How do you deal with behavior problems in school?
One of the fastest-growing challenges facing today’s teachers is an increase in the problem behaviors you have to tackle- on top of teaching a full curriculum. I can pretty confidently say that dealing with classroom behavior problems is not why most of us get into education. No matter who you are or where you teach, you’ve probably faced challenging student behavior that affected your ability to focus on teaching to your full potential; we all have.
When I became a Registered Behavior Technician specializing in Applied Behavior Analysis, I was honestly just looking for a side hustle to supplement my teaching income and following a passion of my own- working with young people with disabilities ranging in age from 3-17 years old. However, what I found was a treasure chest of techniques and methods for addressing the disruptive behaviors I was facing in my classroom.
There are countless ABA techniques for decreasing problem behaviors. Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) techniques are incredibly effective in a school setting and are the fastest way to completely turn your students’ behavior, classroom routines, and daily expectations around.
POSITIVE REINFORCEMENT
Positive reinforcement, in ABA, is simply providing or adding something to the student’s environment to encourage the behavior they are currently displaying. In other words, recognizing and rewarding a behavior that you want to see more of is positive reinforcement.
1. Call out and praise positive behaviors, even at the risk of seeming a bit "over the top."
When you see a student engaging in any positive behavior that you want to either a) see more often or b) see other students also engage in, call it out. Make a big deal out of it, even if it feels unnatural. For example, ‘Becca, thank you so much for picking up that piece of trash from the floor and putting it in the trash can. I know that probably wasn’t even your trash, but it’s such a nice gesture that helps keep our classroom clean.”
This kind of verbal praise, spoken for the class to hear, really reinforces that behavior for the rest of the class. Soon, in this example, you’ll notice more students looking for ways to help keep a clean classroom. Ultimately, most students just love praise and attention.
2. To decrease a student’s specific problem behavior, praise the opposite behavior.
This is also referred to as differential reinforcement. For example, imagine you have a student named Sarah who is constantly running ahead of the class while walking to the cafeteria for lunch. Instead of calling out her behavior and providing her with attention (negative attention is still attention), use that opportunity to praise any students who are walking properly in the line. Use their names and specific details about what you love about their hallway behavior. Chances are that Sarah isn’t running because she is hungry and can’t wait to get her hands on some chicken nuggets- she most likely is just looking for some attention.
3. If you want to use a reward system, make sure the reward is something they really want. If your class prefers to play games on the computer when they have free time, then rewarding good behavior with extra outside recess time may not be very effective. The same is true when using a reward system with an individual student; you have to figure out what they want and would work for to create a system that works.
Let’s say your student Micah has a hard time completing his homework regularly. After assessing the reason(s) why that may be true, you’ve concluded that what could make a difference is a small reward system in which each night that he completes his assignments, he will receive a small, discrete reward. For this is be effective, the reward will need to be something Micah really likes or wants. If nothing pops out to you right off the bat, you could perform a preference assessment with Micah to narrow down some reasonable options. You can find a free Student Reinforcement Survey in our freebie library to help you get started!
BEHAVIOR CONTRACTS
Behavior contracts outline the specific behavior(s) that you expect during different times of the day or environments in the school. These can be incredibly helpful to create and enforce as a whole group. You’d be surprised at how often the cause of problem behaviors is a lack of clear behavioral expectations.
4. Brainstorm and draft a class behavior contract as a whole group.
This process gives students a sense of being a part of the contract's contents and expectations. Having their opinions taken seriously in the creation of the class rules and, ultimately a class contract, nurtures a sense of community and working as a team. It’s sort of like that phenomenon where if a picky eater helps to prepare a meal or cook a recipe, they are much more likely to eat it or try something new. Make them a part of it and they will take the contents and guidelines more seriously.
5. Individual behavior contracts work best when both teacher and student make commitments to each other.
In other words, if they ___, then you will ___. Knowing that you are dedicated to improving the learning environment and willing to work with them to find a solution that works may be something they’ve never experienced before. In my classroom, I had a student I’ll call Travis. He would throw tantrums any time he raised his hand to answer a question and was not called on. After having a private conversation with Travis explaining why I wasn’t able to call on him for every answer (and confirming that he understood it wasn’t a personal attack, but rather a chance for all the students in his class to get the opportunity to answer a question), Travis and I ended up creating a behavior contract together.
It stated that if he no longer yelled, kicked his feet, and cried when he wasn’t called on (it's important to name the specific behaviors), I would make sure to call on him at least one time per day. This wasn’t an extreme promise on my end- it would be easy to keep my end of the contract- but Travis knowing that he would be called on at least once per day put his anxieties about never getting to express his answers to rest. We both signed the contract and it helped to decrease and eventually eliminate his tantrums completely.
SELF-MONITORING
The biggest transformation to my own struggle with student behavior problems in my classroom came when I developed a self-monitoring system. I was at my wit’s end, unable to figure out how to manage the chaos of problem behaviors developing in my classroom, and I knew I wouldn’t be able to handle it on my own. Since I wasn’t able to just request an aide or assistant to help me combat the behavioral issues I was dealing with, I needed to come up with another plan.
Now, to be clear, I did not come up with the concept of self-monitoring. I created a system for my classroom that helped me put that concept into motion. Self-monitoring teaches students to track their own behavior using checklists or charts, which encourages self-awareness and self-regulation.
6. Decide on target behaviors with your student(s) to help them easily identify if they are staying “on track.”
You, of course, will have your own idea of what behaviors they need to work on, but chances are that your student is also aware of what they do that presses your buttons. Sit down with them and have a conversation about what they think they might do or say during the school day that is not acceptable behavior in the classroom. Make a list of behaviors that they should be engaging in (target behaviors), not a list of problem behaviors. Those target behaviors are what they will track throughout the day.
7. Reward and reinforcement consistency is key.
Consistently being able to praise and reinforce their ability to engage in their positive target behaviors and accomplish their daily goals is the most vital part of a self-monitoring behavior system. If a student works hard all day regulating their behavior, and when the time comes to “cash in,” or be rewarded for a job well done, you find that you’ve run out of their chosen reward, the system loses its effectiveness. The reason this system works is because your student’s brain can make a connection between engaging in the desired behavior(s) and being rewarded. Their brain won’t be able to connect their “good” behavior with an I.O.U.; it has to be timely and consistent. I know some things may be out of your control, but make it a priority to be consistent, be reliable, and to show that you are serious about the system working.
Want to try a self-monitoring system but not sure where to start? We have an effective, user-friendly Self-Monitoring Behavior Improvement Kit to help you start your own right away. Whether you are facing problem behaviors with just one student or multiple (I’ve used this system with 8 students at a time one year!), this kit was designed to run on autopilot after the initial set-up and provides relief from dealing with behaviors constantly throughout your day. It works best for students from grades 3-8, and is a behavior lifesaver!
SOCIAL STORIES
Social stories are one of my favorite tools to use, especially in a classroom setting. However, I think they are also the most underutilized. Social stories are stories that help students understand social situations, appropriate behaviors, and expected outcomes. While typically used with students who have social deficits, in my opinion, they are incredibly effective for all ages. Social stories are also known as social narratives.
8. Write a personalized story from the perspective of the student or students who will benefit from it.
Using “I” statements helps the listening students imagine themselves in the story. If you are working with one individual student, you could even use their name for added personalization and effect.
9. Present a social story to prepare students for a difficult or new situation.
This works for an entire class or even just one student. Imagine that your class is going to be experiencing a lockdown drill at your school for the first time- consider young students or even students who are in the lowest grade that your school houses where your procedures may be new to them. Reading a social story to them that shows a class of students going through each motion gives them a better sense of what to expect. The possibilities for using social stories are endless.
10. Social stories set a positive example of behavior and should be used proactively, not as a response to negative behavior.
The idea of a social story is to set and teach an example of what positive behavior is expected, and shouldn’t be used as a punishment for a negative display of behavior. Also, focus on using positive language instead of describing what not to do; for example, if the story is about appropriate social playing, instead of saying “Don’t hit your friends!” say, “I will keep my hands to myself and have a calm body when I play with my friends.”
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