Shaping children into the student role and managing behavior in the classroom have always been important parts of a teacher’s job. Historically these tasks have been challenging enough considering that all students in the same grade level are not equally mature, some are struggling with neurodevelopmental and/or mental health issues, and each have been raised within specific family and cultural contexts that shape behavioral expectations. But the Covid-19 pandemic clearly added another layer of complexity as educators across the country have seen a sharp rise in disruptive behavior in the classroom since the onset of pandemic-related school closures.
The statistics are quite compelling. As reported in a 2023 study, 32% of public-school teachers agreed that student misbehavior interfered with their teaching and 37% agreed that student tardiness and class cutting interfered with teaching. Disruptive behaviors certainly affect academic instruction, but they also undermine a sense of safety for students and staff alike. According to survey results released by the American Psychological Association (APA) in March 2022 “approximately one-third of teachers report that they experienced at least one incident of verbal harassment or threat of violence from students during the pandemic, and almost 50% expressed a plan or desire to quit or transfer jobs.” The effects of the pandemic continue to reverberate throughout our educational system given the rise in students’ disruptive behavior and chronic absenteeism, learning loss, and decreased teacher morale and critical staffing shortages.
Considering these challenges, school leaders are more interested than ever in finding effective behavior management techniques to implement within their districts.
The Science Behind School-Based Behavior Management
Prior to the pandemic MTSS (multi-tiered system of supports) and SWPBIS (positive behavioral interventions and supports) programs were becoming increasingly common in school districts. MTSS programs are designed to ensure that students at all levels of need receive academic, behavioral, and social-emotional support to optimize both academic achievement and overall well-being. SWPBIS programs, often included under the MTSS umbrella, have been implemented in over 16,000 schools in the United States. They are designed to promote positive student behaviors and school safety, thus fostering a welcoming school environment for students, families, and staff. Predictably, as behavioral issues rose both during and after the pandemic, many districts have put considerable resources into creating or enhancing these types of programs.
There is considerable research evidence to support the effectiveness of these programs. One study published in the Journal of Pediatrics found that there were “significant effects of SWPBIS on children’s behavior problems, concentration problems, social-emotional functioning, and prosocial behavior. Children in SWPBIS schools also were 33% less likely to receive an office discipline referral than those in the comparison schools.” The authors also noted that the positive effects were strongest among children who were first exposed to SWPBIS interventions in kindergarten.
Also noteworthy is the finding that staff morale and feelings of effectiveness increase as SWPBIS interventions promote students’ positive behaviors and strengthen student-teacher relationships. When teachers can teach, and feel safe in their work environments, they are less likely to be emotionally exhausted and are more likely to have a sense of accomplishment and confidence in their work. And this means that your school is less vulnerable to staff burnout and high turnover.
Five Evidence-Based Techniques for Positive Behavioral Management
There are many classroom-based and school-wide positive behavior strategies discussed in the literature so districts seeking to implement a SWPBIS can become overwhelmed with the choices and confused about where to start. One surefire starting place is to gather data about the nature and scope of problem behaviors that staff are observing as well as the positive behaviors (e.g., communication skills, empathic behaviors, adherence to rules, consistent attendance, self-regulation skills, timeliness, etc.) that staff are hoping to promote. Based on the issues identified in your school, you can then choose a small selection of evidence-based interventions that target those problems and then implement these as the building blocks for your program. As with any major school-wide initiative, to optimize success and buy-in teachers should be included in the initial brainstorming and planning. Both parent and student representatives can also be consulted about their perspectives on both the positive and negative aspects of the school’s climate.
Some frequently discussed techniques for positive behavior management include:
Foster a positive classroom environment
The defining characteristics of a positive classroom environment are participation and choice. This means that students should be involved in defining the classroom’s rules and routines, as well as the consequences for violating those rules. Students should be engaged in a discussion of the pros and cons of the rules and about the importance of balancing the various needs and rights of fellow students and the teacher. Once rules and routines are decided upon, they should be prominently displayed, regularly reviewed, and specifically taught. Tips on how to follow the rules should be offered. For example, how to occupy your hands while waiting in line so that you don’t touch others or invade their space; breathing and other calming practices to use while waiting, etc. Another way to foster a positive classroom environment is to use positive language in lieu of critical or correcting language (that is, notice and acknowledge positive behaviors rather than criticizing unacceptable ones). An ongoing evaluation of classroom layout is also critical – does the arrangement of furniture allow for an easy flow? Are walls and bulletin boards pleasantly decorated with both calming images and reminders of rules and coping strategies? Is there a self-calming chair/area that a student can occupy when in need of re-regulation?
Creating Clear Expectations and Routines
Within the classroom and on a school-wide basis it is important for educators to formulate and then clearly communicate to students how they are expected to behave. These expectations should be shared with parents as well so that they can reinforce these behaviors at home, and so they have a context within which to evaluate teachers’ feedback and their children’s concerns and complaints. These expectations include everyday activities such as how to file into the classroom, how to walk through the hallways, how to prepare for moving on to the next class or activity, etc.
Proactive vs. Reactive Approaches
Educators are human – they have bad days like everyone else – so there are times when they allow anger and frustration to show as they respond to a student’s disruptive behavior. The deliberate practice of proactive strategies, however, can help educators respond in a preventive rather than a punitive manner when student behavior escalates. One proactive strategy is giving students one or two audible warnings (e.g. an alarm or egg timer) a couple of minutes prior to the need to leave one activity and start another. Setting a transition routine to help students change set is another method. Transition routines can include any type of mindfulness practice, putting one’s head on the desk, free time to draw or look through a favorite book, doing stretching or other movements at one’s desk, etc. Well-defined schedules for taking turns using classroom resources can be developed. Teachers can use the proximity method and move closer to students who appear to be frustrated, agitated, or losing focus.
Building Student-Centered Support Networks
It is helpful for educators to approach all students from a trauma-informed perspective regardless of whether a trauma history is known. That is, in addressing bad behavior, be curious about “what happened to you?” rather than “what’s wrong with you?” This immediately frames the conversation around what in the environment or what series of events have led up to this moment, rather than saying or implying that the child is inherently bad or deliberately oppositional. Speaking with students and their parents about family stressors or other challenges the student is facing outside of school can be extremely helpful in understanding what might trigger bad behavior. Staying up to date with students’ IEPs and connecting regularly with mental health and other professionals working with students will offer a good window into what learning, neurodevelopmental, and emotional challenges a student is facing. It is also helpful to build peer support opportunities such as a classroom buddy system. Pairing each student with a buddy and then regularly switching the pairings can help build positive connections and mutual support within the classroom and across the school community. Shy and socially awkward children, or others who might be ostracized or exhibit off-putting behavior, will be more likely to find a comfortable place to land if they have a designated buddy.
Effective Communication Strategies
There are numerous communication methods that can be adopted to foster positive behavior and foster a welcoming school climate. Educators might practice with each other how to use a calm tone and neutral, non-threatening body language when addressing student’s bad behavior. Walking close to a student and delivering corrective feedback as a whisper rather than a statement heard by everyone is a good start. Use clear and concise wording to label the inappropriate behavior and to describe the positive behavior that is expected. Where possible use non-verbal cues, for example, walk close to a distracted student and point to the problem being worked on or the passage being read. Point to a “calming corner” in the classroom as an offer to a student who seems frustrated or agitated. Don’t forget the power of a broad smile or gentle hand on the shoulder to reassure, redirect, and calm. And it never hurts to ask a student directly “what do you need from me right now to help you re-focus”, etc.
What Are Challenging Student Behaviors?
Of course, to effectively implement strategies to increase positive behaviors it is important to define the types of challenging behaviors and to understand what might give rise to them. Challenging behaviors fall into four basic categories:
- Withdrawn behaviors such as shyness, rocking, staring, anxiety, school avoidance, and social isolation.
- Disruptive behaviors such as being out-of-seat, calling out in class, tantrums, swearing, screaming, or refusing to follow instructions.
- Unsafe and/or violent behaviors such as head banging, kicking, biting, punching, fighting, pushing, running away, destroying school property.
- Inappropriate social behaviors such as highly sexualized conversations, bullying of all kinds, stealing, being over-affectionate, inappropriate touching of self or others.
It is rare that any single thing gives rise to problematic behavior and teasing out the factors can be rather complicated. Problem behaviors and positive behaviors alike are the products of:
- a student’s biology (e.g., neurodiversity, brain structure, temperament, learning differences)
- the developmental and emotional impact of life stressors and traumas
- the learning environment in the family, that is, what behaviors are positively reinforced, and which are ignored or punished
- community and cultural norms and expectations
- school-based circumstances such as the school’s tolerance of and approach to bullying; environmental factors such as noise levels, space and classroom layouts; the adherence to structures and routines; and teacher behavior including teaching methods and ways of responding to inappropriate behaviors
Clearly, other than staying as well-informed as possible, teachers have little ability to directly impact items 1-4. School-wide behavioral intervention plans and good professional development opportunities, however, can help educators tackle the factors laid out in item 5.
Supporting School-Wide Behavioral Management System
The success of any far-reaching school-wide initiative hinges on three key factors:
Comprehensive Behavioral Policies that detail the school’s values, the positive behaviors that educators hope to foster, and clear, easily followed descriptions of the specific behavior intervention strategies that everyone is expected to learn and practice.
Staff Buy-In and Professional Development are critical. It begins with involving all staff up front in the analysis of data and brainstorming about what behaviors to target and how. Professional development must be ongoing, and laser-focused on helping staff learn exactly how to implement each strategy in their respective roles.
Measuring and Monitoring Progress is at the heart of every successful initiative. Tap into data that is already collected (grades, absences, disciplinary actions, etc.) and/or create new data sets that arise from staff observations and priorities about the most important behaviors to target.
Discover Effective Behavioral Management Solutions
Effective teaching cannot happen when educators are continually needing to intervene to correct disruptive behaviors. The evidence is strong that SWPBIS and other behavior intervention plans can improve school culture and foster a sense of community; assist students who are struggling academically, emotionally or socially; improve educator morale and school connection; and reduce disciplinary referrals, suspensions, and expulsions.
ESS is more than happy to partner with you to build or enhance your behavioral intervention systems and to ensure that they are integrated with your mental health and other student services.
FAQs About Behavioral Management Techniques
What is a behavioral management technique?
Behavior management is a set of strategies used by educators, child development specialists, and mental health professionals and are often taught to parents. They are used to shape the behavior of both individual students and entire school communities. They are based on the work of behavioral psychologists and incorporate both operant conditioning (shaping desired behaviors by reinforcing positive behaviors and ignoring or punishing negative behaviors) and classical conditioning (consistently pairing certain experiences so that one will eventually bring about the other, e.g. using a bell to signal the need to transition to another activity). It emphasizes the development and maintenance of positive habits and behaviors and the reduction of negative ones.
What are the 7 R’s of behavior management?
The 7 R’s of behavior management are:
- Before behaviors grow to be habits, we need to be reminded to do them.
- It is important to track the frequency of and context within which target behaviors occur.
- New behaviors are formed and maintained when they are followed by positive reinforcement.
- Positive behaviors are likely to be maintained when they are part of a set routine or structure.
- Some new behaviors are initiated in the interest of improving important relationships, thus raising the stakes for an individual to stick with the plan. Also, there are times when involving a significant person as a witness or cheerleader can help you reach your goals (e.g., to study regularly, to exercise more, etc.).
- It is important to periodically step back and evaluate the plan and to adjust as needed to meet your goals.
- Upon assessing progress, it is important to look at ways to address problem areas, perhaps by restructuring the environment to support your goals.
What are the four types of behavior management?
Understanding the 4 types of behavior will provide a framework within which to categorize and implement behavior management techniques:
- Physical Actions (What I Do)
- Non-Verbal Cues (How I Do It)
- Language (What I Say)
- Vocal Delivery (How I Say It)
What are the three C’s of behavior management?
The 3 C’s of behavior management are Connection, Consistency, and Compassion. That is, establishing strong, positive relationships with students; maintaining consistent expectations, routines, and consequences; and striving to understand and consider each student’s unique circumstances and how they give rise to negative behaviors.
Resources:
Teachers, other school personnel, experience violence, threats, harassment during pandemic
5 Evidence-Based Behavior Management Strategies for Your MTSS
Behaviour – Students: 3. Challenging behaviour influences and triggers | education.vic.gov.au
7 Things to Develop Lasting Behavior Change — Greenville Counseling Associates
