaying Withdrawing It works Students
learnt as token students attention, loss and is may not want
students economy, work, gaining of privilege, simple to to behave
experience negotiate a special and the use of use, results appropriately
the behavioural privilege, time out are when
consequences contracts, verbal praise, immediate, rewards are
of previous ignore certificates it can be terminated
actions and inappropriate employed and students
events behavior and with all do not learn
praise good students how to
behavior regardless govern their
of age own
behavior

Behavior modification
Behavior modification is a means of changing behavior through various techniques used to
replace undesirable behaviors with desirable ones. With behavior modification, you are not
worried about the cause for the behavior, you are only using a method to change it
Teachers can use behavior modification in their classroom to increase desirable student
behaviors and decrease undesirable ones. Behavior modification is based on the idea that good
behavior should be lead to positive consequences, and bad behavior should lead to negative
consequences. When behavior modification is used consistently, students slowly change their
behavior.

BEHAVIOUR CONSEQUENCES REINFORCEMENT

punishment

Positive reinforcement refers to giving a student something that will reinforce their good
behavior. Classroom discipline that relies mostly on positive reinforcement is usually very
effective. Examples of positive reinforcement include praise, a reward system, or a token
economy system.
Negative reinforcement is when a student is motivated to change behavior because it will take
away something unpleasant. A student who stops a behavior because his teacher yells at him
is trying to get rid of the negative reinforce (the yelling). Negative reinforcement should be
used sparingly with students, because it is less effective than positive reinforcement.
Positive punishment is used to stop negative behaviors. Although it sounds confusing to refer
to punishment as positive, when you are using operant conditioning, the term positive means
adding, so a positive punishment involves adding a consequence that will help deter a student
from repeating the behavior. For example, a small child picks his nose in class and the teacher
corrects him in front of the class, or a teen’s cellphone starts ringing during class and he
receives a lecture on why the phone should be turned off.
Negative punishment involves taking something away from a student. Examples include
taking away recess or removing the teacher’s positive attention. Negative punishment can be a
very effective way to help a student learn from their mistakes.
When used consistently, modifications techniques can change a student’s behavior. For
example, start praising a student every time he shares, raises his hand, or waits his turn to speak.
Each time he speaks out in class without raising his hand, ignore him, or take away a privilege.
Over time, your students will learn that good behavior leads to positive consequences and bad
behavior leads to negative consequences.
Reinforcement:
Means increase tendency that target behaviour will occur again and we do that by positive and
negative reinforcement.
Positive reinforcement: means that something is added to increase the tendency that
behaviour will occur again. Positive reinforcement strengthens a behavior FOR EG You give
student a start every time he/she behaves nicely or reads a page of the reader. For example, if
your teacher gives you £5 each time you complete your homework (i.e., a reward) you will be
more likely to repeat this behavior in the future, thus strengthening the behavior of completing
your homework.

Negative reinforcement: means to take something unpleasant in effort to increase the

likelihood that certain behaviour will occur again. The removal of an unpleasant reinforcer can
also strengthen behavior For e.g. a teacher yells at a student for not completing his task on time.
So in order to avoid that yelling student completes his task on time. For example, if you do
not complete your homework, you give your teacher £5. You will complete your homework to
avoid paying £5, thus strengthening the behavior of completing your homework
Remember: negative reinforcement is not as effective as the positive reinforcement. Yelling
must be the last resort
Punishment: means to decrease the tendency that a target behaviour will occur again.
Positive punishment: means something is added to decrease the tendency that a certain
behaviour will occur again. For eg a student who throws garbage on the floor during recess
time is asked to clean the classroom after recess.
Negative punishment: means something is taken away to decrease the chance that behaviour
will occur again. For eg If a student is habitual of not completing his task on time, you don’t
allow him to go in the play time or music class or library class.
There are many problems with using punishment, such as:
 Punished behavior is not forgotten, it's suppressed - behavior returns when punishment
is no longer present.
 Causes increased aggression - shows that aggression is a way to deal with problems.
 Creates fear that can lead to undesirable behaviors, e.g., fear of school.
 Does not necessarily guide toward desired behavior - reinforcement tells you what to
do, punishment only tells you what not to do.

Note: every child is different . some respond better to positive reinforcement and some to
negative reinforcement. You also need to consider the age level while applying it. Young child
may respond to attention and smile while older child might require public recognition to
reinforce behaviour

Your behavior modification plan can include one or more of the following:
 Attention. Giving a child attention is a positive reinforcer and can be very effective.
Spending time with your child, talking to them, and verbally acknowledging good
behavior are all ways to provide attention.
  Praise. Another positive consequence is praise. Praising your child for a task well done
will encourage your child to repeat the behavior.
 Rewards. Tangible rewards, such as earning a new toy, also modify behavior.
However, tangible rewards do not need to cost money. Free rewards, such as a special
trip to the park for your young child, or staying out a bit after curfew for a special
occasion for your teenager, also work well.
 Consequences. Your behavior plan should also include the use of consequences, both
natural and parent imposed. If your child loves a particular activity, taking it away in
response to poor grades may encourage them to do better. Consequences influence how
likely a child or student is to repeat a specific behavior. Negative consequences deter
bad behavior. Positive consequences increase the chances that a child or student will
repeat a good behavior.

The Power of a teacher:

Now you as teachers has the power to turn anything of no value into a gold. So you have been
told about the theories that can be applied in the classroom but we also need the strategies to
implement that.
Teacher student relationship:
Teachers who have strong relationships with their students find it much easier to manage their
students’ behaviour.teachers who are liked and respected are less likely to have behaviour
issues than teachers who are not. These are not qualities that just happened. These are earned
over time by giving respect to all students. This type of rapport is built by investing time into
building a relationship with students. For eg taking interest in their lives
With it ness ( being aware of whats going on in the classroom)
Students are far less likely to misbehave when they know their teacher notices every little thing
going on in the classroom. Start the year by setting up your room in a way that maximises
visibility. Then, do simple things such as positioning yourself so you see all of your
students, continuously scanning the room to see what is going on.
Structure your teaching:
A classroom full of engaged students is less likely to become a behaviour issue. Lesson should
be both interactive and engaging. Most behaviour issues originates from boredom or
frustration. And you can eliminate that through creative teaching. The teacher must be fun,
passionate and enthusiastic.
Nip small problems in the bud:
Handling something when it’s a minor problem before it turns into crises.
Most misbehaviors can be dealt quickly and easily. You can do this on spot and then move on
with the lesson.. for eg make eye contact with disruptive person, remind the group of the agreed
rules, move towards the disruptive person and stand directly infront of the person and wait for
the disruption to end.
Group Reinforcement:
It means rewarding or penalising whole group. For eg you may reward one group for being the
first to be ready for the lesson with a point beside their group name. or you may penalise the
whole group for not focusing on their work.
Group reinforcement works well because of the pervasive power of peers.
Individual reinforcement:
individual reinforcement involves rewarding desirable behaviour and penalising misbehaviour.
However, you assign rewards or penalties to individual students. Rewards can include tokens,
such as points, stickers and alike. Yet, rewards can be as simple as good marks, comments to
parents and praise. In a similar vein, students view penalties such as informing
parents and discussions about their behaviour as being effective.
 Note – individual reinforcement is not as effective as group reinforcement, but it still works
honor good behaviour:
once a week , only that student who have exemplified the best behaviour all week,… give him
a sweet treat
challenge good behaviour:
when students have a say, they become more invested and active. Students love to be
challenged… I challenge you to finish your math worksheet in less than 10 minutes. You will
be surprised to c how fast students will work to get that math sheet done on time.
Routines :
On average student spend 15% of their time following routine procedures. These procedure
include things such as entering the classroom, getting books out and stopping work to pay
attention to the teacher. You establish these routines at the start of the year and what you
establish is what you establish meaning its hard to change now. Your students will less likely
to misbehave during these actions when you have mentioned the expectations and turned them
into habitual way of acting.
Expectations should be practiced several times throughout the course during the first few
weeks. The key to effective expectations is for them to become a habit. Some will see this as a
waste of time but those that put in the time at the beginning of the year will reap the benefits
throughout the year.
Rules:
As teachers you should have an idea of what your class rules to be. Come to school with three
rules and ask students to pitch in for the other two . when children have a say in what the class
rules are they will be more apt to follow them. Give them a list that you made of rules and ask
them to pick rules of their choice from it.
Its also important to keep the number of rules to minimum. Explain the reason why we need to
have rules and framing the rules in a positive way and clarifying what students are meant to
do( not just what they aren’t allowed to do)
If the student follows the rules, we should verbally praise them and provide additional
reinforcements as needed eg stickers, extra free time. On the other hand if the classroom
consequence for fighting with a peer is the loss of recess, then we must make sure that we
follow through.
Emotional Objectivity:
Managing misbehaviour can be an emotional ordeal. You have more impact when you remain
cool, calm and collected. When u r composed, you can: keep things in perspective, deal with
them quickly, get back to your main task.
To help you do this, it is important to remember that students are people too – they want to
have fun, and even difficult students are not all bad. Try not to take things personally, try to
see the funny side of sticky situations and always be well organised.
Its easy to overreact to a situation, especially out of frustration. Do not allow yourself to handle
a situation when u r emotional. It will not only diminished your credibility but also make u a
target from students looking to capitalize on a weakness
Be firm.
As teachers do not back down. Hold a student accountable if they fail to follow a rule. This is
especially true at the beginning of the year. You can lighten up as the year progresses. Teacher
who takes the opposite approach will likely have a difficult time with behaviour management
throughout the year.
Mistakes:
Over use and misuse of timeout:
Time out occurs when a teacher removes a student for a specific time from a chance to get
reinforcement. There are several timeout strategies ranging from brief in class ignoring to
placing a student in a secluded are.
Time out can be effective tool only when used appropriately. We must rem that time out is not
a place it’s a process whereby all the opportunities to get reinforced are withdrawn. For it work
effectively the time in area must be more reinforcing than the time out area for eg . ahmed
constantly disrupts the language arts lesson by throwing paper balls or talking to the peers,
resulting in frequent time out in the hall. Now time out would only be effective if the art lesson
is more interesting than whats going on in the hall..a better method would be to make the
language art lesson interesting by using hand on activity and cooperative learning. If ahmed
still misbehaves then we need to find less interesting designated time out area such as corner
of the room. Time out should last for brief period of time.

Define misbehaviour by its function:

We need to ask ourselves, what was the function of this misbehviour? What did the student
gain from this misbehaviour?
What we do instead we define misbehaviour by how it looks which provides us incomplete
picture of the behaviour.
For eg if a student two students are off task , one student might be off task to get our attention
and the other might be off task because his assignment was too difficult. So these needs to be
solved differently.
ASSESS THE BEHAVIOUR DIRECTLY TO DETERMINE ITS FUNCTION:

Its not a good idea to ask a student why did you do that? For many times they don’t know the
reason why they misbehaved. Secondly we often will not like the answer. For eg if ahmed is
playing at his desk during the lesson and u ask him why? He may say that lesson is boring and
u r not going to be pleased with that response. So here is what u need to do
To determine a behaviour function, u need to study what is happening in the classroom before
and after it occurs. This info gathering procedure is called a functional assessment.
An ABC chart can be used as a functional assessment tool. Here this chart looks like this:
When the misbehaviour occurs its recorded in the behaviour column and then the observer
records what happened immediately before and after its occurrence.
Once we determine the function of misbehaviour (why it occurs) we need to teach and reinforce
an appropriate replacement behaviour that serves the same function as misbehaviour for eg
functional assessment reveals that amna teases her friends at recess because it is the only time
that she gets their attention, we need to teach amna appropriate method to get peer attention
such as sharing lunch.
A functional assessment might reveal that changes in our teaching methods are needed. For
instance ahmed tends to act out during math class, the problem might be that ahmed is missing
some math skills. By reviewing those math skills we could reduce his frustration and acting
out.
Try another way
When one approach isn’t working , we should try another way. For eg if 2 students r talking in
the class instead of reprimanding them you could walk in their direction, make eye contact and
provide a non verbal cue to get on task. This approach allows those 2 to save face with their
peer and promote teacher respect.
Instead of increasing negative consequences, we should increase the frequency of praise for
appropriate behaviour. For eg when ahmed is off task, instead of reprimanding him, you should
find the student who is on task and praise that student. This will reinforce misbehaviour,
without singling him out.
When we find ourselves making more stops, start request..we need to reverse our behaviour.
For eg instead of asking ahmed to stop talking, ask him to work on his worksheet. When he
complies, provide praise.

Viewing ourselves as the only classroom manager:

Managing classroom behaviour is more challenging today than ever before. Many teachers face
large class sizes, more students who come from stressful homes and cultures. Afterall
collaborating with others take time and energy. It looks good to manage it on our own in the
short run but in the long run its not..
Good news is that there are many others who can assist you in the behaviour management
efforts including students, peers, teachers, administrator and parents.
For eg the power of peer group can be used to produce positive change in the student behaviour.
Peers can serve as academic tutors and can monitor and reinforce each others behaviour.
Students provide each other suggestion for eg ignore him when he calls you names.
Another way is to schedule meeting where u can share behaviour management solutions. Don’t
hesitate to ask for help from a colleague. Just ask for an advice.
If we find ourselves in a teaching situation with one or more volatile students, we should
develop a support plan with a teacher in a classroom nearby. This plan means that our colleague
will cover our room in the event we have to escort a disruptive student out of the room.
When including administrator in behaviour management, we make 2 mistakes that are opposite
of the support spectrum. We either send a student to them too frequently or we wait too long
to get them involved. Its best to solve as many behaviours problems in the classrooms and only
involve administrators for more serious situations like physical aggressions.

Parents and teachers who work actively together can make a powerful team. Some parents can
assist in our behaviour management efforts at home by providing their child with
reinforcements.
Some helpful strategies:

 Celebrate and build strengths and successes: Tell him what he does well
and what you like. A sense of competence often fosters interest and
motivation. Strive to give positive feedback much more frequently than any
correction or negative feedback. ‘Great job putting your dishes in the sink!’
 Respect and listen to him: You may have to look for the things he is telling
you, verbally or through his choices or actions. ‘You keep sitting on that side
of the table. Is the sun in your eyes over here?’
 Validate his concerns and emotions: Do not brush aside his fears or tell
him not to worry. His emotions are very real. Help to give language to what he
is feeling. ‘I know you do not like spiders. I can see that you are very afraid
right now.’ ‘I can see that you are angry that our plans have changed.’
 Provide clear expectations of behavior: Show or tell your child what you
expect of him using visual aids, photographs or video models. A great way to
teach new skills is Tell-Show-Do.
 Set him up for success: Provide accommodations. Accept a one word
answer instead of demanding a whole sentence. Use a larger plate and offer
a spoon to allow him to be neater at the dinner table. Use Velcro shoes or
self-tying laces if tying is too frustrating.
 Ignore the challenging behavior: Do your best to keep the challenging
behavior from serving as his way of communicating or winning. This is hard to
do, but in the long run it is effective. Do not allow his screams to get him out of
 brushing his teeth, or his biting to get him the lollipop that he wants. Behaviors
may get worse before you start to see them get better. Stay the course! And
make sure all family and team members are consistent in this approach and
that you pair this with other positive strategies.
 Alternate tasks: Do something that is fun, motivating or that your child is
good at. Then try something hard. He will be less inclined to give up or get
agitated if he is already in a positive framework.
 Teach and interact at your child’s or loved one’s learning level: Take
care to set him up for growth and accomplishment, rather than the anxiety
produced by constant failure or boredom.
 Give choices, but within parameters: Everyone needs to be in control of
something, even if it is as simple as which activity comes first. You can still
maintain some control in the choices that you offer. ‘Do you want to eat first,
or paint first?’
 Provide access to breaks: Teach the individual to request a break when he
needs to regroup (e.g. use a PECS card that represents “break”). Be sure to
provide the break when he asks so he learns to trust this option and does not
have to resort to challenging behaviors.
 Promote the use of a safe, calm-down place: Teach him to recognize when
he needs to go there. This is a positive strategy, not a punishment.
 Set up reinforcement systems: Use simple, predictable processes that
reward your child for desired behavior. Catch him being good and reward that,
verbally and with favored activities, objects or ‘payment.’ ‘I love that you
stayed with me during our shopping trip. You earned a ride on the airplane
toy!’
 Allow times and places for him to do what he wants: Even if it is a ‘stim’, it
is important to provide these options when it is not an intrusion or annoyance
to others.
 Reward flexibility and self control: ‘I know you wanted to go to the pool
today and we were surprised when it was closed. For staying cool and being
so flexible about that change in plans, let’s go get some ice cream instead!’
 Pick your battles: Strive for balance. Focus on the behaviors and skills that
are most essential. Be sure to include positive feedback and intersperse
opportunities for success and enjoyment for you, your family, and your loved
one with autism. Be resilient. Celebrate the fun and the good things!
 Use positive/proactive language: Use language that describes what you
want the individual to do (e.g. ‘I love how you used a tissue!’), and try to avoid
saying ‘NO’, or ‘don’t’ (e.g. ‘stop picking your nose.’).