Classroom Behavior Management Strategies

Introduction

There is a wide variety of mental and emotional health issues present in the classrooms, which often manifest themselves through inappropriate behaviors. Past approaches to classroom management have been mainly designed around punishment. The emphasis was on actions taken after the behavior had happened; discipline and teaching were thought of as separate areas in education. However, from the early 1970s, history has shown that actions taken by teachers prior to incidents of undesired classroom behaviors can be the catalyst for preventing the behaviors from occurring. That is, if teachers understand the need for, and work to create and maintain a proactive environment, the result will be a classroom in which student learning increases and misbehavior decreases (Yell Meadows, Drasgow, & Shriner, 2009).

Proactive Components

There are four components listed in the textbook (Yell et al., 2009) that are involved in a proactive classroom management system. The attitude and behaviors of the teacher are a primary component, the authority the credible teacher carries is also a vital element, as well as the structure of the classroom can play a part in successful management, and lastly, the effectiveness of the instruction or teaching.

Teachers can affect the classroom with their own beliefs and attitudes about children with special needs. Positive attitudes and a high self-efficacy about teaching students with special needs are essential to successful classroom management. Teachers may be insensitive to students' needs or be poor role models. Some instructors may not have realistic expectations for their special needs students and fail to be consistent with consequences.

The teacher needs to be the authority in special needs classrooms and establish this influence at the beginning of the year; credibility comes through the teacher's consistency. Many special needs students may lack adequate structure in their daily lives, therefore consistent schedules, expectations, and consequences can be effective. If there is more than one adult present in the classroom, it is of paramount importance for all staff to work together consistently and establish the same level of expectations and protocols.

According to Yell et al. (2009), the structure of a classroom is defined as the way in which classrooms are organized albeit the physical environment to the rules and expectations, the goal of which is to enhance teaching and learning and lower the incidence of problem misbehaviors. This will entail advanced planning on the teacher's part, and the teacher instructing the students from the beginning of the year in regards to the expected procedures, rules, and acceptable behaviors. After the initial, basic expectations and rules are outlined, the teacher can solicit the students to contribute positive input about them. Every classroom has its own set of rules, and allowing students to have input on the rules and expectations gives them ownership, and that is something they may have very little of in their daily lives. Most students, after they have attended school for a few years, know the expectations, but they may not adhere to them on a consistent basis.

Instruction needs to be delivered in such a way as to be continually interesting to the students as well as cognitively engage them to the point that they are less involved in undesirable behaviors. Students who are academically successful are less likely to act out and be inappropriate socially (Horner & Carr, 1997). Teachers of students with EBD often will have a wide variety of academic skills. With hands-on activities and lessons geared to their level, students can achieve greater academic and behavioral success. There are curriculums that will provide higher interest levels, although at a lower academic skill level. The teacher can use everyday examples of how and why the skills are being taught and allow the students to discover how they learn best. Teachers who are effective in academic delivery with a variety of students usually have positive classroom management skills and fewer student behavior problems.

Overt and Covert Behaviors

Overt behaviors are exhibited in aggression and antisocial behaviors, and if these behaviors are severe enough across environments, the child may be termed as having a conduct disorder (CD). According to Kauffman (2001), the severity and prevalence of the disorder is increasing and has a higher incidence rate among males. Because of the higher incidence of aggressive behaviors, all teachers now need to be educated and able to deal with these kinds of behaviors. Early interventions are required due to the quickly escalating academic failures and peer rejections faced by students with conduct disorders. Many people argue that violence in society has a direct correlation to what the children see and hear through the media, games, and music. However, Kauffman points out that research is showing that biological and genetic elements seem to be at the base of the more severe cases of CD. Overt and covert behaviors are subtypes of conduct disorders, and children can exhibit behaviors from both categories. The prognosis, in both school and society, is very poor for these types of children and adolescences.

Covert behaviors are often more difficult to distinguish and plan interventions for because they can be more elusive and more evading. Lying, stealing, setting fires, and running away are often not as quickly evident as behaviors that are more overt. Covert behaviors can have the same causal factors as overt behaviors, and both stem from noncompliance issues. When teachers and the team are aware of behavioral characteristics, differences, and antecedents, they can create a more effective plan for intervention.

Behavior Intervention Plans

"One of the greatest challenges for effective behavior support is getting all the components of the BIP implemented consistently" (Yell et al, 2009, p.118). Behavior intervention plans (BIP) are the result of the functional behavior assessment (FBA) and target inappropriate behaviors, but often the implementation of the BIP is executed in the classroom. The behavior support plan is to be proactive and preventative relying on development of skills, which include tasks of (re)teaching, academics, and positive reinforcement. These tasks fall on the classroom teacher and staff with the addition of data collection, for all areas, in order to track the student's progress.

Antecedents, listed in the FBA and/or BIP, for behaviors can be addressed in the teacher's plan for structuring the classroom. The (re)teaching of cognitive and appropriate behavioral skills becomes imbedded in the daily effective instruction. Positive and consistent enforcement of all plans and rules gives the teacher authority and creditability with the students.

Conclusion

Students with EBD are going to engage in behaviors that will interfere with daily routines and academic lessons. There will also be a need for a crisis management plan in order to prevent injuries. However, when staff act and plan proactively, have a set routine when inappropriate behaviors occur, practice effective and frequent communication, and are consistent, behaviors will decrease and skills can be maintained.